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Learning one of the best languages to learn for business and career purposes is an excellent reason. Our world is more connected than ever before in an exciting era. As a result of technological advancements, entertainment, communication, and business are all done globally today.
A decade ago, artists, entrepreneurs, and professionals did not have access to such amazing business opportunities. Learning at least one of the major business languages is necessary to fully utilize this global opportunity.
Bill Gates admitted during a Q&A seminar that his greatest regret in life is that he only knows one business language (English).
Why You Should Learn a Language for Business
We will discuss the importance of these languages before we review these business languages. Doing business with real people cannot be substitute. A successful business depends on communication with potential clients, suppliers, and partners, whether you’re an entrepreneur or work for an organization.
Businesses are increasingly expanding globally, which makes retaining employees who can speak a second language more important than ever. Language barriers have been reported to be the primary barrier to international expansion by 64% of top executives.
Therefore, those with the ability to speak any of the most useful languages earn more than someone who can speak just one. You gain cultural knowledge when you adopt best ways to learn languages. When you learn Spanish, you are more likely to be in contact with native Spanish speakers.
It also applies to learning Mandarin & French. Having a good understanding of a foreign language will naturally lead to you becoming interested in meeting people who speak the language, watching movies, and consuming more content.
I hope you have been encouraged to learn more languages from the best languages to learn for business by this article.
10 Best Languages to Learn For Business
The following are the languages that are essential for business. In this section, you’ll get to see how many native speakers each language has as well as how easy it is to learn the language.
1. English
English is widely known to be the language of international business and has been for many years. One of the reasons why English is hard to learn is because it’s full of contradictions. Furthermore, it includes in best languages to learn for business. The language is spoken worldwide, including by heads of global banks and street vendors.
This makes English the most widely spoken language in the world, with approximately 376 million native speakers and up to 1.5 billion non-native speakers. English is the language most people use in business nowadays, so not knowing it can isolate you and your business from many people.
Now that employers expect their workers to speak English, it can be hard for you to land a job if you don’t speak English. Negotiations are easier when both parties speak the same language. Your relationship with your counterparts will be better if you can speak the language well.
Moreover, you will have fewer chances of misreading something and offending others or selling your business at the price of a pomegranate. English is from the list of most valuable languages to learn and also increasingly used by international companies to communicate internally.
Founder and CEO of Nissan Motor Company in Japan, Nissan was the first Japanese company to begin using foreign languages during the 1990s.
Several companies followed – even Airbus in France, most notoriously an English-speaking country. It’s only fair that you are on board if France is.
You will likely have to deliver your presentation in English if you want to participate in a large conference. Academic journals published in English are among the most prestigious. You can also find out what your international coworkers are talking about in English.
2. Mandarin
In my point of view, this language is on top in best languages to learn for business. Also, the language Mandarin is spoken most widely in China.
Mandarin is the native language of approximately 880 million people and the second language of 196 million. The number of people who speak Mandarin is 1.07 billion, making it one of the best business languages.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reports that China is the world’s largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity. There are many giant companies in China, such as Alibaba, QZone, and Sina Weibo.
Understanding the Chinese language can ease trading with China because China is very particular about its culture. The world’s second-largest economy by nominal GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is China.
Over the past 30 years, China’s economy has grown 10 percent on average, making it the world’s largest manufacturer and exporter. Its potential is large.
In addition to China and Taiwan, the one of the hardest languages to learn Mandarin is also spoken in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore. Moreover, each of these nations has a fast-growing economy in terms of both production and purchasing power.
3. Spanish
Spanish includes in the list of best languages for business which is the native language of approximately 436 million people. It is also spoken by approximately 527 million people worldwide. Venezuela, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Spain, and the United States are among the countries that speak Spanish as their first language.
The US population also speaks Spanish to a large degree. Thus, Spanish is a key language in global business and communication in everyday life. Researchers estimate that there will be 60 million Spanish speakers in the U.S. by 2020. In addition, many English words derive from Spanish.
Additionally, Spanish use as the official language of over 20 countries, making it an essential business language. In the UK, 34 percent of corporate communications conduct in Spanish, according to the British Council.
