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So you want to learn a second language to hep advance your career, but you have no idea which one would benefit you the most. If you were to ask an economist, this is probably what they’d tell you.




Over at Quartz, Emily Oster, an associate professor of economics at Brown University, recommends two languages that will offer the most benefits in the present and future. The first, Mandarin, offers the most benefits overall. It’s the native language for 14% of the world’s population—many of whom don’t speak English—meaning it’s the most influential language on Earth. It’s also incredibly important on the business side, with Mandarin speakers being highly sought after.


The second option, Spanish, has a few special benefits of its own. It’s the second most spoken language on the planet, and there are many native speakers of the language right here in the U.S., making it a pretty valuable skill on your home turf. Spanish is also considered to be much easier to learn than Mandarin, especially if the goal is fluency, so it’s the more practical choice.

Of course, this is only one person’s take, and your needs may call for something else entirely. If you’re doing regular business in Germany, for example, learning Mandarin probably isn’t the best use of your time. That said, it’s some interesting food for thought if you’re not sure what to learn and simply trying to maximize your career potential with a single language skill.