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It is undeniable that communicating with business partners and clients in their native language will help you close more deals successfully. However, with over 6,000 languages around the globe, how do you choose the language to focus on? What language will be the best choice for your career? Companies always value bi-lingual employees. You will receive an estimated 2% return on your investment for learning a foreign language. At the same time, Spanish has a return rate of 1.4 percent while German offers as high of a return as 3.8 percent. However, that’s not just a bigger salary; knowing another country’s language means you have a better chance of succeeding in business as a whole. You show your partners and clients that you care. One of the best advice you can get when it comes to language learning is the importance of immersing yourself into the culture as well. Being able to see outside of your cultural limitations will help you to relate to people and make you a better business person. Here are five languages we think will yield success in your business: 1. German While Japan and China may have the highest gross domestic product, their languages do not top the list. A high GDP does not correlate to higher earnings necessarily. Think like a business person. Consider the open economies of the world and which powerhouses have the most open economies. Germany makes up one of the three economic European powerhouses. So learning German will benefit an outside more economically than the language of a closed economy. 2. French About 300 million people in 29 countries speak French. You can easily see why it ranks second among the languages you need to learn to succeed in business. Initially, you may think that only French people in France speak French. However, when you know French, you can work with French companies in France and the many other French-speaking countries. Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, and North and sub-Saharan Africa all boast of this language as one of their main languages. Furthermore, France has the fifth-biggest economy. You would do well to partner with a French company. At first glance, French may appear to be spoken by only those living in France. But it happens to be the second most widely learned language after English. Knowing how to speak French opens the doors to French companies in France, and other French-speaking countries such as Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, and North and sub-Saharan Africa. As the world’s fifth-biggest economy and number-three destination for foreign investment, France is a key economic partner. If you’re looking to earn your Master’s degree, learn French. Students who can speak French are eligible for scholarship opportunities at some of Europe’s most renowned universities. 3. Spanish One of the easiest languages to learn, Spanish has graced the American school curriculum for decades. Twenty countries have Spanish as their primary language. So knowing Spanish will expand your business opportunities. Over 400 million people speak Spanish worldwide. Furthermore, countries like Mexico, Chile, and Columbia heave healthy, growing economies. You will want to have the ability to do business with companies in these healthy economies. Courses like Lingvist’s Spanish course will help you master Spanish quickly and thoroughly. 4. Mandarin China has the world’s new dominant economy. Plus, it has over a billion people you can work with. Learning even the basics of Mandarin will help you conduct basic communication with Chinese business partners. Unfortunately, Mandarin is a complicated language to learn. Thus, if you plan on tackling this language, plan on spending some time mastering it. 5. Arabic The 2018 gross domestic product of the Arab world was over $2.7 trillion. The Middle East hosts an abundance of market opportunities. Thus Arabic speakers carry a big advantage over those who cannot speak this difficult language. Like Mandarin, Arabic takes time to learn. It has inflections much different from English which may be why so many English speakers do not tackle it. But from a business perspective, learning Arabic makes sense. Source: The Daily Campus
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France is one of the most visited countries around the world. Eiffel Tower, Champs-Elysées, Louvre, Panthéon, and Notre-Dame are some of the spectacular attractions the country has to offer. Paris, the capital of France, has been often called “the city of lights,” ‘the city of Romance,” and ‘the culinary capital of the world.” The city definitely stands to its standards: Parisian air is filled with affection, beautiful buildings sparkle in the limelight, and then there is French food… Paris is famous for its incredible cheeses, chocolates, pastries and gateaux; the center is known for its hearty peasant fare, pâté and clafoutis (a kirsch-laden dark cherry pie); Burgundy is home to coq au vin, Dijon mustard and escargots; coastal Brittany has abundant fresh seafood, such as moules marinières (mussels in white wine) and moules frites (mussels with French fries); and Bordeaux is synonymous with many of the most decadent of French foods – foie gras, truffles, duck confit, and fine wines and cognac. France is also one of the world’s largest economies. Today, France is home to more than 20,000 foreign companies running under many different legal forms. According to the World Bank and International Finance Corporation (IFC), France is ranked 27th in the world for starting a new business. Regardless if the purpose of your trip to France is strictly tourism or more business related, below are some useful facts to make your visit more enjoyable:
Finally, here are some essential French phrases we think travelers should know:
Whether you want a fast-paced city break or a relaxing country vacation, you will find plenty to do throughout France. So, pack your bags and bon voyage! |
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