The Most Useful Languages in the World

Our world is more connected than ever, and with that connectivity comes new experiences, opportunities and risks worth taking for rewards. However, as one barrier is overcome another is raised, that being the language barrier. With all this connection and travel between countries for work, study and enjoyment, it can be easy to feel lost when considering other languages to invest time in learning.

Having looked over all the facts and stats though, we feel we have safely narrowed it down to the four best options of languages to learn (besides English), and why each of them is growing so quickly and where they may someday prove to be useful. Here’s our list of the best languages to learn, besides English, that’ll get you far in the world.

1. Spanish

Let’s start with a classic. Spanish is spoken in large parts of the world (including most of South America and by a lot of people in Europe and North America), and it is also one of the faster languages you’ll be able to pick up. Pronunciation and spelling are not too difficult, and it has a nice rhythmic quality when speaking that makes key phrases easy to remember. Easy to pick up but tricky to master, this is a perfect second or even third language for beginners who want to expand their international vocabulary without needing to take time off to do a whole course for it.

2. French

French is popular both in Europe (obviously) and several West African nations (Burkina Faso, Niger, Guinea and more). Like Spanish, there’s a simple structure that’s easy to understand and develop once you know a few familiar phrases. I don’t think there’s a person alive who doesn’t know what ‘Bonjour’ and ‘Au revoir’ mean. Native speakers can sometimes talk a little too fast but you learn to keep up quickly enough. There’s a bit more depth and complexity than in something like Spanish, and at times you may experience confusion with gendered nouns and tenses, but if you get the bug you’ll love speaking the language of love.