Top 8 Languages for English Speakers to Learn for Business
ONE - Mandarin Chinese
Mandarin Chinese is not only the most spoken language in China, it is the most spoken language in the world. There are over one billion native speakers. As China’s economic economy continues to grow at a rapid pace it has become the most valuable language to learn for business relations. Most hiring managers in the US are impressed by those who have learned Chinese as a secondary language because it is a difficult language for English speakers to learn.
TWO - Arabic
The Arabic language is the world's fifth most spoken language, with nearly 300 million native speakers. The oil industry, real estate, and construction businesses, have contributed to many Arabic executives becoming the some of the richest people in the world. Like Chinese, Arabic is one of the toughest languages for English speakers to learn, but it can be very rewarding for business relations.
THREE - Spanish
With over 420 million native speakers and a growing number of non-native speakers, Spanish is currently spoken in 44 countries, including the United States. Recently, the United States has become second largest Spanish-speaking country in the world after Mexico. The Hispanic population is expected to double by 2050 and is estimated to be 30% of the population in America. Spanish is by far the most used language for business in the US apart from English. It is strongly desired in the fields of mass-media and management and is currently the most desired language in US job postings.
FOUR - German
Germany currently has the strongest economy in Europe and holds a very promising future. Besides the US, Germany is the largest single export market for British goods. Many European employers are interested in hiring employees with strong German skills.
FIVE - Portuguese
Portuguese is the second most spoken language in Latin America with over 215 million speakers worldwide. Mostly spoken in Brazil, Portugal, and parts of Africa. According to UNESCO, the Portuguese language has great potential to become the international language of Africa and South America. There is plentiful wealth of untapped Brazilian natural resources and its strong presence on the internet. Learning Portuguese is a great career move for the future.
SIX - Russian
Russian speakers around the world vary, but sources believe that there are between 200 and 260 million native speakers. Due to Russia’s historical power of the Soviet Union, Russian is the official language of the United Nations. Russia is a top oil producer in the world and consistently ranks amongst the top ten international business leaders. It is a very important market for US goods. There is a strong need of Russian speakers in the fields of engineering and IT. In addition, it is very useful for international relations, diplomacy, and trade. Russian is the seventh most spoken language online.
SEVEN - French
French is widely spoken in over 29 countries throughout the world. It is the second-most widely spoken first language in the European Union. In today’s world, there are more non-native French speakers than native speakers worldwide. French was the world's most dominant language before English took over and is currently one of the United Nations' six official languages.
EIGHT - Japanese
Japanese is the most geographically concentrated language in the world, as over 124 million of its total speakers live in Japan. The Japanese economy is the third largest in the world, providing a wealth of innovative opportunities. Japan is the leader in robotics and electronics and there are many opportunities for Japanese speakers in these fields. Currently, Japanese is one of the most solicited languages amongst US employers.
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