How Learning a Foreign Language Can Benefit Your Career
In the modern world with scarce employment opportunities, knowing more than one language places you in a better competitive position. Many job opportunities require you to travel across different countries. Therefore, knowing a foreign language makes it easier for you to communicate with people in other countries. Many businesses operate in different nations, thanks to globalization. Knowing a foreign language places you in a position to carry out business in different countries without language barriers.
How to acquire a second language as an adult
There are many ways in which you can learn a foreign language. Thanks to technological advancement, learning a foreign language has become easier than in the old days. Here are some of the most popular ways to learn a foreign language.
Learning on the Internet
The internet provides many platforms on which you can learn a foreign language. These platforms range from websites to mobile applications such as Babble. Internet learning is the most budget-friendly method of learning a foreign language. Besides, you will have flexible learning hours while using internet platforms.
Practice in your community
Practising to speak the language after mastering the vocabulary helps you to grow your understanding of the language. If you live in a community that speaks a foreign language, you can engage locals using vocabularies in their language. Engaging with locals in their dialect will create a bond between you and them, which is an opportunity to grow your mastery of the language.
Joining a language exchange program
Language exchange programs are one of the most effective ways of learning a new language. In exchange programs, two people who speak different languages are paired up to teach each other their languages. The casual interaction with a person who speaks a foreign language boosts your abilities to express yourself in the new language.
Reading books in foreign languages.
Many books have been translated into different languages. If you wish to learn a new language, you can find a book written in the language and translated to a language that you are conversant with. Reading books in foreign languages helps you to construct meaningful sentences in the language.
There are many other ways of learning a foreign language. These include attending foreign language classes and listening to music and radio programs.
One of the essential reasons people learn foreign languages is to improve their careers. Here are some of how a foreign language can enhance your career.
Marketability
Knowing more than one language will set you apart from other candidates in a job interview. Referencing the second language in your resume makes you a more preferred employer by many companies. For instance, the manufacturing and processing industry prefers candidates who can speak Spanish and other languages.
Distinguishability
Knowing a foreign language places you at a better ground in a job interview. If you and other candidates have the same qualifications, knowledge of a foreign language might be used to single you out for an appointment.
Relationship building
Speaking to people in their language creates a bond between you and them. This bond is very important when it comes to sales and other customer-related operations. Also, productivity at the workplace increases if you can interact with other workers in a language that they understand the most.
Preferred by global companies
Many global companies look for employees that can work in any country. Knowledge of a foreign language places you at the top of potential employees list. You can be employed and sent to work in a country where they speak a foreign language that you have learned.
Improved essential business skills
Learning a foreign language sharpens your mind. For this reason, your ability to make sound financial decisions is improved. Skills acquired in the process of learning a foreign language are essential for business success.
Improving Self-confidence
Confidence is essential in pursuing a career in different fields. Learning a foreign language boosts your self-esteem, making it easier to express yourself.
Stalls Dementia and Alzheimer’s
Dementia and Alzheimer’s are common mental complications at old age. Learning a foreign language keeps your brain active for long. This minimizes chances of you suffering from memory loss.
There are many benefits to learning a foreign language. However, those named above are the most common benefits of learning a foreign language while pursuing a career in different fields.