Here's how you can use your language skills to unlock global career prospects.

Language and culture are intrinsically linked - by taking on a foreign language, you will start to pick up cues in the associated culture. Let's take Japanese as an example. When I first moved to Japan, I had multiple people compliment me on my 'long nose' (鼻が高い). Where I come from, a long nose typically has negative connotations (think Disney villains...) but in Japan, it was seen as a mark of beauty and intelligence. In France, there are many, many idioms revolving around bread. Needless to say, the language hints at the importance of a good baguette. Meanwhile in English (especially British), we often use 'down graders' - a bit, a little, perhaps etc. - which suggests Brits like to 'Keep Calm, Carry On' and not cause undue drama.

Learning a new language inevitably comes with the knowledge of a new culture, new set of customs and new ways of thinking. It develops a deeper understanding of not only one community (who speaks the particular language) but of all diverse communities in general. Understanding leads to empathy. The more we spend our time and energy towards something new, the better we understand it, empathize towards it and it leads to reduced judgement and increased tolerance. Learning a new language should be included in the curriculum right from the beginning of education to increase empathy and tolerance in today's world.

Those who have understood the value of networking will surely skyrocket in their careers. Being bilingual means you can connect with 2x more people than being monolingual and being multilingual just multiplies your networking opportunities. Speaking more languages also means you can form new connections beyond your home country. You can spread your horizon to online forums, social media groups or international conferences. Speaking the language of the people you wish to connect with always makes meaningful, long-lasting and strong network.

Having good communication skills is inevitable in not only professional but also your personal relationships. Learning a new language is psychologically proven to build and enhance your communication skills. It also makes you more empathetic, emotionally intelligent and approachable. Also, being able to speak different languages you can connect with multiple communities sans all the language barrier and effortlessly understand the subtleties of language - the idioms, gestures, and social uses. This can prevent misunderstandings and gaps in communication.