Most Important Languages To Learn For More Achievements

English, French, Hindi, Mandarin, and Spanish are the world’s top five most-spoken languages according to recent statistics.

The world has become a global village, hence being bilingual is considered valuable at the international stage. Global communication is essential, so businesses and companies will value multilingual job seekers.

Multilingual applicants are searched for because they possess the skills to solve the language barrier issue.

Even as a business owner, being multilingual strengthens your relationship with international clients. You will also be able to reach out to a wider audience, communicating in a language they understand.

But, what are the languages you should learn to add to your resume?

If you haven’t figured that out yet, then you should read this article to find out languages to learn.

Why learn a new language

Some people have the resources to learn a new language – some even have someone willing to teach them for free, but the problem is that they have not seen the need to learn a new language.

Your Career opportunities will skyrocket

The world is being compressed as the day goes by as it becomes smaller due to globalisation. Those jobs that are in high demand may require prospective applicants who will be expected to know more than one language, this will be more paramount if the company spans global teams or in partnerships with people from different countries.

Being proficient in multiple languages will help you stand out in applications.

You will position yourself for more money

Knowing a second language can help you become so relevant and position you for more money-making opportunities. When you commit to learning a new language, you can increase the money you earn from whatever you do by an average of 2%.

According to an article published by The Economist, knowledge of the Spanish language will give you a 1.5% bonus, French will give you 2.3%, and German will give you 3.8%!

Why Should You Learn a Particular Language

Of what importance is it for one to learn a particular language? Let’s look at a few reasons it’s important to learn a specific language.

What Career Opportunities are available in this language?

Firstly, you have to consider your future goal as well as the geographical location of your business.

For instance, the United States has no official language but we all know English is the common language. Another language most Americans can speak is Spanish.

Learning Spanish will be useful, especially if your business is near a neighbouring Hispanic community.

If you are more ambitious to take your business international, other languages are necessary to learn to attract international clients.

How usable and versatile the language is

When you want to choose a language, you need to consider how useful and versatile the language is.

The main thing to consider is if this particular language can be used at home and abroad. What about its usability and social contexts? Ask yourself some important questions that will be of help to you, “How much am I going to make use of this? Learning a language takes time and effort, and you’ll want to learn the language that works best for you!

The number of people who speak the language

Not surprisingly, it’s important to know how many people speak a language before you make up your mind to learn it. Most people choose to learn the language with the largest number of speakers.

Another thing you should consider is the number of people who speak the language as a second language. A language that has a lot of people who speak it as a second language is a good language to learn as it will open up a lot of opportunities for you at the global communication level.

The geographical area where the language is spoken

At this point, your goals and interests should be considered and given priority. Are you planning to travel to a certain area for a while? If this is what you want to do, then you must ask about the language that is been spoken there, so that you will channel your energy into learning the right language.

If you are interested in learning a language that is widely spoken around the world, you may want to choose languages like English, French or Spanish, which is spoken on every continent.

What are the Most Important Languages to Learn?

You can add any of these languages to your repertoire to expand your international growth in business or job opportunities.

Also Read: The Best Ways to Learn New Language (13 Ways Backed by Science)

French

French, often called the language of love, has been used in international diplomacy for centuries. Before English took over due to the rise of the United States, French was widely used in diplomacy.

According to Indeed.com, the UN recognises the French language as one of the six official languages of the political international organization.

Today, France remains a major economic player and a top tourist spot. Learning French is valuable not only for cultural appreciation but also for practical reasons. Doing business in French-speaking countries becomes easier when you understand the language. There are many such countries where French is spoken, so knowing the language opens up opportunities.

Furthermore, the French language continues to hold significance globally. Learning French can be highly beneficial in today’s interconnected world, whether for romantic reasons, cultural understanding, or economic opportunities.

Learn the Spanish Language

Native speakers are very large when it comes to the Spanish language, as well as a large number of overall speakers.

Most Spanish-speaking countries are American countries located in the South and Central parts of the continent, which have been very popular tourist destinations in recent years. For this reason, you will find many Spanish speakers all over the world.

Furthermore, because of the large number of people who speak Spanish in the United States, if you live, work or travel in the US, Spanish is the first choice to study!

Also Read: 11 Best Free Spanish Classes Online: Learn Spanish for Free

Mandarin Chinese

There are more than 1 billion Mandarin Chinese speakers around the world, and of course, it is one of the most important languages.

However, most people who speak this language are located in China. China is very populated and since they are competing with the best world economies, learning this language has become as important as ever. Also, having team members who understand Chinese is becoming increasingly important for businesses.

