It's been five years since anyone wrote a response to this question, but I ran across it today and wanted to add one important thing: studying English helps you learn to read and comprehend, to read between the lines and to interpret what you've read. This is just as important as being able to speak and write well. Comprehending what you've read or heard will be something you use the rest of your life. English is all about learning to communicate well, and listening, comprehending, reading are all receptive ways we communicate.