ABSTRACT. Although the phrase "unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics" is widely used, it is not clear what it means. I consider the different views on the nature of mathematics, the diversity of which points to the difficulty in understanding what mathematics really is, a difficulty which adds to the mysteriousness of the applicability of mathematics. It is also not clear as to what is applied when we apply mathematics. What is clear however is that mathematics cannot be applied to the world but only to some descriptions of the world. This description occurs through the medium of language and models, thus leading us to consider the role of mathematics as language. The concluding parts of this paper argue how the view of mathematics as language can help us understand the mechanisms for its effective applicability.