Learning a language requires a considerable investment of time and effort. Due to the difficulty in learning a new language, it makes sense that one would want to understand which languages will be most beneficial for them to know. So what is the best language to learn? The answer isn't so simple. Assuming you already speak English (and are thus reading this article) the options for an optimal second-language will vary depending on your unique needs and wants.
Do you want high paying work as a language translator, or maybe just very consistent regular work? These aren't always the same. What if you wish to learn a language in order to give your small business a leg up? What if you want to explore South America? The "best" language to learn will ultimately depend on you.
This article will look at the best languages to learn in a more general sense and cover some essential criteria to help you decide which language is best for you.
Deciding the Best Language to Learn
While learning almost any second language will provide you with some professional or personal benefit, some languages definitely provide more utility than others in daily life.
Some factors to consider when picking which language to learn are:
- The Language’s Usefulness in Business
Like German or Mandarin, some languages are spoken by countries with large economies and with greater spending power than many other places. By becoming fluent in either of these languages, you can significantly expand your work options or that of your business.
- The Language’s Usefulness in World Travel
The number of potential speakers, either by country or by population size, may be a reasonable basis for deciding which languages to focus on. Having more options in people to talk to, and places to travel, that you can interact with on a personal level opens up whole new worlds of viable personal relationships, job opportunities, and travel destinations.
Learning a language like Spanish with nearly half a billion native speakers (and a continent worth of countries who speak it) dramatically enhances the number of people on the planet you can communicate with and places you can travel to by a considerable magnitude.
- Other Unique Reasons
While nobody speaks it on a day to day basis, there is still a big reason for historians and even scientists to study and understand Latin. Numerous languages have unique justifications for being a useful language to learn. For example, Russian is the second-most common language as far as web-content goes, and Japanese is currently tied with Spanish for second place in most web content viewed. Today, many translators are currently working on adding niche languages like Burmese to their resume as these countries continue to industrialize and come online, hoping to take advantage of emerging markets.
Most Useful Languages to Learn in 2021
Having said all that, it is still worth taking a look at some of the top languages to learn in 2021 from a general economic and utility perspective. The most functional languages will have some combination of financial incentive as well as a cultural benefit. The following are our choices for the best languages to learn in 2021:
German:
Germany is a country with a substantial amount of wealth since its exports and businesses are willing to pay good money for skilled German translators. In fact, English to German translation is amongst one of the highest paying translation gigs you can find.
At the same time, German people are much less willing to buy items from international brands and businesses that don't adopt their native tongue. Under 60% of Germans said they would buy from someone that didn't translate their sales pitch to German.
Germany isn't the only country that speaks German either. Austria and Switzerland, both wealthy and beautiful countries in their own right, list German as an official language. More than 90 million people in the world speak German, and it provides ample travel opportunities.
Spanish
Spanish speakers worldwide are expanding, and the language is becoming ever more prominent in the United States. More job opportunities than ever are available for Spanish speakers, and it is a great way to augment your income if you are based in America. These opportunities will continue to grow for the foreseeable future, and the nature of the jobs available are likely to expand.
In addition to Spanish being a way to make money, more than 400 million people across 44 countries speak it, which makes it incredibly useful when it comes to travel and general interactions. You are likely to use Spanish in a variety of situations, and you can experience cultures on multiple continents first-hand utilizing it.
Mandarin:
Mandarin is the official language of China and is spoken by billions of people all over the globe. In fact, it is the most widely spoken language on the planet. Simply put, when you speak Mandarin, it is much easier to make deals and friendships with this significant segment of the human population.
Chinese communities have a presence in nearly every major coastal city in North America and Asia, and Chinese businesses are becoming ever more prominent on the world stage. This trend looks to continue easily into 2021. With this expansion comes an ever-increasing number of opportunities for those able to speak the language.
Additionally, China is home to thousands of years of culture. Learning Mandarin opens you up to an incredible world of music, literature, and history that would be otherwise inaccessible in any meaningful way.
Need Language Expertise Immediately?
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