The best foreign language to learn in 2019

1. Arabic

The Arabic language is quickly becoming a seriously worthwhile investment for those hoping to reach the growing economies in the Middle East and Africa.

According to the World Economic Forum, it’s the 5th most powerful language in the world, and it will probably continue to climb ranks as trade continues to expand to and from Arab nations.

Due to the abundance of market opportunities in the Middle East, Western Arabic speakers are in very high demand, but in very low supply. Those who speak Arabic can develop an international career in a variety of industries such as education, finance, journalism, foreign services and more.

2. French

With over 200M people in 5 different continents speaking French, you can see why it ranks as one of the most useful languages to learn.

As the world’s fifth biggest economy and number-three destination for foreign investment, France is a key economic partner. Knowing French opens the doors to French companies in France, Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, and North and sub-Saharan Africa.

3. German

While German is only really officially spoken in six countries (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein), it is spoken as a native language by around 100 million people.

Germany is the largest economy in Europe, making German an important language for international business and diplomacy.

4. Hindi

A bit of a surprise, as Hindi isn’t always at the top of everyone’s mind when it comes to foreign languages.

But if you remember our post about the most spoken languages in the world, it’s standing at an impressive #4 on the list, with 310 million native speakers.

Based on popularity alone, it would be a shame to miss out on the growing number of opportunities you’ll get to speak Hindi – not to mention the access it will give you to rich and fascinating cultures.

5. Mandarin Chinese

When Mark Zuckerberg publicly showed off his Mandarin skills, some were wowed, others amused, and others cynical.

Let’s face it:

Learning Mandarin is one of the smartest moves you can make for business. At the current rate, China’s GDP is set to overtake the US by 2029, and it’s already the world’s largest trading nation.

Of course, there’s a lot more to Mandarin than a good business opportunity.

It’s the most spoken language in the world – and the second most used online. So you’ll get plenty of opportunities to practise.

6. Portuguese

While you’ll be able to practise your Portuguese with more than 10 million people in Portugal, Brazil seems to be the next frontier for South American business.

Brazil is still the largest economy in Latin America, and it isn’t too hard to learn for native English speakers.

In fact, the British Council added Portuguese in the top 10 most important languages for the UK future, a clear indication that it offers a world of opportunities for education, diplomacy and of course foreign investment.

7. Spanish

The Spanish language can take you far.

Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Dominican Republic, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Peru, Venezuela, Spain…just a few of the countries where you’ll be able to practice with more than 480 million native speakers across the globe.

Chances are if you’re reading this post, you already have a pretty clear idea as to what foreign language you’d like to learn.

But who knows, maybe you don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket and add a third or fourth language to your skillset?