If you talk to a man in a language he understands, it will come to his head. If you speak to him in his language, it will reach his heart.- Nelson Mandela “
There are many reasons to learn a new language. If you own a business, you may wish to expand your business to a new market abroad. If you work in an internationally oriented company, you may wish to communicate with colleagues and position yourself for a promotion. If you love to travel, learning a language opens many doors to an adventure abroad. Or maybe you’re just interested in the cognitive benefits of learning a new language.
We all know that there are many ways we can benefit from learning a new language. So how should we decide which language was best for you? If you were aiming for a company, perhaps you should choose a language from a country that provides economic growth. The BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China) have been the center of many speculators in this field. If you want to be able to speak a new language with many other people, perhaps it is better to learn one of the most spoken languages such as Mandarin or Spanish.
Whatever your motivation, these are the top 10 most important languages to learn .
1. English
English is the lingua franca of commerce and academia. In most countries it is the primary school language taught in schools and can be understood by more or less 1/3 of the world population. English is crucial for anyone who wants to grow globally.
2. Spanish
Spanish is the official language of over 20 countries and is spoken by over 400 million people. It is also the second language of the United States. According to the American Census Bureau, Spanish is the primary language spoken at home by 38.3 million people aged 5 or older in the United States. It has more than doubled since 1990 and is expected to continue growing rapidly. If you want to do business in the United States or really anywhere in the western hemisphere, español es para usted .
. Mandarin
China is a large country with many people and ethnic backgrounds. Did you know that there are nearly 300 different languages spoken in China today? Although languages such as Cantonese (spoken in Hong Kong, Macau, Guangdong province and many overseas Chinese communities) and Tibetan are widely spoken, the official language of China is Mandarin (pronounced Putonghua) and is spoken by several people. than any other language on Earth. With the Chinese economy expected to become No. 1 by 2020, learning Mandarin could help you make a lot of money in the future.
4. Arabic
Arabic is the official language of over 20 countries and is spoken by over 200 million people. You will find this language spoken from Southwest Asia to Northwest Africa. If you work in the energy or defense sectors or if you plan to work in international diplomacy, Arabic is a fundamental language to learn.
5. French
Of course we all know French as a language of love, but it is also an excellent language for business. It is spoken in over 40 countries, mainly in Europe and North Africa. If you are looking to expand into European or African markets, let’s say enchanté de français !
6. Russian
Certainly it may seem that the whole western world is committed to sanctioning Russia, but not yet rule it out. Russian is spoken throughout Central and Eastern Europe and in Russia. It is the second most popular language of scientific and technical literature after English and is spoken by nearly 200 million people. With one of the largest economies in the world, Russia is too big to ignore.
German
German is a worldwide economic power. With a reputation for quality, craftsmanship and intelligence, German companies such as Allianz, Bosch, Siemens and DeutscheBank dominate their respective industries. German is spoken in some of Europe’s most economically important countries: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Lichtenstein. German companies operate all over the world and, if you want their companies, you have to learn their language.
8. Japanese
Like Germany, Japan has a reputation for excellence in business. Japan is one of the highest economies in the world with the third highest GDP. Even if their economy is sluggish, it is important not to dismiss the ingenuity of Japanese companies. Learning the language, at least on a basic level, is very impressive and a great way to insure businesses with Japanese companies.
9. Portuguese
Portuguese is an excellent language to learn as Brazil is becoming an economic superpower. However Portuguese is not only spoken in Portugal and Brazil, it is the official language of 10 countries from South America to Africa to Asia. Get away from all the people who learn Spanish and try Portuguese!
10. Hindi
With nearly 300 million natives, Hindi is the official language of India along with English. However, learning Hindi does not mean that you will be able to speak to everyone from India. According to the 2011 census, there are 1,635 languages recognized across the country. The second language in India is English and is an important language for the business community in India. While learning Hindi will help you speak to some Indians, don’t expect it to be a panacea for your aspirations in India.
