The 7 Best Languages to Learn to Advance Your Career in 2023

Being able to speak multiple languages is a great asset that can enrich your life in many different areas, especially your career. But not all languages will offer the same benefits.

In this article, we explore the seven languages that are best for advancing your career and how you can become proficient.

Languages You Should Learn to Boost Your Career Prospects

While being fluent in any language besides your mother tongue is beneficial, the following languages have been proven to give job seekers an advantage.

English

If you are a foreign national looking to live and work in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, or Australia, you must take a language test to prove your proficiency in English.

Even if you are working outside of countries where English is the official language, understanding English will give you a competitive edge and open many doors for you since it is so widely spoken around the world.

French

French is a great language to learn to access career opportunities abroad as it is an official language in 29 countries across the globe.

In Canada, learning French is particularly beneficial, as most jobs with the federal government require applicants to speak French. In any part of Canada though, knowing French will give you a leg up on your competition, even if it isn’t a job requirement.

Portuguese

With over 100 million speakers worldwide, Portuguese is the world’s 5th most popular language and is an official language in ten countries and regions.

This includes:

• Portugal
• Brazil
• Angola
• Macau
• Cape Verde

If you work in mining or the financial industry, learning Portuguese could be beneficial for your career, especially if you plan on working or doing business in Brazil, which has Latin America’s largest economy.

German

German is an official language in many European countries, making it a great language to learn if you are looking to explore career opportunities in Europe.

This includes:

• Germany
• Austria
• Belgium
• Luxembourg
• Switzerland
• Liechtenstein

Having a strong understanding of the German language can be especially helpful in the following industries:

• Travel and tourism
• Healthcare
• Education
• Customer service
• Translation and interpretation

Spanish

Spanish is one of the most spoken languages in the world and is essential to learn if you plan on working in any Spanish-speaking country. This includes the United States, which has the second-largest Spanish-speaking population in the world.

Learning Spanish can give you a competitive edge, especially if you are looking to pursue work in states with high concentrations of Spanish-speaking residents. This includes:

• Texas
• California
• New Mexico
• Arizona
• Nevada

Mandarin

China has one of the world’s strongest economies and is a major player on the world stage. Whether you want to pursue job opportunities in Asia or the company you work for is looking to break into the Chinese market, speaking Mandarin can help open many doors for you.

Arabic

As the official language in 25 countries across Africa and the Middle East, knowing Arabic is a necessity if you plan on doing business or seeking employment in these regions.

Many employers who have operations based in Africa and the Middle East specifically look for Arabic speakers to join their team, so this could be what sets you apart from other candidates.

How to Learn a Second Language

Whether you are looking to open doors in the corporate world or a job you already have requires you to brush up on your skills, language training with Berlitz Canada is one of the best ways to learn a new language.

Our business language training for employees is offered in over 50 languages and can help take your career to the next level.

Ready to get started? Contact the corporate language learning experts at Berlitz Canada today.