There are many reasons why you might want to learn a new language. You may be looking for ways to help maximize your job or travel opportunities, perhaps you have a personal connection to a specific foreign language, or maybe you are simply fascinated by the culture or the way the language sounds when it is spoken. Whatever your reasons, learning a new language offers many benefits.

However, it is also a challenging and time-consuming endeavor. To help you choose which language to learn next, here are seven increasingly important and useful languages to consider.

Mandarin

With around 982 million native speakers and 1.1. billion people who know and use Mandarin, this is a language well worth learning. A major incentive for many people to learn Mandarin is the fact that China’s growing economy is likely to be world leading by 2050. As China’s global influence increases, learning Mandarin could prove to be extremely useful. Additionally, Mandarin is the second most used language online.

Arabic

Arabic has become an increasingly important and appealing language to learn. By learning Arabic, you will increase your chances of seeking out new opportunities in one of the 22 countries that form the Arabic League and which include over 205 million speakers.

“As the Arab nations continue to grow and expand, it’s likely that Arabic will become an increasingly important language to learn and master,” says Katelyn Patterson, a business writer at Writemyx and Brit student. “In particular, it’s very attractive for employers working in international sectors or politics. Although it takes a lot of time and effort to become proficient at it, once you learn Arabic you also have access to a wealth of literature, as well as opportunities.”

German

German is the official language in only six countries. However, it is spoken by over 105 million native speakers, with an additional 80 million people globally speaking German as their second language. German remains one of the most important languages to learn, mainly due to the fact that Germany continues to be the dominant economy within Europe. As such, it is a useful language to know for trading, business and diplomacy purposes.

French

Although many people consider the importance of French to be diminishing, it is still spoken by approximately 370 million people worldwide. Not only is French spoken in France itself, which continues to be an important cultural epicenter, but it’s also spoken in a number of African countries.

Spanish

With over 480 million Spanish speakers worldwide and the primarily language of over 20 countries, including many in Latin America, Spanish continues to be a highly useful language to learn. Furthermore, it is also spoken by over 35 million people in the U.S. alone.

Portuguese

Portuguese is the primary language of Portugal and Brazil, as well as seven other countries in the world, resulting in approximately 235 million speakers worldwide.

“One of the dominant reasons why Portuguese has become an increasingly important to learn lies with Brazil’s growing economy,” explains Patrick Hulsey, a content writer at Next coursework and 1 Day 2 write. “Currently, Brazil has the largest economy in Latin America. For anyone wishing to gain access to the South American business world, Portuguese would be an extremely beneficial language to learn.”

Hindi

Although Hindi isn’t always the most obvious new language choice, it is the fourth most spoken language on the planet. There are over 310 million native Hindi speakers and it’s the standardized language not only in India, but also in a number of surrounding South Asian countries. As well as helping you gain access to rich and captivating cultures, learning Hindi is also likely to become increasingly useful as India’s economy continues to grow. Currently, the seventh largest global economy, India is expected to become second only to China by 2050.

Conclusion

Learning a new language can be challenging, but it can also be extremely enjoyable and help to open doors to new countries, cultures and experiences. In order to successfully master a new language, you need to be dedicated and a have genuine interest and desire to learn it. When trying to decide which language to learn next, consider not only its practicality and popularity, but also whether you will truly enjoy the experience of learning it.

 

Steven Ammon is a successful marketing professional and translator at Academic brits and Dissertation writing service. Working closely with clients, he helps individuals and organizations to adapt their marketing and sales strategies in response to fast-paced and demanding market changes. He also regularly writes for Academic paper help. Steven likes to travel and immerse himself as much as possible in the culture and language.

To promote multilingual literacy to the members of the IFLA is like preaching to the choir. International is almost equivalent to multilingual, as each nation has its own unique linguistic characteristics. So, too, IFLA is committed to a Global Vision spanning nearly 200 countries and territories, each with its own dialect. Indeed, dialect and library and literacy are intrinsically rooted in recognition of the supreme importance of reading. Knowledge of and learning of additional languages are obviously inextricable from that priority, a focus shared across national and regional borders, and adopted as a major target by the United Nations.

