04/07/2025
Speaking a second language offers numerous advantages. Throughout much of the world, learning a second language is the norm. If not, learning another language is typically recommended or sometimes required because of the many advantages it is known to bring.
There are distinct personal and career benefits of learning a second language, and students of all ages have opportunities to become bilingual or multilingual.
Mastering the grammar, vocabulary, and cultural context of a second language could lead to more diverse career paths. Learning a new language also helps you improve your communication skills, especially with native speakers of that language.
Other benefits of learning a second language – or even multiple languages – include:
- Personal growth
- Cognitive development
- Adaptability
- Networking
- Building relationships
- Traveling
- Enhanced job opportunities
- Higher earning potential
Personal Growth
When you learn a second language, your knowledge of another culture increases. You learn cultural awareness, especially regarding another country’s traditions, values, and beliefs.
Also, research has shown that bilingual and multilingual individuals often excel in multitasking and demonstrate enhanced creativity.
Mastering a language’s vocabulary, grammar, and cultural nuances can be challenging, depending on your native (or first) language and the target language. However, such challenges translate into personal gains when solving problems, dealing with change, and undertaking challenges.
Cognitive Development
Language learning also contributes to cognitive development. Studies have demonstrated numerous benefits in language learning, such as improving language skills, memory, and problem-solving skills – and especially in protecting older adults from cognitive decline. Students who spoke two or more languages also performed better on exams.
Numerous studies have examined and recorded the multiple benefits of second-language proficiency on the brain across the human lifespan. Individuals who learn a language later in life may also benefit from neurological changes that help strengthen nervous system links or neural pathways.
Adaptability, Networking, and Building Relationships
When you travel to a foreign country and know that country’s language, you can better adapt to that country’s cultural norms. In addition, speaking a second language makes it easier to build relationships, which are an important part of networking. Many native speakers will appreciate the fact that you invested time in learning their language to facilitate easier communication.
Communicating with others in their native language builds trust and credibility – two qualities that open new doors for collaboration and new roles. Foreign language skills also provide opportunities to foster collaborations across different cultures, encourage knowledge-sharing, and help you grow through different perspectives and experiences.
Traveling
If you’re traveling on business as a part of your professional life – or for pleasure – knowing how to speak multiple languages can be immensely helpful. It becomes much easier to find places, order meals, and conduct other activities.
Enhanced Job Opportunities
Language programs can help students become fluent in a new language, especially in today’s job market where second-language proficiency is in demand. Whether through a language school or self-directed learning, language programs can serve as a gateway to long-term career satisfaction in the business world.
According to Dr. Tracy Brower in Forbes, around 40% of multilingual employees said that their foreign language skills helped them find a job more than monolingual speakers.
Many international companies or smaller companies with global clients highly value employees who can facilitate communication with international clients by speaking, reading or writing another language. Being proficient in one or more foreign languages makes you an asset to a company, especially if that organization has a global reach and wants to pursue business opportunities in other countries.
Knowing a new language is beneficial in many fields, such as:
- Sales
- Marketing
- Government
- Military service
- Intelligence
- International relations and diplomacy
- Tourism and hospitality
- Legal translation and interpretation
- Medicine
- Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
- Education
Higher Earning Potential
Speaking more than one language can set you apart from other candidates. Certain positions, such as translators and interpreters, may have their language skills reflected in their compensation – sometimes resulting in a significant pay raise for employees fluent in high-demand languages.
Also, international companies with diverse customers often pay more to employees who can communicate effectively using different languages. According to Workforce Essentials, some bilingual employees earn 5-20% higher pay than monolingual speakers.
Recommended Languages to Learn
Proficiency in a second language makes it easier to communicate and collaborate with people across cultures. However, certain languages are best suited to different fields:
- English: International business, public relations, translation, and technology
- Mandarin Chinese: International business and trade
- Arabic: Government, engineering, and healthcare
- Spanish: Healthcare, education, and global business
- German: Engineering, automotive industries, and scientific research
- French: Diplomacy and international relations
- Hindi: International business
- Japanese: Technology advancement and global business
In today’s globalized workforce, multilingual skills are impressive. As more and more businesses expand internationally, knowing one or more foreign languages is increasingly essential.
Foreign Language Courses at American Public University
For adult learners who aspire to learn a second language, American Public University (APU) offers courses in multiple languages as a part of its General Education requirements for many of our degrees. These courses include instruction in:
- Arabic
- French
- German
- Japanese
- Russian
- Spanish
For more information about these courses, visit APU’s arts and humanities degree program page.