Learn a new language, advance your career
No matter the industry you work in or the job position you’re in, learning a foreign language is something that will never go out of fashion.
In what ways will a second, third or even fourth language benefit your career?
Grow your networks
The most straightforward answer is that picking up a new language would open you up to entirely new circles of people that you were previously unable to communicate with. They could be clients in addition to potential business partners; also, not forgetting fellow learners of the same language that you’ll get to know over the course of your language study program.
English might be the first to come to one’s mind as a “global language”, but it isn’t the mostly spoken language in the world. Mandarin Chinese is, and with the massive Chinese economy, it is one of the most popular foreign languages to study today, along with Spanish.
Interpersonal relationships
With a foreign language under your belt, you’ll definitely experience greater working relationships with your international partners/clients. Generally speaking, people are always most comfortable speaking in their mother tongues. Knowing that you are able to effectively communicate with them in their native language builds trust and inspires confidence in your abilities.
Furthermore, the study of a new language comes hand-in-hand with a deeper appreciation of its culture. Your new knowledge will be essential as you navigate after hour socializations. Being both culturally-aware and culturally-sensitive means that you’ll always have a right topic for conversation and the best ideas for dinner, drinks and gifts at the back of your mind.
Greater market awareness
Having a proficiency in another language allows you to access a foreign market with the ease that a native-born local enjoys. Like how using a search engine in a different language turns up websites and articles from a different country, knowing a foreign language gives you an edge when it comes to obtaining information and investigating a foreign market for trends — putting you in a far better position than others without the benefit of this ability.
More job opportunities
Armed with fluency in a foreign language makes you a viable option for overseas job opportunities. You will be the natural choice when the company needs to send personnel abroad. If what you have in mind is a career change, a foreign language opens you up to jobs in that country’s market — translation-related positions and language teaching professions are almost always in demand.
Of course, the factor hanging on all these amazing benefits is the level of your ability. Depending on the nature of your job and what is expected out of you, native-level proficiency isn’t always a must — though it’ll always be appreciated. Catering to your needs, our courses on FluentUp offer a wide range of foreign language and course types. Courses are classified by fluency level and designed with specific needs in mind, be it for certification examinations or business usage. They can also be tailored to focus on specific areas you wish to study as well as the frequency of classes. As FluentUp is an Internet-based platform, potential learners can expect to study from foreign language schools based in their home countries. Best of all, our courses come with a free trial option for you to sample the course structure and teaching style before you make the decision to fully commit to it.
Feeling spoilt for choice? Check out our course list to get started.