Do you want to know the top trending languages for the coming year and why? BIG Language Solutions scoured several websites listing language trends across multiple industries and identified the top trending and suggested languages to learn in 2022. Check out our list below:
1. Spanish
Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language after Mandarin, and not a surprise at the top of languages to learn. Having your content available this year in Spanish will open doors in Spain and Latin American countries like Mexico, Peru, Paraguay, Ecuador, and even the United States, where an estimated 37.6 million people speak it as their first language. In addition, the world’s second-largest economy and a Hispanic population projected to double by 2050 make Spanish enormously important.
Difficulty to Learn: Language experts rank Spanish as one of the easiest languages to learn for English speakers.
2. German
Germany has the highest gross domestic product (GDP) in Europe, and many are flocking to the country seeking new careers. German is one of the three official languages of the European Union, and it is expected to benefit from Brexit (alongside French). German is the fourth most used language online and is the world’s third most significant contributor to research and development. As a result, knowing German can be essential to succeeding in these fields globally.
According to The Economist, knowing how to speak German will offer the highest reward in bonuses compared to learning how to speak Spanish or French. In addition, German companies account for 700,000 jobs in the United States, which presents great chances for those looking for opportunities in America.
Difficulty to Learn: German is a different language, with endings tacked on to words to give them specific meanings. This being said, it is also an easier language to learn.
3. Arabic
Arabic is the official language of dozens of countries, making it the fifth most spoken language worldwide. Arabic countries hold over $600 billion in the gross domestic product (GDP), and the Middle Eastern economy has increased by over 120 percent in the past five years. In addition, Internet access and usage are rising in the Middle East, with many users only speaking Arabic; the translation of online content is expected to grow in the coming years.
Difficulty to Learn: Arabic is known to be one of the most challenging languages to learn for English speakers.
4. Mandarin
With over one billion Mandarin Chinese speakers worldwide, it was on the list of the most important languages to learn. While most speakers are located in China, the country is emerging as a global power, making it increasingly crucial for businesses to have team members that know Chinese. As a result, the number of multinational companies looking for executives who speak Mandarin has risen by 35 percent from previous years.
Mandarin is also the second most popular language among Internet users. With online sales increasing each year, it is believed that it will soon supplant English as the most widely used Internet language.
Difficulty to Learn: Mandarin is not the easiest language for English speakers to learn, but the upside is worth the effort.
5. Portuguese
Portuguese is spoken worldwide and is the official language of countries in Europe, South America, Asia, and Africa. It is the world’s sixth most widely spoken language. If that wasn’t enough to prove that this language is one of the most important languages to learn, here’s more: Brazil is emerging as one of the world’s newest economic powerhouses.
According to estimates by UNESCO, Portuguese is the fastest-growing European language after English. Portuguese is well ahead of German, French, and Italian in popularity and is the official language of eight countries. Due to the growing relationship between India and Brazil, the demand for the Portuguese language is growing exponentially. There’s increased demand for technology, technical support, finance, exports, tourism, and education. Brazil offers global companies opportunities in tourism, pharmaceuticals, and energy, to name a few. As organizations continue to set up shops in Brazil, there will be new opportunities for Portuguese speakers. Portuguese is also gaining popularity in Asia due to the region’s diplomatic and economic relations with Portugal and Lusophone countries.
Difficulty to Learn: Portuguese is not hard for a native English speaker to learn. While different from English, the grammar and sentence structure are simple. The accent is more in common with American English than Spanish, and it isn’t difficult to pick up new sounds like nasal vowels.
6. Russian
The size of the country, its emerging economy, and natural resources as one of the top oil producers in the world readily demonstrate its appeal for business. Moreover, Moscow has the highest billionaire population of any city in the world.
The Russian language is spoken throughout central/Eastern Europe and Russia. It’s the eighth most common language in the world. It is the second most used in website content, after English, and the leading percentage of internet content in Europe. The English Proficiency Index rates Russia as a country with low proficiency in English, so translating your content into Russian could be an essential step for meeting international business goals.
As one of the BRIC countries, Russia has been identified as one of the four major world powers whose influence is growing fast. It is already the world’s sixth-largest economy. Russian is also one of the official languages of the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which makes it significant to international relations, diplomacy, and trade. Finally, Russia is famous for its engineering talent and IT community. Russian is one of the popular languages of scientific and technical literature in the hard sciences like physics and engineering.
Difficulty to Learn: Russian is one of the most challenging languages. The grammar rules are complex and have numerous exceptions.
7. French
As the second-most widely spoken language in Europe and emerging markets, it is a key language to learn.
France’s colonial history played a big part in making French the second-most widely spoken language in Europe. Because of this history, more people speak this language outside France than in it. According to Forbes, 750 million French speakers will be worldwide by 2050. Online, it’s estimated to have around 102 million Internet surfers. The French-speaking world also includes Africa, which is multiplying and rich in natural resources. Of the top five fastest-growing African economies, French is the official language in three. In countries like Algeria, Morocco, Vietnam, and Cambodia, where English proficiency is low, French is instrumental as a lingua franca. Learning French can also be helpful for employment in the global tourism industry, fashion, the visual arts, and theater world, as French is the most spoken language in these sectors.
Difficulty to Learn: French is not hard to learn for English speakers. English and French share a standard alphabet and a large portion of vocabulary. English has more in common lexically with French than any other Romance language.
In short, no matter what language you choose to learn in the coming year, know that it will be time well spent on our top 7 languages to learn.
Understanding multiple languages helps companies expand into foreign markets effectively to fulfill your business’s potential for growth. Still, by doing this, you must also ensure the content is appropriately localized. At BIG, we can align your language strategy with your overall business objectives, achieve compliance with relevant laws and regulations, and ensure your brand resonates with your target audiences.
Don’t wait; contact us today to find out how we can help you!
