Learning new languages improves brain power and opens more doors. Everyone knows how difficult it is to learn a new language, especially if you’re from a monolingual background. Mastering a few will look impressive on your resume and help you advance in your career.
Translation and interpretation are lucrative fields as well, so you can always keep that option open. While learning nonmainstream languages like Tagalog or Xhosa is fun and challenging, these languages might not be helpful unless you plan to work in the Philippines or South Africa. Here’s a look at some of the most useful ones:
1. English
There are approximately 1.5 billion people who speak English and around 360 million who speak it as their first language. It is the primary language of international communication and the Internet, which is why it is crucial to learn it. English is a language studied most commonly throughout the world and is a mandatory part of education in many countries.
A good understanding of this language can help you advance in your career and communicate with people all over the world. The Internet has made it even more popular. The countries with the highest number of English speakers are the United States, India, Pakistan, and the Philippines.
If this language isn’t already in your arsenal, it is time to start learning. Fortunately, there are a lot of resources available online, so it’s easy to find an excellent English course.
2. Mandarin Chinese
While the number varies, most studies conclude that there are around 1.3 billion Mandarin Chinese speakers in the world, and a majority of that population consists of native speakers. Chinese is a macrolanguage that has hundreds of different styles and dialects. Mandarin Chinese is the official language of China and is spoken by one in six people in the world. If you want to learn something useful, this is the right choice.
China is an emerging power with fingers in almost every industry. It is also a big consumer market, and many international businesses want to establish a foothold there. You’ll greatly benefit from learning this language.
3. Spanish
Spain might be a small country, but Spanish is a highly widespread language. It has around 460 million speakers and 370 of them being native. It is the official language of Spain, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, and many other such countries.
It is a highly useful language, especially if you intend to work in South America or the southern USA.
These are some of the most useful languages. You can also invest some time in learning other mainstream languages such as French, German, Russian, Hindi, and Arabic if you so desire.