Learning a language

In the competitive workplace of the modern international world, having language skills opens up a number of opportunities that are not afforded to those who speak only their native languages:

• Job availability – Speaking more than one language means you have a higher choice of countries in which to look for a job. You can go and work abroad to either gain crucial work experience, to live in the city for a few years or to settle down and live. Being multi-lingual opens up a host of opportunities, especially for those students who reside in the EU.
• Job quality – Many jobs now require knowledge of two, three of four languages as a basic requirement. For other jobs, having a language to put on your CV/résumé will help you stand out from other applicants. In Europe, multiple languages in particularly important especially if involved with international sales and marketing. Spanish is becoming increasingly important domestically in the US, while Chinese is a huge bonus for those working in companies that want to expand in this fast growing market.
• Academic courses – There has never been a better time to study abroad, whether you are learning a language or undertaking a science degree or MBA. Students who live in countries where university courses are expensive can benefit by getting higher education in a country that offers better value for money. Alternatively, you may want to experience living in a different culture while you are studying. Whatever the case, being multi-lingual opens many doors.
• Lifestyle and leisure – Do you want to spend a summer surfing in the USA, working in the nightclubs in Ibiza or go backpacking around the world? Speaking more than one language gives you a more international outlook and the ability to communicate and relate to people who have been brought up in a different background to you.
• Socialising – Speaking more than one language helps you make friends! Not only do you get to meet lots of fellow students from all around the world, it also gives you a great chance to practice your language skills with native speakers. Learning a language in the country where it is spoken has the advantage that you will also be learning about the culture, habits and quirks of the country/language which will help you make friends with speakers of this language throughout the rest of your life.