Arabic

Arabic was originally a nomadic language, that was only spoken among tribes on the move. But the language has grown to the extent that it has moved to become the official language of the Arab League – the league consists of 22 countries including Egypt, Morocco, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

These popular travel destinations make learning Arabic worthwhile. Not only that, but it is the language of the entire Muslim civilization and all its texts. With over 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide, it’s no wonder that Arabic is on the list.

Russian

Everyone would believe that the Russian language is extremely powerful and influential in many European, Asian and Eastern European countries.

The Russian language also has the second-highest percentage of internet content (after English) and the highest percentage of internet content in Europe. This makes Russian one of the most important languages for business study in Europe.

Portuguese

Portuguese is one of the most important languages that is spoken all over the world –a good number of countries in Europe, South America, Asia and Africa use Portuguese as their official language.

The rate of tourism in most of the Portuguese-speaking countries in the country is growing and global companies are opening stores in such countries, therefore, the demand for Portuguese speakers is growing and will continue to grow.

Also Read: Best Countries to Study Abroad in America for International Students

Learn the German Language

The German language has become very popular and in Europe, the language has been the language that is widely spoken in the continent – this is because Germany still maintains its position as the country with the best economy in Europe.

Therefore, if you are doing anything like business or planning to do business in Europe, German is a language you should consider learning as it is one of the most important languages to study if you want to successfully do business in Europe.

It’s a fun language to learn, with suffixes attached to words to bring out some type of meaning. But another amazing thing is that it is also a very easy language to learn.

Hindi

Hindi is one of the most spoken in the worldwide. But like any other language, it’s not just the number of speakers that attracts you to learn it, it’s the global power of the language. India is an important part of the world economy today and since Hindi is the most spoken language in India, it is a language to learn.

Korean

The Korean language is fascinating to study because of its unique writing system. Unlike alphabets used in English, Korean characters are phonological, meaning they are based on the shape of your mouth when you pronounce sounds. This makes it easier to understand and learn.

For instance, if you observe the shape of your mouth when saying the Korean character “ah,” you’ll see similarities in its shape. This connection between sounds and shapes helps learners grasp the language more intuitively.

Instead of using individual letters like the English alphabet, Korean writing utilizes characters called “Hangul.” Each Hangul character represents a specific sound, making it simpler to associate sounds with their written form. This phonetic approach streamlines the learning process, especially for beginners.

Italian

Italian might not be the most widely spoken language, but it’s still really important.

Italy is known for its rich culture, art, and history. It has many famous places and old documents written in Italian. Plus, it’s a top spot for tourists. Learning Italian can make travelling there easier.

If you learn Italian, it can also help you learn other similar languages like French, Spanish, and Portuguese. This makes picking up new languages even simpler.

English

English is a very popular and important language that is used in global business, foreign affairs, global travel, and computer technology.

Not only that, but many of the world’s top economies are English-speaking economies – Canada, the UK, Australia and the US. English is also one of the almagests with a huge number of second – the language has about 1 billion non-native English speakers worldwide.

Japanese

Although Japanese is widely spoken within the country. The language is still an important piece of knowledge to have. Whether or not you want to travel to Japan, or you are a lover of Japanese culture and food, or technology, knowing this important language is something that will take you places.

Another amazing thing about this language is that it is going to help you understand other Asian languages faster. There are some Chinese characters in Japanese, and the grammar is similar to Korean, learning Japanese will put you on the road to learning these three.

FAQs on the Most Important Languages to Learn

What are the most in-demand languages?

The highest in-demand language is Portuguese! This is because of the rapid growth of the Brazilian economy.

Tourism in Brazil is booming and becoming their primary source of revenue, with many companies setting up offices in Brazil – and this is translating into making the Portuguese language one of the most important and in-demand languages in the world.

Is there one language known by all five continents?

Yes, you might be surprised to know that the language known by all five continents is the French language. French colonists were all over the world, and this made it possible for them to be native and non-native speakers of the French language on every continent.

What is the most common language used today?

First language

Mandarin Chinese is considered to be at the top of the list of commonly spoken languages as the language has about 870 million native speakers. The language has somewhere less than 200 million people who speak the language as a second language, and the vast majority of people who speak Mandarin Chinese are native speakers –they also live in mainland China.

Second language

If we are talking about second languages, then English should be up there, English has the upper hand in this context as the language is one of the most important languages to learn with more than 750 million second-language speakers, making up the majority of the totality of people who speak the English language.

Arabic is one of the languages that is also popular as a second language. The official language of more than 59 countries is Arabic, and it’s easy to understand why.

What is the language that is used mostly on the internet?

The language mostly used on the internet is Russian. Almost half of all the content available on the web is written in Russian! Plenty is also written in English, but if you’re interested in life on the internet, you might want to learn a little Russian.

References:

University of the People: The 12 Most Important Languages To Learn For Success

Most Important Languages To Learn For More Opportunities