Download this free poster to help your students see how valuable languages can be for their future career prospects!
Want to encourage more students to take up languages at GCSE and A-Level? We’ve created this poster to help you show them that there are many ways that languages can help them in their career, even if they don’t choose a career that directly relies on their language skills.
And it’s completely free to download.
So, how can languages help your career?
Languages make your CV stand out
One huge bonus of being able to speak foreign languages is that it will make your CV stand out. Prospective employers will see that you are a good communicator and that you have good intercultural understanding and so could be an asset to them in terms of building relationships with customers and suppliers.
If the prospective employer is an international company, they may also see you as an employee that could save them money and time, as you won’t need the services of an interpreter or translator.
Languages improve your native language skills
Speaking another language helps you to better understand your own native language.
You’ll better understand the mechanics of English, breaking down grammar and sentence structure and this leads to better writing and speaking skills, which are so important in many careers.
So, even if you never use your foreign language in your career, your experience of learning a second language will be of huge benefit to your career.
Languages make you better at multitasking
Being bilingual means you can skip between two languages and this trains your brain to be quicker when you need to skip between two tasks. Being bilingual can also help you to prioritise information efficiently and all of this means that you’ll be more productive.
Your productivity and ability to multitask will be highly valued for your employer and could help to ensure that you’re put forward for promotions, helping you to advance your career quickly.
Languages make you a better decision-maker
Learning a language actually helps to improve your ability to think analytically and this helps you to be better at making decisions. Being decisive and making decisions based on analytical thought will make you more productive and could help your employer see your leadership potential, helping you to progress quickly up the career ladder.
Languages make you a better communicator
Learning a second language will make you a better communicator. You will, of course, be able to communicate in a second language and you’ll also find learning other languages is easier, as you already know how to do it!
Being able to speak a second language also makes you a better communicator from a more general point of view. You will have improved your intercultural understanding when learning that second language, which will help you to connect with people from other cultures, and you’ll have a better understanding of how language can be used to explain ideas and form connections with other people.
And being a good communicator is essential for almost every job in every industry. You need to be able to communicate with managers, colleagues, customers and suppliers and being able to do this well is actually a very sought-after skill that not everyone has mastered!
Languages make you more creative
Learning a new language opens you up to more ideas and ways of thinking about and doing things. This can help you to think more creatively and that creativity will help you to solve problems and come up with innovative solutions.
Creative thinking is another highly sought-after skill that can help you to progress quickly up the career ladder.
Languages help you to build better relationships
There is no job where the ability to build relationships isn’t important. But this doesn’t come easily to everyone. Being able to speak a second language and, therefore, speak to customers or suppliers in their native language will make you an important asset to a company and could certainly help you to progress your career quickly.
And even if you don’t speak someone’s native language, being a linguist will mean that your intercultural understanding is good and probably means that you have an active interest in learning more about other cultures. Everyone responds well to people taking an active interest in their culture and making them feel comfortable and your experience will help you to do this effectively, which will also help you to build relationships quickly.
Languages open up more job opportunities
Speaking another language will open up the global job market for you. International companies often look for multilingual employees who can help them to build better relationships with customers and suppliers and to develop new markets.
You could choose to move abroad, to work in countries where your second language is spoken, offering you the opportunity to embrace a new lifestyle.
And you can work in roles that will allow you to travel, giving you the opportunity to learn new languages and explore new cultures.
Languages improve your memory
Learning a foreign language is an excellent way to improve your memory – after all, you’ll have had to memorise new vocabular, grammar and sentence structures!
Having a good memory is a great asset to have when building a career. It can help you to be better organised and it can help you to remember names and important information about clients and suppliers to help build your relationship with them!
Languages can earn you a higher salary
Because of everything else that we’ve talked about, speaking a foreign language can help you to earn a higher salary.
Speaking a foreign language in itself is, of course, a highly sought-after skill, but even if you don’t actively need languages in your role, the ability to speak another language demonstrates to employers that you have a variety of other skills and attributes that make you an excellent candidate for many higher paying roles.
Still struggling to get your students to continue with their languages?
You may like our ‘Where will languages take you?’ poster.
And offering the opportunity to go on an MFL school trip may be another great way to tempt students to choose your subject. Please don’t hesitate to contact us for any further information.