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Best language for career

Best languages to learn for your career

Employers rarely pay for a language alone. They pay for a language plus a skill, in a market where it matters. These are the languages most often worth adding to a CV.

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Updated · by the 4ToSpeak team

How we ranked them

We ranked by how many business markets a language opens, how often it is the gap on a team, and how long it takes an English speaker to reach working level.

The 8 best languages, ranked

  1. 1. Spanish

    Closest to English · about 700 hours

    The quickest to learn and the most useful at home in the United States, plus Latin America as a market.

    Learn Spanish · How long it takes

  2. 2. German

    Moderate · about 900 hours

    Germany is Europe's largest economy, strong in engineering, manufacturing and science, and Germans value the effort.

    Learn German · How long it takes

  3. 3. Chinese

    Hardest · about 2,200 hours

    The biggest first-language community in the world and a major business partner, though it takes the most time.

    Learn Chinese · How long it takes

  4. 4. French

    Closest to English · about 700 hours

    Used in diplomacy, international organisations, luxury and aviation, across many countries.

    Learn French · How long it takes

  5. 5. Japanese

    Hardest · about 2,200 hours

    Strong in manufacturing, gaming and technology, where Japanese speakers are scarce on Western teams.

    Learn Japanese · How long it takes

  6. 6. Arabic

    Hardest · about 2,200 hours

    In demand in energy, diplomacy, security and translation, where fluent speakers are rare.

    Learn Arabic · How long it takes

  7. 7. Portuguese

    Closest to English · about 700 hours

    Brazil is a large market, and Portuguese speakers are scarcer in business than Spanish ones.

    Learn Portuguese · How long it takes

  8. 8. Korean

    Hardest · about 2,200 hours

    Technology, entertainment and electronics, with a strong and growing learner community.

    Learn Korean · How long it takes

Tips for getting there faster

  • Combine the language with a skill you already have. Bilingual engineers, nurses and sales staff stand out.
  • Learn the vocabulary of your own field early, not only everyday small talk.
  • Speaking is what gets noticed in interviews and meetings. Practise out loud, not just by reading.

Still torn between two?

Compare the finalists head to head:

FAQ

Questions, answered

Still stuck? support@4tospeak.com

What are the best languages to learn for your career?

For most careers, Spanish, German, Chinese, French and Japanese are the best languages to learn, because they pair large economies or large customer bases with industries that hire English speakers.

Which is the easiest of these languages to learn?

Spanish is the quickest on this list for an English speaker, at about 700 hours to working proficiency (roughly 3.8 years at 30 minutes a day).

How do I choose between them?

Pick the one that matches where you will use it and what you enjoy. Motivation beats the difference in difficulty over months of study. If you cannot decide, try a week of 15 minutes a day in your top two and keep the one you look forward to.

Can I start for free?

Yes. 4ToSpeak has a free plan with no card and no time limit. Every sentence goes through ordering, translating, listening and saying it out loud.

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