6 Most Practical Languages to Learn

In a world where globalization is becoming more and more prominent, it's important to be able to communicate with other people from all over the world. To do so, it can be very beneficial to speak their native language or multiple languages that are commonly used worldwide. But with so many languages existing today, what are the most essential ones to learn?

Of course, it's better to start with those that have been deemed "most practical".

Today, we’ve prepared a list of the ten most useful languages to learn that we feel would serve you best in your future endeavors. From the French language to Arabic to Mandarin, here are our top picks of the best languages to learn today.

1. Spanish

Spanish is one of the most spoken languages in the world. The Spanish-speaking population consists of over 400 million speakers. It's a great language to learn for the business world as it's spoken in so many different countries, including Mexico and Spain. Most Spanish-speaking countries are situated in Central and South America, but even if you’re visiting Europe, it can be a very useful language.

In addition, Spanish is known for its poetic cadence and lyrical quality, which can make it an interesting language to learn for those who are interested in literature and culture.

2. Mandarin

Mandarin is the most widely spoken language in the world, with over 1.2 billion Mandarin Chinese speakers. 16% of the world’s population is currently speaking Chinese. In addition, it's the official language of China, Taiwan, and Singapore.

Most business professionals learn Mandarin to communicate with their Chinese clients. Moreover, according to business experts, learning Chinese can help you better target new markets and gain new customers.

Mandarin Chinese has a unique tonal system that makes it difficult to learn for those who are not used to tonal languages. However, once you get used to it, you can open up a new world of tonal languages, many of which are useful languages to learn.

3. French

French is a very common language spoken by over 220 million people around the world and is the official language in 29 countries, which makes it a very practical new language to learn.

It's also considered a Romance language, meaning that it shares linguistic roots with Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian. If you know one of these languages already or want to learn a second or third language, French is a great place to start.

Furthermore, the French language is often deemed one of the most useful languages to learn for business purposes since it's spoken in so many different countries. Learning French is an excellent major language for those looking to acquire new clients at home or abroad.

4. German

German is the most widely spoken native language in Europe, with more than 100 million people using it. Apart from the vibrant culture and rich tradition, there are numerous reasons why German might be the perfect language for you.

Studying German in college is a great way to complement your degree and expand your professional opportunities. German is the third most spoken language in the world of science and is also heavily influential in philosophy, medicine, and many other fields.

Plus, with many countries working closely with Germany – including Turkey or Poland – learning German will allow you to get the most out of your business ventures.

5. Japanese

Japanese is an analytical, mature, and complex language that has quite an extensive history behind its existence. Japanese culture has been deeply influenced by China, western civilization, and some other Asian countries like Mongolia or Vietnam.

After World War II, Japan's economy recovered fast while maintaining its unique culture, the reflection of which we can see now. Today, almost nobody in Japan speaks English, the world's lingua franca (the most commonly spoken language) but many people, including exchange students and immigrants, speak Japanese.

There are more than 125 million native speakers in Japan, but Japanese is also the language with the most users of second language learners – 6 million people use it as a second tongue, mainly in Korea.

Apart from that, Japanese is also in the top 10 most important languages on the Internet, so knowing it can help you access a lot of new information – or gain new clients for your online business.

Japanese holds the honor position among the best economic and business languages. If you have good Japanese language skills, your chances of getting into a good international company are pretty high.

6. Arabic

Arabic is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Spoken by more than 274 million people in over 22 countries, it is the fifth most spoken language in the world. It is also the official language of many countries, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, and Egypt.

The Arabic language has been greatly influenced by other languages such as Persian, Turkish, and Malay, which makes it a very versatile language to learn for those interested in linguistics. Moreover, it has a rich history and culture that often goes unexplored by non-native speakers – but if you dive deeper into it, we promise, it can amaze you.

Arabic is also a highly sought-after language for business purposes. Many major corporations are looking for employees with strong Arabic skills to help facilitate business within the Middle Eastern region, which is one of the largest growing markets in the world.

Final Thoughts

There are numerous skills that can be obtained by learning a foreign language. Whether you choose to learn a funny language like Icelandic or one of the more widely spoken ones such as the French language or Arabic, the journey of learning a new tongue will undoubtedly help you in some way.

By simply focusing on one of these ten languages, you will be able to garner an array of bonuses in your personal and professional life. Not only will you have the opportunity to travel and explore new cultures but also build up a bank of knowledge about another country's language and history.

By increasing your communicative skills in each of these, you can improve your job opportunities and salary, making it easier to pay off any existing debt or college loans.

No matter what language you choose to learn, you are bound to benefit in some way – the most important thing is that you pick a language that interests you most and start learning today.