There’s no question that learning a foreign language, or even a third, can have huge benefits. This statement is true whatever your age: it’s never too early or late to invest in this valuable skill.

Different people decide to focus on language skills for different reasons. Some for fun, some to make travelling easier and some to enhance their professional lives. There are some instances where it’s becoming more and more important to have a good grasp of a foreign language.

One of those instances is when you’re studying at university. Time spent studying can be an excellent time to work on the skills that will be most useful in the future. Luckily online language courses are making this easier to do than ever before.

reasons language learning is essential for the professional future of university students

Your students must learn a foreign language

Here are four reasons why:

#1 Learning a foreign language opens up more job markets

When it comes to landing a quality graduate job, it often comes down to numbers. There are typically huge numbers of qualified individuals applying for each position, and students may need to think outside of the box in order to get a coveted role in their ideal industry.

Those students who have a good grasp of a second language instantly have more roles to apply for as they can look further afield for the perfect position.

#2 Learning a foreign language improves the chance of academic success

Countless studies have shown that language learning can actually make you more intelligent. This means that even students who don’t plan on going into an industry where a second language is a requirement will benefit from learning languages online.

The skills they pick up during this study will feed into the work they do for other academic disciplines and may help them to get a better degree classification over all.

#3 A foreign language increases personal development opportunities

A successful career doesn’t just depend on how a student does in the classroom. Much of their future performance ability will depend on how they use their time at university to develop personally. Taking the time to learn languages online can be hugely beneficial in this respect.

Once a student has gained these language skills they could use them to travel, develop contacts overseas or even to get involved in a university exchange programme.

#4 Language skills make you more attractive to employers

When it comes to landing a professional role, the interview process can often come down to the additional skills each candidate has to offer. Those students who have a second or third language are likely to stand out, even if they are seeking a career in an industry where language skills aren’t a necessity.

So there you have it, four very good reasons why second languages are becoming more and more important for future career success. English learning, Spanish learning, French learning or German learning can all play a big role in how easily a student is able to get started in their chosen career.

Not sure if learning online is the right way to go? Here’s why we think this method outstrips the alternatives.

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