By Geralde Vincent-Bancroft
With the world becoming increasingly interconnected, learning a foreign language has never been more important. Knowing a second or third language can open up a lot of doors. This allows you to communicate with people from different cultures and to gain exposure to different perspectives. It is a great way to expand your horizons and open yourself up to the world.
There is no shortage of languages to choose from. But which languages should you be focusing on in 2023? Which ones are worth learning?
We’ve put together a list of the top six foreign languages that you should consider studying in the upcoming year! Let’s dive in!
Chinese
China is one of the world’s most powerful countries. So it makes sense that Chinese is one of the most popular foreign languages. It has an interesting writing system based on characters instead of letters, making it both challenging and rewarding to learn. With more than 1 billion native speakers, learning Chinese will give you access to many people around the world.
It’s also becoming increasingly important for international business operations due to China’s growing influence on the global economy. So if you want to stay ahead of the curve then learning Chinese could be a great move for your career prospects!
Spanish
Spanish is another popular language with more than 500 million native speakers. Spanish is spoken throughout Central and South America as well as parts of Europe. So if you plan on traveling around these regions, having some knowledge of this language can be invaluable. It is also one of the official languages of the United Nations.
Plus, Spanish is relatively easy to learn compared to other languages. It has similar roots as English making it an ideal choice for those who want to quickly get up and running with a new language.
French language
French is another popular language, with about 274 million native speakers worldwide. Like Spanish, it’s also an official language at the UN and is used widely across Europe and Africa. Learning French will give you access to Francophone culture and literature as well as opening up job opportunities in France or any other French-speaking country.
Arabic language
Arabic is one of the oldest living languages in existence, with an estimated 300 million native speakers worldwide. It’s currently experiencing a resurgence due to its increasing importance in international business and politics, making it a smart choice for anyone looking to expand their global reach. Plus, Arabic is written from right-to-left instead of left-to-right like English, giving you some extra cultural exposure too.
This ancient Semitic language has native speakers spread throughout North Africa and parts of Asia — making it ideal for those looking to travel around these regions or understand their culture better.
Even though Arabic script can seem intimidating at first glance (especially if you’re unfamiliar with written Arabic), don’t let that deter you from giving it a try! There are plenty of resources available online for beginners who want to get started with Arabic quickly and easily.
German language
German is another popular choice among language learners due to its large population (more than 90 million native speakers) and its presence across Europe. German was once considered one of the “hardest” languages due to its complex rules surrounding sentence structure and grammar; however, with modern teaching methods such as online courses or tutoring sessions, German can now be learned relatively quickly compared to other European languages like French or Italian.
Japanese language
Japanese is becoming more popular every year due to its strong influence on culture, anime/manga fandom, fashion trends, food etc. Tokyo dialect especially makes use of loanwords from English so if you already know some basic English then learning Japanese should be fairly straightforward too! Plus there are loads of online resources available these days like podcasts or interactive courses that make studying this fascinating language fun yet effective.
Japanese is an incredibly complex language that requires dedication and hard work in order to master it. However, if you put in the effort required, it can be extremely rewarding.
Japan has become one of the most influential countries in terms of technology and culture — so being able to speak Japanese can give you access to many cultural experiences such as anime or sushi.
Conclusion
These are our picks for the top 6 foreign languages that everyone should consider learning in 2023 . We hope this list helps narrow down your choices somewhat but ultimately only you can decide what’s right for your own individual needs. Whether it’s learning Mandarin for business purposes or studying Arabic to better understand Middle Eastern culture, there’s something out there for everyone.
Learning a new language can open up a whole new world for you – figuratively speaking.
Whichever path you choose, we wish nothing but success on your journey towards mastering another amazing tongue. Good luck ! You won’t regret it.