It can be useful to learn foreign languages not only for technical purposes but also because it creates more inclusive attitudes and lessens any prejudice towards people who are different than us.

Such a study can foster a profound understanding of the interrelation between language and human nature.

Diving into another culture through language enables you to obtain a deeper understanding of your own culture.

Learning a second language enhances memory, listening, and analytical skills such as problem-solving and communication.

It also increases creativity and opens the door to art, music, dance, cuisine, film, and philosophy.

Bilinguals are at an obvious advantage in the global market; learning languages provides additional opportunities and makes an employee more valuable. These are seven languages that are particularly useful to learn:

Arabic

Arabic is one of the UN’s official languages and is the official or co-official language of no fewer than 25 countries.

From Morocco to Yemen, it is the main language of the Muslim civilization, with 422 million speakers, native and non-native.

Arabic is not only useful to learn because so many people communicate through it, it is a beautiful language with a variety of dialects depending on where it is spoken. The dialects aren’t mutually intelligible.

Popular dialects include the Moroccan dialect (Darija), Egyptian Arabic, and Levantine Arabic.

However, most schools that offer Arabic as a foreign language teach Modern Standard Arabic, or MSA, which is the standardized version of Arabic used in formal education and all around the Arab world.

Nevertheless, if you have a specific Arabic-speaking country in mind, you could learn its dialect to fully enjoy the authentic Arab experience.

Read also: World Arabic Language Day: Preservation a Concern for UNESCO

German

German is the sole official language of Germany, Austria, and Liechtenstein, and the co-official language in Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Belgium. It has more than 100 million native or second-language speakers worldwide.

It is also one of the three procedural languages of the European Union, along with English and French.

Coming in after English, German is the second most widely understood language in Europe.

German offers a host of opportunities for its learners; Germany is the powerhouse of Europe.

The country has some of the most impressive universities anywhere, attracting students from all around the world in various fields.

Germany has had the largest and most dominant economy in Europe for decades. The country continues to create business opportunities for those who speak German.

Just like the German economy, the German language has a serious and dominating undertone reflecting the strength of one of the global powers.

English

With 1.4 billion native and non-native English speakers combined, one in five people globally speaks at least some English.

English is the most popular second language in the world and is the official language of 67 countries. Many of them are at the top of the global economy.

It is a worldwide language, used in politics, science, technology, diplomatic affairs, and global business.

You are bound to find an English speaker in every corner of the planet. Wherever you travel you will likely be able to get by just with English.

As it is the language of the internet, with more than half of all web content being in English, the useful language is easy to learn and you can do so in countless ways.

With books, games, movies, television, and personalized online tutoring, learning is affordable and easy.

Becoming fluent in English will open doors and offer chances and job opportunities, but also will help you understand different cultures from all over the world.

You won’t have to travel far to get plenty of practice out of this language.

Spanish

Spanish is one of the most widespread languages in the world. It is the official language in more than 20 countries.

It is one of the unofficial second languages of the United States, where 13% of the population speaks Spanish. There are more Spanish speakers in the US than in Spain.

The language connects more than 420 million native and non-native speakers around the globe.

Many consider Spanish one of the easiest languages to learn, as the internet is rich with Spanish learning material.

With hundreds of Spanish shows, language applications, podcasts, and songs, as well as Spanish chat friends online who can help you practice, picking it up is an achievable goal.

Whether it is for business or studies, learning the Spanish language can take you far, being the second most widely spoken first language in the world.

Spanish is also an official language of the UN, and speaking it is a great advantage for job seekers.

Chinese/Mandarin

It is no secret that Chinese dominates Asia and the world as the most frequently spoken language. It has more than 1 billion native speakers.

Chinese includes ten Sinitic languages such as Mandarin, Cantonese, and Hunanese.

China is the fastest-growing economy in the world, climbing its way to being the world’s largest economy by 2050.

Knowing Chinese is an important asset for economic gain. If you learn this useful language, it can help set you apart from the crowd when trying to snag a position.

Chinese gives you a goldmine of possibilities, with over a billion people with whom you can communicate.

However, there is much more giving value to Chinese than China’s booming economy. China is also a beautiful country with outstanding landmarks and widely popular food, and speaking the local language will help you enjoy it.

Learning Chinese will let you have a taste of a new culture and communicate with new people.

Unlike Spanish, Mandarin is a tricky language to learn, with its complicated tonal nature and dialects. However, don’t let that put you off; learning Chinese will be worth it.

French

Previously the language of diplomatic discourse for ages, French is now the language of love.

As a vestige of colonization, French has a hold on five continents and is the second most widely learned language in the world.

It is the official language of 29 countries with over 270 speakers around the world.

France was the seventh biggest economy in the world in 2020 and is a leading destination for foreign investment.

That is why the decision to learn the French language can be useful for business students and investors alike. Additionally, French universities are ranked as some of the top education institutions in Europe and the world.

French also opens the door to a new cuisine, fashion, theatre, arts, and architecture, as well as films and songs.

It is the language of Victor Hugo, Moliere, Edith Piaf, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Zinedine Zidane.

Read also: Moroccan Chef Hamid Miss Celebrates Morocco’s Cuisine in France

Russian

Like a matryoshka doll of opportunities, Russian can split open and be an extremely useful language to learn. It is the language of more than 250 million native and non-native speakers.

Russian is the official language in 38 territories and it is one of the most influential languages in Euro-Asian countries.

With the largest internet audience in Europe, Russian can be an entry into a huge market for online business and advertising.

Russia is important internationally due to its size and power. Additionally, Russian literature is considered among the finest in the world.

The native tongue of Fyodor Dostoevsky and Leo Tolstoy, Russian can be a useful language for readers and literary scholars.

Foreign languages provide a competitive edge in your career path and open your view on the world. They offer you a sense of culture and past, culturally and linguistically, for a more flexible and tolerant mind.