If you have a deep desire to see and connect with other parts of the world, learning a new language might already be high on your bucket list. Well, it’s time to stop procrastinating!
Ready to learn a skill that will help you travel, land a job, and even boost your brain health?
Languages open doors, whether you want to travel to new places to quench your thirst for adventure, land a job in an international market, or study in your dream destination. The learning process also boosts brain health, improves memory, and reduces stress when traveling. So what are the best languages to learn for the future? And how do you choose from over 7,000 languages around the world?
As the world opens up, becoming smaller and more accessible, learning a new language could actually be one of the best skills to add to your repertoire to set you up for a future of abundant possibilities. Here are GoAbroad’s top picks for the best languages to learn for the future and how to choose the best language for you.
How we chose the best languages for the future
When it comes to choosing the best language to learn for the future, there are two main factors to consider: interest and strategy. It takes time to learn a new language and it’s important to choose one that intrigues you or allows you to communicate easily and effortlessly in your bucket list destinations. Since over 40% of the world’s languages are endangered, strategy is also important so you can choose a language that will open doors for you in the future.
GoAbroad has hand-selected the best languages to learn for the future based on trends and the opportunities that can come with learning them. We’ve chosen languages according to the following:
- Useful for business: How likely is it that you can use the language in business internationally?
- Useful for travel: How many countries speak the language? Is it spoken more widely natively or as an official language?
- Useful for education and career: How many educational institutions teach in this language? Are there opportunities for career growth by speaking this language?
- Opportunities for learning abroad: Are there many study programs and opportunities to learn the language abroad?
- Number of speakers worldwide: Is there a high population of native speakers? Is it an official or popular second language in many countries?
Remember that choosing the best language to learn for the future is all about you, and that you don’t have to pick just one! Many languages have similarities, which means you can learn more than one at once and open up even more opportunities for your future.
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12 best languages to learn for the future
Studying one of the best languages to learn for the future is your ticket to adventure.
Ultimately, you get to decide which language is best to learn for you by taking into consideration your own desires, interests, and goals. What do you want to use a new language for? To boost your CV, land an international career, move abroad, or speak with locals while traveling? What interests you the most?
With the comprehensive list below, you can give yourself a solid foundation to choose the best language to learn for the future—for you.
1. Mandarin Chinese
Despite China being in a more isolated part of the world, the stats show Mandarin as the best language to learn for the future for many reasons. China currently has the top economy in the world and only keeps expanding, gaining international partnerships in every corner of the earth. On top of that, China’s GDP is consistently growing, meaning Mandarin is easily the top language to learn for a leg up in the career world.
Mandarin also has one of the highest populations of native speakers and is spoken across over 20 countries. While it’s one of the most challenging languages to learn, it’s well worth the effort. If you’re planning to work in international business, learning Mandarin can also help you to better understand the culture, leading to more solid working relationships.
- Useful for business: 5/5
- Useful for travel: 5/5
- Useful for education and career: 5/5
- Opportunities for learning abroad: 5/5
- Number of speakers worldwide: ~1,100 million
- Where to learn it: China, Taiwan, Singapore
- Recommended program: Learn Chinese in China with Go Abroad China Ltd.
2. English
While the economies in the United States and United Kingdom aren’t as strong as China, they are still booming, making English one of the best languages to learn for the future if you want to make a career in international business.
Although English is not necessarily the native language in many countries, it is widely spoken as a second language across the world and is considered an official language in 39 countries worldwide, meaning it can be a default language if you want to travel the world. Its cultural prevalence in the online world, top-notch English-taught universities, and the USA’s influx of tourism are just the icing on the cake.
- Useful for business: 4/5
- Useful for travel: 5/5
- Useful for education and career: 5/5
- Opportunities for learning abroad: 4/5
- Number of speakers worldwide: ~1,500 million
- Where to learn it: USA, UK, Canada, Australia, South Africa
- Recommended program: English as a Second Language with ABC ESL Canada
3. Spanish
You can’t go wrong by learning Spanish if you want to travel to cool destinations. Case in point: Costa Rica.
Spanish is spoken across four continents in 21 countries around the world, and it’s only increasing in popularity. It’s easily one of the best languages to learn for the future with its high population of native speakers, its prevalence in popular tourist destinations, and the abundance of Spanish teaching materials—whether you want to learn through a program or simply by watching Spanish telenovelas. It’s also one of the easiest languages to learn for native English speakers, so where can you go wrong?
- Useful for business: 3/5
- Useful for travel: 5/5
- Useful for education and career: 4/5
- Opportunities for learning abroad: 5/5
- Number of speakers worldwide: ~548 million
- Where to learn it: Spain, Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia
- Recommended program: Face to face Spanish Lessons in Colombia with Valley Spanish School
4. French
While every linguistics expert has their opinion on which languages will trend over the next 25 years and beyond, many believe French to be the best language to learn for the future. French is spoken on almost every continent and holds official status in 29 countries, including France, the Congo, other European and African countries, Canada, Haiti, and Vanuatu.
The population growth in many of these countries is trending up, meaning French will only become more prevalent. Not only that, but it’s one of the most popular languages to learn as a second language and it's easy to learn if you're a speaker of other Romance languages.
- Useful for business: 3/5
- Useful for travel: 5/5
- Useful for education and career: 4/5
- Opportunities for learning abroad: 4/5
- Number of speakers worldwide: ~274 million
- Where to learn it: France, Canada, Switzerland
- Recommended program: Nice, France: French Immersion Summer Program with Abbey Road Programs
5. Portuguese
Brazil holds one of the top economies worldwide, has excellent study institutions, and has a world-renowned influence over art and culture with their popular bossa nova, samba, and funk carioca music. And that doesn’t account for the other countries that are rapidly growing with Portuguese speakers. Since Portuguese is the official language of 10 countries and territories, including Brazil, Portugal, and many African nations, it makes the list as one of the best languages to learn for the future.
