In today's increasingly global world, which of the following would be the best foreign language to learn?

Question

There are many up-and-coming countries that are becoming more and more prominent in the global economy. Which of the following languages would be the best for a businessman to learn? I've put my opinions about whether I think their countries will become more important in the global business sector. countries French(not likely), Japanese(very likely), Latin(no country), Spanish (useful not neccesarily global-wise, but there are many Latinos in the USA.)

Answer 1

Spanish, especially in the United states. With humongous numbers of illegal aliens and the growth of legal Latinos and Latinas in the U.S., this will be the second language of our country. Take note that 75% of jobs now require you to know spanish as a second language inorder to communicate with your associates. Especially in the hospitality field were 90% of workers are Latin. Note: if you plan on operating your business in the U.S., this answer is the right one for you...just look around you, advertizements on bill boards, buses, businesses all are either in spanish alone, or are in both spanish and english. Good luck with your ventures!

Answer 2

I certainly agree with those who say that Spanish and Mandarin (Chinese) or Japanese are necessary languages to learn, but perhaps you ought to also look at German.

Now before you totally disregard the idea of learning German, let's look at the facts. German is the #1 native language spoken in Europe and is certainly a key language in the EU, NATO, UN, etc. Therefore, seeing that German is #1 (in terms of native speakers) in Europe, this also exemplifies and helps provide evidence to the fact that Germany is the most populated country in Europe (with a little over 81 million people).

Another reason that you might want to consider German is that Germany currently contains the WORLD's 3rd LARGEST economy. It is also #1 economically speaking in Europe. For a country a little smaller than Montana or Texas, I would say that's pretty darn good!

Furthermore, Germany is currently the strongest nation in Europe (when speaking of military). Therefore, it's not hard to see the influence and benefits that may arise when one has found further proficiency in the German language. I strongly urge you to consider German (along with Chinese or Spanish) as a possible language to learn, based on your motivations within the global business world, especially if you are looking into the European market!

Remember, many German companies are known throughout the world, just some of them being: Hewlett-Packer, Volkswagen, BMW, Audi, Deutsche Bank, Mercedes-Benz, Carl Zeiss, Blaupunkt, Porsche, Braun, Haribo, Lufthansa, Rolex (Swiss), Siemans, and so forth.

Well, I believe I've made this answer long enough - but to wrap it up, I hope that you consider German as one of the possible languages you might consider learning.

Viel Glück! (Much luck)

Answer 3

Spanish (many Spanish-speaking countries, easy to learn) and Mandarin (China is a rising superpower, a lot of people speak it. But Mandarin will be tough if you grew up with English.)

Don't bother with German. Those Germans that you'd want to talk to speak English anyway. LOL. Just kidding. European languages are not that useful to learn, just a fancy intellectual exercise. Note I'm not even proposing my native language. Any foreign language that you're interested in is good. Your brain gets an additional way of thinking.

Answer 4

I guess from your list, I would say Spanish or Japanese. Spanish because it covers many other countries and many corporation will need someone who is fluent in Spanish to conduct business domestically and internationally. I would put Chinese on the top list myself given that China is becoming a economic superpower with its buying power (world's most populated country) and its technological advancement. If you can learn Chinese, you will be very marketable to corporations because many are looking to expand to the East Asia and conquer the Chinese market.

Answer 5

Japanese will limit you to one country, but one country is probably big enough to fulfill your needs. Having the second highest total gross domestic product while being so small, I think it's the ideal choice. Spanish has other benefits, not necessarily in business, but it's one of the most widely spoken language in countries at later phases of development.

Japanese will be a challenge compared to Spanish, but if you're willing to take that challenge, it'll be extremely useful.

Answer 6

As a second language...Spanish...however, irrespective of what business you are in, since that is a romance language, the bridge to learn Italian and French would not be very hard...as a matter of fact, you may consider taking a semester or two of Latin first...to get the true basics that span them all.

Answer 7

Spanish, definitely. Like yo said, there are many Latinos in the USA. In addition, there are so many Spanish-speaking countries in the world. I know there are different kinds of Spanish for different countries, but I'm sure you'll get by more easily with knowledge of the language.

Answer 8

i think that knowing any language can help you in the everyday/business world..... If you are plannign on working in a business that deals with anything electronic, i would say Japanese, however if you want to do anything dealing with one of the many Spanish-speaking countries, i would choose that. I dont know you personally, but i would say Spanish just because i know it and it is fun to learn...hheehehe

Answer 9

Spanish is very important, but Portuguese is becoming increasingly important too. Look at Russian and Arabic as also being very important languages.

Answer 10

Chinese (Mandarin.) It's the language of a quarter of the world's population, as well as the language of a rising superpower.

It's also easier than people make it out to be. There's a really logical setup to the characters that make it easy if you give them a chance.