It is sometimes remarked by outsiders, resentfully, that English-speaking countries earn X million pounds/dollars every year thanks to the global language situation. Taking this as true, how does it apply to the man on the street? More specifically, how can a person - say a 31-year-old unemployed Englishman - earn some of this money? By teaching, I hear you cry, but what if he doesn't want to teach? What can he do, within the borders of his own country, to get his hands on some of this dirty dosh?

I suppose they could make every effort (or lack thereof) to live off the dole.

If the country does earn such money you could say it goes in to paying for welfare projects (although I think this is more of a figurative number).

What about proof-reading, correcting, editing stuff that foreign firms, institutions etc have to publish in English?

Also Robert, you mind find that advertising that you are prepared to give English conversation practice, whether one to one, or in a group, might produce some results in certain parts of the country.

Set up a multi-lingual translation service (from many languages into English) recruiting helpers who are native speakers of the source languages and whose Esperanto is good enough to render the meaning of the foreign text in Esperanto. You then translate the text into English

sudanglo:What about proof-reading, correcting, editing stuff that foreign firms, institutions etc have to publish in English?

Also Robert, you mind find that advertising that you are prepared to give English conversation practice, whether one to one, or in a group, might produce some results in certain parts of the country.

I like that second idea, and it could even be extended to online (via skype etc.). I'm sure the most lucrative business would be teaching or tutoring, though.

Dankon. Conversation practice is too similar to teaching, and I don't fancy setting up a business, but proof-reading/editing is a good idea.

Keep in mind that this is not all money earned - some of it is money saved. For example, a business from an English-speaking country simply writes an instruction manual for its product, not needing to pay someone to translate it. The business can feel free to send its most technically competent person to an international meeting, not the person with the best English. They can hire employees without worrying or even asking about language skills. They don't need to pay for English classes for their staff. They almost never need to pay to have an important document translated into their language. Their staff can travel abroad, check into an international hotel, and expect to be understood by the desk staff.

These things aren't the case every single time, obviously (my grandfather's company sent him to French classes to brush up on his French before sending him to engineering projects in French-speaking Africa, back in the day). But the bottom line is that a British company wanting to do business internationally will find it much cheaper and easier than a Hungarian company. It will mostly be business as usual for the British company, not hugely different from domestic commerce. The Hungarian company will have a massive and expensive language problem, unless the employees already speak great English.

How do you personally reap the benefits? Travel abroad and English will usually be an option on a ticket machine. In most foreign cities you will find English speakers who can assist you, at least in a tourist information centre (not true for our Hungarian friends). English will almost always be an option on tourist brochures at large attractions. We benefit in so many ways that we don't even notice, simply because we've always had this advantage.

Roberto12:..What can he do, within the borders of his own country, to get his hands on some of this dirty dosh?

Persuade the people who have gotten it to employ him.

You mean English is already the International Language, Eirinja! Quelle surprise!