Gabriele Monti https://www.thelanguageclass.co.uk 2m 576

The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.

According to the Guardian, learning a foreign language is a great way to boost your career. In fact, the demand for bilingual speakers in the global marketplace is rising at alarming rates. While Mandarin Chinese and English still dominate the global language realm, Spanish and French continue to soar in worldwide popularity. According to Jeremy Hazlehurst, it is never too late for UK residents to learn a second language. No matter what field or industry you are in, it really helps to learn another language. This can truly open the door to a wealth of new opportunities, while enhancing and improving your linguistic skills and ability.

Languages in Sport

Learning new languages also helps tear down communication barriers. In fact, it is a great way to learn about other cultures and customs. A great example of multilingualism is the recent Emirates Cup that took place in London earlier this month. While Arsenal, Celtic, Milan, and Lyon showcased their skills on the pitch, it was Andy Brassell that truly stole the show. As a world renowned journalist, Brassell interviewed players in multiple languages. This included French, Spanish, and Portuguese for a Brazilian national. Brassell stated how important it is to speak these languages. Not only does it help him expand his interviews and stories, the players also feel more comfortable that someone understands and speaks their native languages.

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In addition to sports and news journalists, the rise in bilingual speakers has impacted several fields and industries. This includes banking, finance, real estate, Internet marketing, real estate and even entertainment. Not only does learning a new language make the world smaller, it also promotes cultural awareness on a broader stage and level. Based on recent A-level figures; learning Spanish increased by 4% nationwide. French and German, however, plummeted to 3.8% and 3.4%. These, however, are not staggering drops, and simply based on people wanting to learn other languages. According to language expert Irene Missen, most commoners are not multilingual nor are they interested in learning new languages. This, however, basically accounts for UK residents in their 40’s and 60’s.

While the latter age groups are understandable, it is the youth of the nation that see the potential in adapting new languages. This includes the existing and upcoming workforce that has seen their colleagues increase wages by 10% to 15%. This by simply learning new languages, which has increased their marketability both in domestic and foreign capacities. According to industry experts, learning foreign languages is a great way to enhance your overall education. It also looks great on resumes in this challenging and competitive market. This goes for existing workers and recent graduates.

Climb the career ladder with languages

If you are struggling with climbing the ladder of success, learning foreign languages can propel you to new heights. For example: Alex Bertolotti studied German and French in school, however, learned Russian in night class while working for PricewaterhouseCoopers. He now heads this company’s Russian desk. Similarily, Sheffield-based Ancon promotes bilingualism in schools across the country. Since they deal with multi-language speaking clients on a daily basis, they understand the importance of employing workers that are fluent in other languages. Whether it is job related or simply for personal enrichment, learning a new language has many benefits. I agree with the views of this newspaper.

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