According to the British Council, 34 percent of corporate communications in the UK conduct in Spanish. Expanding your business to the UK and the US will be easier if you know Spanish. Therefore, learning Spanish will help you expand and grow your business globally.
4. Arabic
Around the globe, 422 million people are Arabic speakers which is one of the most important languages for business. The majority of its speakers are Arabs. According to demographics, Arabic usage has increased by 2500 percent in the last decade!
This is higher than the average for Spanish and English. A growing number of oil companies in the Middle East use Arabic as a corporate language. Today, they are involve in tourism, infrastructure, and fashion in addition to oil fields. We advise you to keep this language in your bucket if you interest in trading with these nations.
5. Russian
The Russian language is spoken by 267 million people worldwide; 153 of these are natives of the Russian Federation, while the rest reside in Ukraine, Belarus, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.
As a member of the BRICS, the Russian language is important since Russia is a leading player in international business. In terms of economic power, the country ranks sixth. Germany surpass it by 2030.
There are some of the world’s best scientists, engineers, and materials scientists residing in Russia. Additionally, the English language isn’t as common here as it is elsewhere. It is useful to learn best languages to learn for business like Russian if you intend to pursue business opportunities in Russia.
6. Portuguese
Across four continents, Portugal offers many business opportunities. The Portuguese-speaking population of Portugal is only about 4% of the world. Portugal, however, is a very diverse country with speakers in many countries, particularly in those that have experienced economic growth.
Everyone knows and loves Brazil because it has a Portuguese-speaking population. A very important part of the world’s economy is its economy. With Brazil’s economic power, the Portuguese begin to rival English in importance and even supplant it in South America.
The oil-rich Angola is a rapidly developing African country that speaks Portuguese. In addition to being a former Portuguese colony, Macau also has the fastest-growing economy in the world.
7. German
The most useful languages to learn for business is German as among the industrial powers of Europe, German is the language. In the European Union, Germany’s economic influence is hard to overestimate. Its economy is the largest in Europe, ranking fifth in the world.
Despite being a mere 1% of the world’s population, 80 million hard-working Germans generate 4.5% of global GDP. German will become increasingly important for business as the European Central Bank’s headquarters is located in Frankfurt.
8. Japanese
Japanese people enjoy a prosperous lifestyle and are known for their technological advances. In addition to having 129 million Japanese speakers, Japan may be one of the world’s most technologically advance nations, and it is known for its innovation in education.
Japanese is from best languages for business, a key language for Japan because of its global presence in many sectors. Japanese development assistance is a major contributor worldwide. A remarkable amount of influence exists in climate policies, finance, energy, and natural resource security.
E commerce in Japan generated 89 billion dollars in 2016. If your company deals with Japanese policy, technology, or environmental sustainability, then knowing Japanese and partnering with Japan might be beneficial.
9. French
Overall, there are 229 million French speakers, with 76 million speaking the language natively. This language is not just use to express love, but also in business. France has one of the highest internet penetration rates, with more than 100 million internet users.
Other international organizations speak French, including the UN and WTO. The French language is spoken in 39 countries around the globe, including France.
Many African countries like Rwanda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia are influence by it. This country does not speak a lot of English. Having a working knowledge of French is helpful when pitching business in these regions.
10. Hindi
Hindi and Urdu are spoken by 544 million people, of which 329 million are native Indian speakers. Consequently, India contributes to the future human resource pool by having the second highest population. Rather than being a foreign language, it is one of India’s official languages.
India is a multilingual country, but the official language is Hindi. Indian consumers are growing rapidly, so it’s crucial to learn best languages to learn for business as Hindi is. Culture, agriculture, and art are all very diverse in India. The country has a burgeoning manufacturing sector.
Despite the popularity of English in India, 85 percent of the population cannot speak it fluently. Learn Hindi so you can grasp the local marketplace if you want to trade with this developing economy.
Ihsan Sharif is a talented writer known for his engaging articles on linguistic topics. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for language, Ihsan brings complex linguistic concepts to life, making them accessible and interesting to a wide audience.
