British employers want job applicants to speak another language

Just a quick update to let you know about a great story we saw in London's Evening Standard newspaper last week. A recent poll of British employers has found that after IT, knowing another language is the most desirable skill for job applicants.

The poll was carried out by the National Centre for Languages (CILT) and the Try Life in Another Language campaign.

With more and more businesses operating globally, speaking another language can give you the edge in the competitive job market. Language graduates may also earn more than those with degrees in maths, engineering or science, as well as having more opportunities to travel with your job.

For more advice about job prospects, visit the Direct Gov Careers Advice website.

Despite the attitude that you sometimes find in the UK that 'everyone speaks English', actually only 6% of the global population have English as their first language. Considering many overseas students speak two or even three languages, this could start to have a negative affect on the job prospects of UK students.

Did you know?
German is spoken in 43 countries and is the most widely spoken language in the EU.
Spanish is spoken in 44 countries and is the most widely spoken language worldwide.
But Chinese Mandarin still tops the poll as the most spoken language in the world. Other languages in high demand by employers include French, Italian, Arabic and Russian.

Try a new language for yourself
Many of us haven't studied a language since school, but it's never too late to update your skills. In this article, the writer Will Self talks about the French lessons he’s been taking, and how it has helped him get much more out of trips to France.

You can try a language for the first time with one of IH London's Survival evening courses. Take lessons one or two evenings a week for five weeks and learn the basic words and phrases for simple conversations. You can learn Arabic, Chinese Mandarin, French, German, Italian, Japanese or Spanish.

Try one of our General courses if you want to improve your existing language skills. We offer beginner through to advanced level courses so you can pick the right level for your ability.
Next courses start week commencing 12 April 2010.