World Languages
Why Study a World Language?
Simple: To become a better communicator, and employers like to hire people who communicate well, especially if they can communicate in more than one language.
People who speak multiple languages have an edge over other employees; it follows that they also earn more money.
Knowing another language, according to R.L.G. Berlin in his article “Johnson: What is a Foreign Language Worth” (The Economist, 2014), can boost your income significantly.
- 1.5% for Spanish
- 2.3% for French
- 3.8% for German
That “translates” to thousands of dollars. That is a HUGE advantage.
Additional benefits to learning another language include:
- Increasing your memory
- Strengthening your attentiveness to detail
- Enhancing your multi-tasking, critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Understanding your own language better
- Connecting with others in a way you might not have been able to do otherwise
Employers know this, which is why health care, engineering, social services and business fields steadily broaden their search for employees who can communicate in another language, as noted by the 2017 report Not Lost in Translation: The Growing Importance of Foreign Language Skills in the U.S. Job Market.
Join the movement and learn another language! At Owens, you can study Arabic, American Sign Language (ASL), German and Spanish.