Literacy in One Language is Not a Sufficient Goal

Obviously, mastering one language is a necessary first step. 40 % of the global population lacks access to education in the language they speak and understand. However, is education and mastery of one language sufficient? Many children raised by bilingual parents, who speak at least two languages from the get-go, are blessed with many advantages over their monolingual peers. But let’s consider the case of someone who grew up with one-language and now wants to learn another. Before addressing the benefits of bilingualism, it’s only natural to examine the best languages to learn. Related:https://www.tomedes.com/translator-hub/15-best-languages

To answer the question, we must consider the metrics for answering the question. One possible consideration is how many people speak that language. If we assume that English is your mother tongue, it means you already speak the most spoken language in the world. But with more than 1.2 billion English speakers – not all fluent, mind you – the proverbial cup is still mostly empty. More than 5 out of 6 people in the world can’t understand you, and you can’t understand them.

It’s also important to bear in mind that most of those English speakers speak it as a second language, not a first. Coming in a close second place in overall speakers is Mandarin Chinese, followed by Hindi. The next question to ask is why you would want to learn a specific language. Do you have an interest in China or India? Do you have a professional reason for learning them? Relatives there? A love interest? If the answer to all these questions is no, forget them! They are both demanding and difficult languages to learn.

If usefulness is a key criterion in deciding which language to learn, then two candidates naturally high on your list. One will be Spanish – the second most popular native tongue and the main language of Latin America and the fastest growing language in the United States. Another will be French, the third most popular second language, this badge of honor attributable to France’s colonial legacy in Africa and the Americas. Knowing Spanish or French will be most useful if you are traveling on these continents or interest in interacting with members of their substantial diasporas. But ultimately, the decision comes down to where you want to travel and live, and who and which cultures you want to get to know.

The Benefit of Literacy in Multiple Languages

Studies show beyond doubt that bilingualism and biliteracy have many benefits for children: cognitive ability, learning and school readiness, social development, and capacity for success in life. Biliterate Individuals learn to switch frequently and rapidly between two distinct language systems. That makes their brains more active and more adaptable. Compared to monolingual peers, bilinguals understand math concepts more easily, solve problems faster, cultivate stronger thinking and logical skills, focus better, remember more, and make better decisions. They also are better at learning additional languages.

Social and emotional development is also improved because bilingual kids keep stronger ties with their families, cultures, and communities, strengthening identity and feeling of self-worth. They make new friends more easily. Babies raised bilingually demonstrate superior self-control, a key predictor of school success. Bilingual ability promotes abstract thinking, a learning key. Research indicates that bilinguals are more focused and capable of blocking irrelevant information. Globally, bilingual adults have broader job opportunities than their monolingual counterparts. They are better equipped to participate in the global community, obtain information from more diverse sources, and learn more about other cultures.

Learning New Languages Has Never Been Easier

With all of the benefits of learning and using additional languages, it should come as no surprise that huge sums are being invested in language learning services. The global language services industry, which focuses on translation and localization of digital content, is expected to top $50 billion annually this year, growing more than 6% annually. All of the largest technology providers – Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Apple — consider machine translation to be an important investment.

The result is that anyone with a smartphone – and by now that’s more than half of people over 10, with more than 3.5 billion users worldwide – possesses powerful language learning tools in their palms of their hands. Two of the most common apps for translation, Google Translate, and Microsoft Translator allow foreign languages to be translated and vocalized instantly. Apps also can conduct conversations in any language with virtual voice

assistance, or to use Siri or Alexa to translate for you. Not all languages are supported invoices, but the number grows each year.

For those who seek structured language learning programs, they abound on the internet. Programs like Babbel and Rosetta Stone promise basic literacy and speaking ability within weeks. The best-known and most successful free language learning app is DuoLingo, with more than 100 million users. Hello, Talk takes a different approach, connecting you with native speakers, an approach that brings a social benefit of interlingual and international connections.

In the coming decade, multilingual literacy will be pushed strongly. Those who promote multilingual literature have powerful allies. UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Social, and Cultural Organization, has taken a lead role in facilitating and encourage lifelong learning and multilingual literacy throughout the world. This campaign is integrated with the broader 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including its literacy target (4.6) which focuses on support for multicultural communication. So if the 177 signatories to Agenda 21 have their way, many more of us will be speaking more languages and, we hope, understanding each other a little better. As we seek to conserve the world’s resources, it would be a waste and a shame if what we say gets lost in translation.

Ofer Tirosh is the founder and CEO of Tomedes, a professional language services agency focusing on translation, interpretation, and localization, supporting over 100 languages.