Have you ever been abroad and wished you spoke the language of the people around you? Or seen the perfect job advertisement, only to read under further particulars that language skills would be desirable? While learning languages in adulthood is a difficult undertaking, it can be a useful skill to acquire to stand out in the graduate job market. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the things to keep in mind when choosing a language to learn, as well as some of the psycholinguistic factors involved that might help inform your approach to tackling this colossal task.
How to choose which language to learn
So, what language should I learn, you might ask? Well, this will be largely dependent on your current interests, your desired industry or field of work and where you plan to (or hope to!) live.
First and foremost, ANY language skills are an asset, and success will be greater if you choose to learn a language that interests you beyond industry importance; if, for example, you have a fascination with Korean culture and have always wanted to learn the language but see that French is more useful for your desired area of work, it would behove you to weigh up the pros and cons of each: will I be able to maintain momentum and motivation to learn French to a high enough level to stand out from the competition? If the answer is no, then Korean is probably a better choice. The more fluent you can get, the better off you and your CV will be.
With this caveat in mind, there are many other factors to consider when asking the question ‘What language should I learn’. Here are a few to consider:
What countries are at the forefront of the market you want to work in?
Where are the big companies in your industry based? Who do UK-based companies tend to collaborate with most often? If your role will require you to travel abroad to see clients, visit sites or collaborate with other branches of the business, you might want to learn a language that will position you to communicate effectively with these people, as well as help you navigate the country more smoothly. Remember, even if a country is known for widespread English education, do not use this as an excuse to avoid learning their own language. Germany is a prime example: one statistic from 2023 shows that only 56% of the population reported speaking English as a second language.
What are some of the shortages or high-frequency languages in your local area?
The UK is home to a diverse array of language groups. According to the 2021 census, the most commonly spoken languages other than English include Polish, Romanian and Panjabi. These figures can have a number of pros and cons: in some industries, it might mean you are up against steep competition, while, in others, learning these languages might place you in a unique position to work directly with local clients in their own language. It’s important to be aware of who your clientele or colleagues will be in order to make an informed decision along these lines.
Critical languages
The United States government has created a list of ‘critical languages’, which is comprised of those which are seen as significant to national security interests. These languages are useful across a broad range of sectors and, therefore, might be worth considering due to the high demand for speakers not just in the US, but in the UK as well (see British Council articles like this one on languages most important for the UK for more information). Here are some of those languages:
- Spanish
- French
- Arabic
- Mandarin
- German
How widely spoken is the language?
Knowing how widely used a language is might also help inform your decision. Some of the facts and figures about language populations can be surprising: for instance, when we think of Portuguese, we need to remember that the largest group of speakers is not in Portugal but, rather, in Brazil, which speaks a very different dialect from the Iberian variety. If Portuguese is a language you want to learn, therefore, you want to make sure you learn the dialect that is most useful to your goals. Arabic is another example, with over 25 dialects to choose from (making it one of the most spoken languages worldwide). If you want to collaborate with businesses in Morocco, for instance, you don’t want to limit yourself to learning the Egyptian dialect, which is largely unintelligible. In the world of interpretation, Being aware of how many speakers there are of a language and where the highest concentration of speakers is located, therefore, can help inform your decisions.
The following is a list of the top 10 languages with the highest number of speakers worldwide (English is omitted for obvious reasons). Are there any that surprise you?
- Mandarin
- Hindi
- Spanish
- French
- Modern Standard Arabic
- Bengali
- Russian
- Portuguese
- Urdu
- Indonesian
I know what language I should learn. How do I do it?
The biggest challenge is not figuring out what language you should learn, but finding a system that works for you. It can be daunting facing the task of learning a language, and, amidst busy work schedules and life responsibilities, it can be difficult to maintain motivation and stick with it.
According to an article on why it’s difficult to learn languages in Time Magazine, brain development processes make it extremely difficult to become fluent in a language you begin learning after age 10, which places us as graduates at a disadvantage. We all know people who are naturally good at learning languages and might feel that we ourselves lack that talent or are ‘bad’ at it. With time, dedication and consistency, however, I firmly believe it is possible for anyone to succeed in this, whether it is a quick or a slow process. Here are some tips and tricks for approaching the language you feel you should learn:
- Think about your learning style: do you have a visual memory? Are you better at remembering things you hear? We all have unique learning styles, and approaching language learning in a way that caters to these strengths will make it easier. In this article on how to optimise language-learning, you can find some tips and tricks for each major learning style.
- By all means, use Duolingo, but try not to rely 100% on it: free online applications are a great way to drill vocabulary and grammar on the go, but ensure you are exposing yourself to a variety of resources; we have all had the experience of being taught quite useless sentences by these programmes, so seek out sources like articles that can teach you more technical or industry-specific vocabulary (when will I ever have to say ‘I am a banana’, as Dutch Duolingo taught me, on the job?).
- Visit a country that speaks the language: building confidence with speaking and responding quickly to auditory cues is the most difficult skill to acquire in language learning. No amount of at-home practice will help, unless you have unlimited access to a native speaker. By visiting a country where the language is used (and preferably a locality that is more remote/has fewer English speakers), you become immersed in the language and are forced to rely on it more than you would otherwise. This is one of the most effective ways to learn, as supported by this article on the importance of immersion from EF Education First.
- Engage with popular culture: listen to music, watch television/films, read books or other written media, etc. There is no end to opportunities to see the language in action, even from the comfort of your home. Television and film are particularly great resources: start by watching with English subtitles, then, once you feel more confident, change the subtitles to the language being spoken. By having both subtitles and audio in the target language, your eye reinforces what you hear and can help solidify new vocabulary.
Conclusion
When choosing what language you should learn, therefore, there are a number of factors to consider. Whether you base your decision off of industry trends, or whether you follow your personal interests, learning any language can transform your CV and give you invaluable skills that set you apart from the rest of the competition. There is no right or wrong answer to the question, and everyone will follow different routes to reach their decisions. Don’t be afraid to try something new and explore, and remember to enjoy the process!
Unsure of how to add existing or future language skills to your CV? Look no further than our blog: our post about showcasing language skills correctly will tell you all you need to know about marketing your skillset to future employers.
Upskilling, of course, is not limited to language acquisition. At Graduate Coach, we are dedicated to supporting graduates as they upskill themselves for a changing job market, with our digital internship programme being one way we do this.
Featured image by Skylar Kang from Pexels
Written by Lauren Dooley
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