There’s a new drive to encourage people to learn languages, but just how useful are they in the workplace today and can they really help you get a job?

Parlez-vous Francais? Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Parlate Italiano? There was a time 20 years ago when everyone wanted to study a language. Excited by the creation of the EU, many new employees were keen to show an aptitude for languages that would put them above other candidates in the battle for jobs. A new era was beginning for a united Europe, and that meant getting to know our neighbours in a way we hadn’t had to before.

In reality, the creation of the EU meant that European workers were simply given the roles that required languages, and we all got lazy. Languages were too much like hard work when you’ve got other people to speak them for you and besides, don’t most people in business speak English anyway?

Evidence suggests that this kind of attitude is changing – and not before time. With the rise of the internet, our business world has gone global in a way we could never have anticipated. According to a recent survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the importance of languages to UK firms is set to grow as companies operate in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. 72% of UK international trade is with non-English speaking countries – but it is estimated that only one in ten British workers can speak a foreign language.

So, can having a language up your sleeve really improve your job prospects? Kathryn Board, Chief Executive of The National Centre for Languages (CILT) certainly thinks so. “In the current economic climate, being able to speak more than one language will give a competitive advantage in the job market over monolingual English speakers, as well as the chance to take advantage of job opportunities in the EU and elsewhere in the world.”

It’s not just translation and teaching agencies where languages are needed – the ability to speak a foreign language can be valuable in many industry sectors including engineering, manufacturing, retail, leisure and hotels, arts and culture, sports, professional services, finance, technology, media, aerospace and defence, transport, charity, government and telecommunications.

Louise from Manchester works for marketing company Barratt Dixon Bell Ltd, and finds her knowledge of French, German and Spanish invaluable. “One of our company’s key strengths is that it implements global marketing communications campaigns from one office in the UK. The ability to communicate with journalists, clients, distributors and suppliers in their own language greatly increases the success of these campaigns. Cultural understanding of the markets being targeted also adds great value. I regularly use my languages to check translations of PR material and liaise with client spokespeople.”

Knowledge of a foreign language is much more than just being able to speak to someone in their own language. It’s about showing empathy for another culture, being culturally aware of differences, of being sensitive to others’ needs – all skills that are hugely attractive to potential employers. In sales, it’s easy to buy in English, but to successfully sell, you’ve got to speak the language of the interested party. As the European Commission website states: “Each year, thousands of European companies lose business and miss out on contracts as a result of their lack of language skills and intercultural competence. The challenge for internationally active firms is to integrate different organisational cultures and communicate efficiently in order to maximise performance – languages mean business!”

Et voilà, languages mean business, so show that you mean business too, and learn one – tout de suite!

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