Once upon a time, when it was more difficult to visit and communicate with other countries and cultures, we could be forgiven for not speaking the local tongue if we ventured abroad. It is common to know a few key phrases to get by: Hello, how are you? Where is...? How much is...? etc. But in today's multi-cultural and multi-lingual society, it really can pay off to put the effort in and learn a new language in full, offering you some semblance of fluency. With the rise of global commerce and the progression of technology such as Skype, Facebook and other globally-connected social networking platforms, it is easier now more than ever to communicate meaningfully with almost every country in the world. It seems to be a common practice for English people abroad not to know the local language though and simply expect to be spoken to in English wherever they go, and we think it's about time this changed.
First let's look at the most popular languages spoken across the world. Rather unsurprisingly, the Chinese language Mandarin is spoken by the most people, with over 900 million people citing it as their native language. It may appear only important to know if you live in China, but with so many global businesses being based in, or having offices in and around Hong Kong and China, it can be useful for anyone working in the world of commerce to at least speak conversational Mandarin. With an entirely new alphabet and writing style to learn, Mandarin can be a bit of a challenge but with the world's expecations that China will be the next business superpower of the world, it will be a valuable asset to multi-national companies to have some Mandarin-speaking employees.
Similarly, Arabic is another widely spoken language with over 280 million native speakers, which provides all sorts of opportunities for living in some of the up-and-coming commercial areas in the Middle East.
If the idea of learning a new alphabet is daunting but you would like to try something new, it may be easier to learn a European language that - like English - is based on ancient Latin. Spanish, for instance, is a relatively simple language to grasp and if you become fluent it can be easy to pick up other European languages such as Italian and French. The tenses and prefixes may be different but many of the root words are very similar allowing you to pick up a few words that can get you by in many countries around Europe. Thinking about a gap year or work abroad? Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world, meaning the scope for travel is endless, giving you the ability to work or enjoy holidays in countries such as Mexico and the Phillipines and pretty much all countries in South America. The accent may differ depending on where you travel to but knowing the traditional Spanish language will get you far in all of these locations.
In terms of employment, being bi-lingual can be helpful regardless of your job title. You can be a CEO of a multi-national corporation with the ability to communicate with offices in Hong Kong, or you can be a chef who can easily communicate with any non-English-speaking kitchen staff. You could be a doctor treating a patient who does not speak English or you could simply help a tourist who is lost in the city. You may think that learning a new language requires hours of lessons and money for tuition but thanks to the magic of technology you can easily download apps for your phone or computer that can help you get to an intermediate level. If you want to splash out, there are many resources such as home-based learning products like Rosetta Stone, or local college courses taught by professionals who are fluent in your chosen language.
From CEOs to waiting staff, flight crew to cleaners, it can pay off in a big way to know another language. It will help you communicate with the society around you and let you learn in more depth about the cultures that surround you. It can inspire you to want to work abroad and even holiday in places you may not have felt comfortable in going before. Language is a great unifier and with so many languages spoken all over the world, it would be a shame to waste time not understanding someone when perhaps that person could give you the greatest conversation of your life.
First let's look at the most popular languages spoken across the world. Rather unsurprisingly, the Chinese language Mandarin is spoken by the most people, with over 900 million people citing it as their native language. It may appear only important to know if you live in China, but with so many global businesses being based in, or having offices in and around Hong Kong and China, it can be useful for anyone working in the world of commerce to at least speak conversational Mandarin. With an entirely new alphabet and writing style to learn, Mandarin can be a bit of a challenge but with the world's expecations that China will be the next business superpower of the world, it will be a valuable asset to multi-national companies to have some Mandarin-speaking employees.
Similarly, Arabic is another widely spoken language with over 280 million native speakers, which provides all sorts of opportunities for living in some of the up-and-coming commercial areas in the Middle East.
If the idea of learning a new alphabet is daunting but you would like to try something new, it may be easier to learn a European language that - like English - is based on ancient Latin. Spanish, for instance, is a relatively simple language to grasp and if you become fluent it can be easy to pick up other European languages such as Italian and French. The tenses and prefixes may be different but many of the root words are very similar allowing you to pick up a few words that can get you by in many countries around Europe. Thinking about a gap year or work abroad? Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world, meaning the scope for travel is endless, giving you the ability to work or enjoy holidays in countries such as Mexico and the Phillipines and pretty much all countries in South America. The accent may differ depending on where you travel to but knowing the traditional Spanish language will get you far in all of these locations.
In terms of employment, being bi-lingual can be helpful regardless of your job title. You can be a CEO of a multi-national corporation with the ability to communicate with offices in Hong Kong, or you can be a chef who can easily communicate with any non-English-speaking kitchen staff. You could be a doctor treating a patient who does not speak English or you could simply help a tourist who is lost in the city. You may think that learning a new language requires hours of lessons and money for tuition but thanks to the magic of technology you can easily download apps for your phone or computer that can help you get to an intermediate level. If you want to splash out, there are many resources such as home-based learning products like Rosetta Stone, or local college courses taught by professionals who are fluent in your chosen language.
From CEOs to waiting staff, flight crew to cleaners, it can pay off in a big way to know another language. It will help you communicate with the society around you and let you learn in more depth about the cultures that surround you. It can inspire you to want to work abroad and even holiday in places you may not have felt comfortable in going before. Language is a great unifier and with so many languages spoken all over the world, it would be a shame to waste time not understanding someone when perhaps that person could give you the greatest conversation of your life.
About the Author:
Fancy having the upper hand in a foreign environment? One of the numerous benefits of learning another language as mentioned is business interpreting, this is an expanding market and you can click through for more information.
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