Friday, 13 June 2014

In school you were told that you needed to learn a language. It was a requirement. You might have taken several semesters or more of French or Japanese or maybe Indonesian.  Later, in college, you might have taken a term or two more of the language. Then, to your shock – sometimes as soon as right after graduation – you realised that you wouldn't last one day without an interpreter in a country where the language you’ve studied is spoken.

Globalisation

Today’s world is more globalized than ever. We depend on each other not only within our own nation, but also between nations. Many U.S. companies do business overseas, just as organisations from other countries do business with us. In addition, the interaction between people from different countries has become much easier due to the World Wide Web. As we journey abroad more, while at the same time seeing more international visitors coming to our country both for trips and as migrants, we realise the increasing importance of being able to interact in languages other than our own.

Professions needing multi-linguists

Finance, law, sales, technology, and health care are just a few of the areas in which knowledge of at least three languages is becoming standard for most positions. Newly created markets have expanded the spectrum of the most commonly encountered languages. Portuguese, Italian, American and British English, French, and German have all been ubiquitous for many years, but now in the twenty-first century, we are seeing new interest in other languages which have not been quite as prominent in the West until now.

Japanese, Chinese, Russian, and Arabic are four languages rapidly gaining international popularity. The rise of the Internet and its corresponding effects on globalisation have contributed to the development of many new marketplaces. Global projects in these nations are developing at a steady pace, and the need for language professionals who can facilitate communication between companies in these nations is becoming increasingly important.

However, it is also wise to emphasise that perspective is important when deciding into which languages one should invest his or her time and money. Chinese and Arabic are the fastest growing languages online.  See more information on growth of languages online. Click Here

Your Career

For many careers, especially careers in business, understanding another language is a necessity. If you know just one more language than someone else applying for the same position, you may be awarded the job solely because of your additional language skills. In our career-motivated society, we do whatever we can to gain an advantage, and proficiency in a second or third language could be the deciding factor that gets us the job.

Written by:
Karen Hodgson, CEO of Translationz