CHAPTER 22
English Connects You With The World
Think about why you are studying English. Chances are it has something
to do with communicating or connecting with other people. English
conversation is about connection. That is the purpose of English
conversation – to connect with people around the world. We want to connect
personally and emotionally. We want to connect with business partners,
clients, and customers. We want to connect with professional peers. We
want to connect with new friends.
In short, you need a community to use English. As a learner, it’s especially
useful to join a community of other English learners in order to practice and
improve. The kind of community you join, however, is very important.
Your peer group has a strong effect upon your ultimate success. A “peer
group” is simply a group of people who are interconnected with each other.
Your friends are a peer group. Your family is another peer group. If you join
an English class in a school, your classmates become your peer group. When
you join an online community of English learners, they become your peer
group.
Peer groups influence their members because, as a group, they share and
promote certain values and behaviors. The group as a whole has certain
standards and every member of the group is pulled towards those standards.
This group effect can produce powerful positive or negative results.
A negative peer group is one with generally low standards. These groups
are typically characterized by frequent criticism, focus on errors, complaints,
and even insults among members. Such a group tends to pull down its
members, discouraging and distracting them from success. Sadly, such
groups are especially common in schools and online – the two most common
English learning environments.
