We all know that English is recognized as the global language of business. However, that doesn’t mean that since you’re a native, it might be the only language you’ll need to speak throughout your entire life.
Depending on your goals, that might be the case, but for small business owners learning a second language might expand your business to a new whole kind of market. These days, more and more companies are going global, making connections with consumers, vendors, and clients all over the world.
This has brought as a result more and more companies looking to hire bilingual employees. Naturally, if there are two candidates for the same position who have the same experience and skills but one of them can speak another language, the bilingual candidate will likely get the job, especially if the company is global or looking to go global in the future.
Whether you’re a 9 to 5 employee, freelancer, or a small business owner reading this right now. We don’t want you to miss out on the opportunities that being bilingual can give you, that’s why we wrote this article specially for people like you, who need a little push to start learning a new language.
These are our 5 reasons why being bilingual will benefit your work life!
Stand Out From Your Competition
Adding a second or a third language will make your resume stand out and go to the top of the list of potential employers.
It’s all about versatility on the job, if you work as a salesman, for example, having higher chances to close a sale with native Spanish or French speakers is a huge plus on the market. So big, that you’ll surely be getting more commissions than your colleagues and even be considered for higher positions.
Remember that many companies sell their products abroad, and have offices in other countries. If traveling to another country is something that interests you this kind of position might be exactly what you’re looking for. If you already can speak a second language, you already have an advantage over most people! Be sure to use it wisely.
Open More Career Opportunities
If you’re interested in working in different fields, a new language can always help you.
A language expert can not only work as a teacher, but also as a translator, an interpreter, or even as a touristic guide. The only thing that’s stopping you from trying new things is you. Since you already have the communication and the skills covered, the only thing left is to put yourself out there and gain experience.
Other fields that are always looking for bilingual experts are healthcare, national security, journalism, education, and international development. Remember that there’s no end to new experiences when it comes to languages!
They’ll bring you closer to new cultures and also to new opportunities.
Earn More Money!
Working as a known bilingual worker is more beneficial than being a regular worker. Depending on the requirements of your job, bilingual employees can earn more per hour.
You see, bilingual employees have useful skills that can translate into increased revenue for the company, and as a result, some companies will compensate these employees accordingly. Reports have shown that pay differentials for bilingual workers can increase base hourly pay anywhere between 5-20% per hour.
Stand Your Ground on Foreign Places
This is the time to discover. Talking another language can help you interact with different people and understand their culture. This means more opportunities to discover a learn from new people, new places, new music, film, and literature.
If you work as a content creator or any other type of job that needs creative inspiration this will help you a lot!
Also, when it comes to your work life, you’ll be able to profit more out of business trips. Now that you know the language you don’t have to spend a lot of time in expensive foreign hotels, eating at restaurants where the staff speaks English, or traveling with a tour group. Work-related or not, take control of your travels and make the most of it!
Become a Problem-solver
Believe it or not, learning a new language may help you become a more focused and driven person, improving brain functions like the ability to focus attention and perform mental tasks.
You see, as a bilingual, you’ll be constantly choosing which language to communicate and this will give you a lot of practice choosing important information and ignoring the unimportant details.
More so, if the person you’re speaking to is also bilingual, you’ll surely experience that you might start talking in “Spanglish”, or “Frenglish” only because it’s simpler to combine those two languages when explaining certain things or saying certain phrases.
Another important thing is that with each new language you learn, you’ll be developing your own alter ego for the said language. This will help you somewhat dissociate yourself from personal feelings when trying to make decisions. We are not implying that you’ll become a whole other person, but simply that it’d be easier for you to digest certain thoughts if you think about them in another language.
In a more scientific explanation, “using a foreign language provided increased cognitive and emotional distance that allowed people to focus on the information rather than their own emotions.”
So, next time you are in a situation where you need to make the most rational decision, try thinking about it in Spanish, French, or any other language of your choice, and see what happens!
In Conclusion
When it comes to learning new languages we all can agree on two things: It’s essential to keep growing your business market, and it’s also fun to learn!
When you learn a new language you are not only discovering more ways to earn more, but also learning about different cultures, people, customs, and even opening opportunities to face new experiences.
Languages will always offer benefits not only to your work life but also to your personal life. That’s why in Freelance Latin America we want to allow you to experience the joy of learning a new language!
Our expert Freelancers with years of experience working as professional language instructors and professors are more than eager to teach you a new language, starting from the basic, intermediate, or advanced level. It’s your choice!
The first step is to click right here and then choose the freelancer that best accommodates your needs and schedule. As for this moment, we are only teaching English, but be sure that we’ll expand soon to many more languages! Remember to contact us if you have any doubts.
We are always at your service!
See more articles by Ender Cárdenas
