Do you know the difference between apprendre est amusant, lernen macht Spaß and gakushū wa tanoshī? They all mean one thing - learning is fun! Mastering a language is one giant competitive edge for your future. Doors can open around the world when you have a language skill to boast, and studies show that people who speak two or more languages seem to have a better memory and are often more creative.

In credit card terms, the French language is the MasterCard: unlock opportunities and experience the world with it! French is spoken on five continents and has official-language status in 29 countries, including powerhouses such as Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Canada. Having the ability to speak French opens up your travel passport and, after English, is the most learned language worldwide. Mastering French grammar rules is a rewarding and fun challenge and can set you on track for confidence in mastering some of the trickier languages.  

So, when friends are impressed by your mastery of this beautiful, rich and melodious language, just doff your beret and say: "impressionnant, non?" (pretty impressive, hey?)

German is the most widely spoken native language in Europe. Its capital, Berlin, is turning into a hub for innovative start-ups and Germany is home to a large number of economic global players including Siemens, Volkswagen, Adidas and Lufthansa. It is said to be the land of poets and thinkers - Das Land der Dichter und Denker - and ranks second in the world as the most commonly used scientific language. So, brushing up on your Deutsch could do wonders for your career opportunities!

Because German and English share the same Germanic root, there are thousands of words that are closely related. For example, the English chin is kinn in German, water is wasser and Father is Vater. Not so hard after all, is it?

Having Japanese under your Kimono belt can boost your employment and career value. Because it is not a language that is widely studied, learning the language can open a world of culture and opportunity you never imagined in different fields, such as business, social sciences, humanities, technology, science, journalism and tourism. 

An island nation, that essentially has been isolated for much of its history, grasping the language can help in understanding the history and cultural differences ... particularly if you dream of breaking into one of the many industries that have brought the land of the rising sun and cherry blossoms to the third largest economy in the world. Pharmaceuticals, electronics manufacturing, gaming, the motor industry and fast food companies – Japan’s got it all for careers. As the ninth most spoken language in the world, Japanese is the first language of 128 million people!  

Did you know – very few offensive words exist in the Japanese language – they know them, but because they care for and are sensitive to other people’s feelings they would rarely use such words in public.

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