What are the Most Useful Languages?
What are the Most Useful Languages
There was a time when people could get by without having to struggle constantly but the modern world is not so kind. If you don’t keep up with the trends, you can’t survive in this world. You are expected to keep up with the modern trends, know everything, have multiple skills, and a decade of experience, even if you are a fresh graduate. Although the last one is impossible to achieve, the rest is manageable if you try really hard, and give up on your social life. But the world also expects you to be social and a people’s person. Businesses can’t survive without pleasing consumers and in order to do that, they need employees with people skills.
So what do you do in order to succeed? Well, there are a few things that you can’t ignore. There are a few skills, like knowing how to operate the Microsoft Office, that are a must-have because, without them, you can’t get much work done on computers. There is nothing wrong with adapting yourself according to the modern requirements. But how do you figure out which skill is worth having in today’s world? Well, that’s why surveys and articles on the internet exist, to help you figure out life.
We live in a global world today where everyone is connected to each other through the internet. But there are a lot of differences between the 7.5 billion people of this earth. They live in 195 countries and speak over 7,000 languages. The differences do not negate the fact that we have to cooperate with each other in order to peacefully live on earth. If we let the differences stand tall, every nation will have to face all the problems on its own. Despite the division of the world’s population in different countries, we are all humans and we should help each other out for as long as we live on this planet. But before we can help out each other, we have to understand each other and for that, we need the study of languages.
Languages of the World and The Need for Translation:
Out of the 7,000 languages spoken on earth, 2,000 have fewer than 1,000 speakers but the total number is in flux because we are always discovering new vernaculars. People all over the planet have different cultures and traditions so it is no wonder that they have different languages too. It is impossible for everyone to know and understand all the languages of the world. So, in order to understand each other, humans came up with the idea of translation. It is the act of interpreting one language into another so people speaking different tongues can conversate. Without interpretations, humanity would have stayed behind in a lot of fields. Multinational businesses would not have survived in different countries due to the difference in native tongues. Students would not have been able to study abroad and broaden their perspective. A lot of educational material would have faded into nothingness had it not been translated in multiple tongues.
Translation is also pretty essential for legal proceedings and immigration processes. People use translation services every day for various purposes but immigration and business are the top two reasons why someone would need a translation.
The most useful languages of this century that can benefit your practical life are the world’s top ten most spoken languages. The list is topped by Mandarin Chinese which is the official language of China and is spoken by more than a billion people. But since learning that is considered difficult by most linguists, you can consider the other options on the list. The second name on the list is of English. With 983 million speakers, English is the most widely learned second language in the world. Another thing that adds weight to English’s importance is the fact that in almost 60 states of the world, it is either the official language or one of the official languages. Learning English is also comparatively easy as it is mostly taught in school in many countries and it is easier to pick up a different vernacular when you are a kid.
Spanish is another tongue that you can benefit from learning. The importance of Spanish is evident from the fact that it is the second most spoken native language and is widely used in Latin America. It even has 35 million speakers in the United States. Other languages that are considered useful include Hindi, French, German, Russian, and Arabic. Native tongues that hold a lot of value in the world should be learned by those who wish to increase their job prospects and become a valued member of the planet.
In a complex and confusing world, the only way to survive is to learn as much about people as you can. If you knew about different cultures, you would be able to communicate with others in a better way. Whether you wish to work in a different country or expand your business, developing an understanding of different cultures and languages can help. You may use Google Translate to communicate with others when you are traveling, but if you wish to work in a foreign country, you will need to have a proper command of a language. That’s something you can only achieve by learning a tongue.
Most Important Languages to Study:
You cannot survive in the 21st century if you don’t know more than one vernacular. Whether you wish to become an international student or businessman, you will need to polish your language skills for that. However, if the idea of studying a new tongue is scary for you in your adulthood, you don’t have to worry. Even if there are seven thousand languages in the world, not all of them will be useful for you in real life. Most of them have less than 10,000 speakers. Some of them only have one or two thousand speakers. This proves that by learning them, you won’t be helping yourself in any way.
The most popular is definitely the most useful in today’s world. However, you need to think about the options that match your needs. If you plan on opening your company’s office in Europe and you decide to learn Mandarin for it, that won’t help you at all. Whenever you decide to study something, making the right decisions is crucial. You have to make sure you decide to study something that can be helpful for you in your future, regardless of which path you wish to follow.
For Business:
Here are the best vernaculars to study for a business:
- German:
Due to English and Mandarin getting most of the spotlight, people fail to realize how useful German can be if they are planning on starting their multinational business. Today, Germany is known in the world for not only being the second-most populous country in Europe but also for having the largest economy in the continent. Both factors make it the ideal place for a new business. The overall positive economic state of Europe means that a company operating in Germany can branch out once they develop an understanding of the region. The language will help greatly with that plan as it is also spoken in Switzerland, Austria, Lichtenstein, and parts of Belgium and Italy. Learning this tongue will give you access to all of these countries.
In a couple of decades, China will be the greatest economic power on earth. But even now, it is a powerful state that influences the global economy. Any company that wishes to make it big in the world will have to build a connection with over a billion Chinese people. And the best way to do that is by speaking their vernacular so you can communicate with them in a way that they will understand. Every society has trouble accepting outsiders. They look at everyone with a suspicious eye, but if the foreigners make an effort, it will not go unnoticed. Consumers think that all brands lie and don’t care about them. If you can prove this notion wrong by learning Mandarin, you will be doing your business a huge favor.
Although the biggest economies are good choices for businesses, countries that offer more opportunities should not be ignored. A market like India’s is good for new businesses because of the huge population and less competition. With the right tactics, a company can grow easily in this country. But India is a diverse country where thousands of languages are spoken. However, the one that unites people is Hindi. It is everywhere from the entertainment industry to the business world. Learning it can be highly useful for someone who wishes to connect with the Indian audience directly.
For Job:
If you are thinking of learning a language for a job, here are a few choices:
- Arabic:
The Arab World has a lot of money, but what they don’t have is English speaking skills. People with established businesses in the region do not have a good relationship with English, which is why they are often in need of employees who can. If you learn Arabic, you can communicate with them easily and get yourself a job on the basis of your English-speaking skills. Whether your specialization is in computers or marketing, as long as you know English, you will be able to convince the Arabs to hire you.
- Spanish:
One of the most widely spoken tongues in the world is Spanish. If someone wishes to work with languages, learning Spanish is the best option for them. People from the Spanish-speaking world often need linguistic assistance. The world can never have enough Spanish translators. But if you wish to pursue this field, you must make sure that your command on Spanish is very good. You cannot become a translator simply by learning a language; you will have to be good at it.
The top ten vernaculars are pretty useful, but they will only help you if the context is right. You cannot expect something to help you if it doesn’t fit with your needs. But the right decision can help you immensely and allow you to reach the level of success you want.
