Language Learning

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If there's one skill that will truly open your mind to new cultures and perspectives and make you a member of the global workforce, it's learning a language. Language learning is one of the most popular things to do as part of a study abroad program. Often, students go a step further and take a language immersion program, in which their sole focus is on language learning via living day to day and speaking only the native language of the country in which he or she is studying.

If you're wondering if language learning is a worthwhile endeavor, consider this: Knowing more than one language will give you an advantage in your career, help you appreciate a new culture in a more genuine way that simply going on a trip, and open your world to new people to communicate with.

Language Learning Boosts Career Potential
Foreign language proficiency enables you to be on the cutting edge of a globalized business world.

Teaching. There's no question that teachers of foreign languages are in demand. If you're fluent in a romance language like Spanish, French, or Italian, you're likely not lacking in job offers; if you speak a language like Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, or Russian, your resume will stand out even more. As a teacher of foreign languages, you can enable the next generation of leaders to learn a language that is vital in the global economy.

Business. This is obvious, but it bears repetition. If you plan to do business in China, for example, you would be wise to get at least a basic grasp of Mandarin. Or if you're in the business of fashion, a working knowledge of French or Italian can stand you in good stead with your international colleagues. Foreign language proficiency enables you to be on the cutting edge of a globalized business world.

Tourism. Whether you're planning a career as a travel agent, tour director, or hotel manager, foreign language proficiency will enable you to do business with a greater variety of individuals, and help you provide an authentic cultural experience for your clients.

Military/intelligence. Foreign language proficiency is highly valued in the military and intelligence communities. Language learning increases the ability to protect national security as you can use your foreign language skills to perform research, provide translation or transcription services, or work within reporting and analysis. Languages deemed critical to national security and defense include Arabic, Chinese, Dari, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Kurdish, Pashto, Persian/Farsi, Tagalog, Russian, Somali, Turkish, and Urdu/Punjabi.

Thinking of Learning a Language? Consider These Popular Ones
Chinese
Mandarin Chinese is the most-spoken language in the world. In light of that and of China's key role in the global economy, knowledge of the Chinese language and culture is vital. Exposure to the language and a respect for Chinese culture can make a huge difference in business, and just in getting along with your neighbors, especially if you live in a place with a growing Chinese population (like California or New York). Unfortunately, Chinese is considered one of the most time-intensive languages to learn, with multiple tones and thousands of characters. So get crackin'!

Spanish
According to figures from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages and the Association of Departments of Foreign Languages, Spanish courses account for nearly 70 percent of enrollments in secondary schools and a little more than 50 percent of enrollments in institutions of higher education. In other words, Spanish is still tremendously popular and is spoken all around the world.

Arabic
It should come as no surprise that Arabic speakers are critically important players in the current Mideast conflicts. But it's not an easy language to learn. Most of the letters of the Arabic alphabet have four different forms, and vowels are typically not included in written Arabic. Plus, Arabic is written from right to left. Learning Arabic is quite ambitious, but in today's world, it's also quite useful.

Japanese
With the third largest economy in the world (behind the U.S. and China), Japan is a major player in today's marketplace. Studying Japanese brings countless career opportunities for international business. Plus, Japanese is not as difficult as you might think. The language has only two verb tenses -- past and present -- and spelling is phonetically consistent. Japanese provides an excellent gateway to other Asian languages.

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