- Useful for business: 3/5
- Useful for travel: 4/5
- Useful for education and career: 3/5
- Opportunities for learning abroad: 3/5
- Number of speakers worldwide: ~257 million
- Where to learn it: Portugal, Brazil
- Recommended program: Study Portuguese Language Online or in Salvador, Brazil with Basica Lingua
6. Hindi
Learning Hindi can take your travel game—and business skills—to the next level.
If India is at the top of your travel bucket list or if you have a career in the Indian market, learning Hindi is a no-brainer. Hindi is the most widely spoken of India’s official languages and is one of the most spoken languages in the world. With India’s booming economy and tourism industry, you can’t go wrong with learning Hindi.
- Useful for business: 5/5
- Useful for travel: 3/5
- Useful for education and career: 3/5
- Opportunities for learning abroad: 2/5
- Number of speakers worldwide: ~602 million
- Where to learn it: India, Nepal
- Recommended program: Hindi Intensive Course (One-to-One Lessons) with Indo Vacations
7. Arabic
Arabic is often overlooked by language learners, but making the list of the best languages to learn for the future is well-deserved. Not only is the Arabic-speaking population growing and expanding over 22 countries, but both tourism and the economy in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt are growing—and Arabic is becoming a go-to language in international affairs and business. If you’re looking to climb the ladder in international business, Arabic might just be the best language for you.
- Useful for business: 3/5
- Useful for travel: 3/5
- Useful for education and career: 3/5
- Opportunities for learning abroad: 3/5
- Number of speakers worldwide: ~274 million
- Where to learn it: Egypt, Morocco, UAE
- Recommended program: Arabic Language Immersion Programs in Morocco with Dar Loughat
8. Japanese
Japanese may not have the highest number of native speakers, but it’s still one of the best languages to learn for the future. Japan is a top tourist destination worldwide, holds high economic status, and has been extremely influential in modernized technology, IT, and science. On top of that, Japanese cuisine and anime are becoming common all over the world, meaning the Japanese language isn’t going anywhere.
- Useful for business: 3/5
- Useful for travel: 3/5
- Useful for education and career: 3/5
- Opportunities for learning abroad: 3/5
- Number of speakers worldwide: ~125 million
- Where to learn it: Japan
- Recommended program: Study Japanese in Fukuoka with Meiji Academy
9. German
From bustling economic centers to quaint villages, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to practice your German.
If you want to study a language that will boost your career in European business, German could be your best language to learn for the future. Germany is Europe’s largest economy, and the German language spans across not only Germany, but Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein, too.
It’s one of the more widely spoken languages across Europe, with native speakers in more than 14 countries, high cultural influence and top-notch study institutions. German also stems from the same language family as English, making it easy for English-natives to learn as a second language.
- Useful for business: 3/5
- Useful for travel: 3/5
- Useful for education and career: 4/5
- Opportunities for learning abroad: 4/5
- Number of speakers worldwide: ~134 million
- Where to learn it: Germany, Switzerland, Austria
- Recommended program: Teen Language Camp in Berlin, Germany with Greenheart Travel
10. Russian
Russia’s booming economy produces and exports countless products around the world and is ranked just under the top 10 economies worldwide. While it’s not the most popular tourist destination, Russian is used heavily on the internet and is spoken by many former Soviet countries as a second language, making it more popular than you’d think.
- Useful for business: 3/5
- Useful for travel: 2/5
- Useful for education and career: 3/5
- Opportunities for learning abroad: 3/5
- Number of speakers worldwide: ~258 million
- Where to learn it: Russia, Kyrgyzstan
- Recommended program: Study Russian in St. Petersburg, Russia with the National Registration Center for Study Abroad
11. Korean
If you love K-pop, bibimbap, or taekwondo, Korean could be your best language to learn for the future. While Korean is only spoken natively in North and South Korea, its prevalence in pop culture and cuisine helps it make the list. Not only that, but many large international companies are expanding to house their headquarters in South Korea, meaning it may emerge as a beneficial language to learn for international business in the future, too.
- Useful for business: 2/5
- Useful for travel: 2/5
- Useful for education and career: 2/5
- Opportunities for learning abroad: 2/5
- Number of speakers worldwide: ~79 million
- Where to learn it: South Korea
- Recommended program: Summer Korean Immersion Program with Homestay at Seoul with LanguBridge Education Centre
12. Italian
Iconic sites are just the start when you have Italian skills to draw on.
While Italian is only spoken in a small part of the world, this language is quickly growing in popularity among high school and college language learners. That means future generations of Italian speakers! Italy also has a large economy and draws in tourists from around the globe with its mouth-watering cuisine, ancient Roman architecture, and the most cultural heritage sites in the world, making it one of the best languages to learn for the future if you love to travel.
- Useful for business: 2/5
- Useful for travel: 2/5
- Useful for education and career: 2/5
- Opportunities for learning abroad: 2/5
- Number of speakers worldwide: ~62 million
- Where to learn it: Italy, Switzerland
- Recommended program: Learn Italian in Tuscany at Il Sasso Language Institute
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Language learning is one of the best things you can do for your future
When you learn a language that fits your goals, your future gets that much brighter.
When it comes to choosing the best language to learn for the future, there’s no right or wrong. While you can definitely take trends, growth, and popularity into consideration, your own personal interests take precedence. Once you decide on your language goals, it’s time to dive in! Watch your favorite shows translated, read books, listen to music in the native language, or sign up for that language program of your dreams.
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