The reasons for learning English are various. Previously, the knowledge of a foreign language had been generally regarded as a sign of a well-rounded education. Learning a language was its own justification. Traditionally, the aim had been to read in the language and produce grammatically correct sentences, while speaking and writing. The focus had been put on the formal features of language usage. In the 1980s, attention was shifted to discovering the ways in which language is actually used in real communication. English can function as a mother tongue for those who are English native-speakers, as a second language for those whose mother tongue is different from the official language of the country and as a foreign language for those who learn it as non-native-speakers at any of three educational levels (primary, secondary or tertiary). Currently, general English is usually studied to be able to communicate effectively in todayʼs world and for exam purposes. Based on the communicative approach, a strong focus is on four communicative language skills and equal importance is given to vocabulary, grammar and functional language.