Best International Business Languages

By Sarah-Claire Jordan

This is an age of connectedness, with technology bridging cultural gaps that have existed for centuries, language and communication have become more important than ever before. It’s not enough to simply know a bit about another culture or language in the world of business now.

However, so many countries are connected now through international business that it can be hard to tell which languages are among some of the more important ones to know and use to help your company grow and expand. Here are some of the most important international business languages to focus on.

Mandarin

China is an obvious choice for an important country to focus on in terms of business. Mandarin is the most widely-spoken language in China and is the official language of Taiwan and China. The number of people who are native Mandarin speakers eclipses the numbers for any other language on the planet.

Besides the obvious numbers, China is also a huge economic powerhouse that has continued to thrive despite recessions in the rest of the world. Chinese businesses are also expanding and making deals all over the world, which creates a need for Mandarin speakers and translators to help bridge linguistic and cultural gaps.

Arabic

The Middle East is a huge region in terms of business, though it is an area of extremes. You have some countries, like the United Arab Emirates, with booming economies (just take a look at Dubai) and war-torn areas that will take decades to rebuild. Despite the destruction and chaos in some parts, there are still oil reserves, real estate companies, and construction businesses that are quite successful.

One thing many of them have in common is the Arabic language, which has come to be a sort of key to the whole region. There are different dialects in different areas, but an understanding of Standard Arabic should be enough to reach deeper into the culture of a region where you want to do business.

German

Germany has had a robust economy for decades now, and this isn’t about to change anytime soon. It has probably the best economy in all of Europe, despite the crises that have affected much of the rest of the continent. This makes German language skills a very sought-after characteristic for European employers.
It would benefit any business with partners or wanting partners in Europe to take the time necessary to work on German language skills, or to at least make German translation and localization a focus. Once the German market is secured, the rest of Europe will be a cinch to do business with.

Japanese

The technological hub of the world continues to be Japan, with companies designing new robotic and other kinds of tech every day. Even more interesting, though, is the way Japanese business owners are rethinking how to run their companies. These innovations are affecting the way the rest of the world looks at businesses and technology.

Japanese is an essential language to have in one’s arsenal if there is a possibility of partnering with a Japanese business or investor, or opening up an office in Japan. There is so much capital there already, and it will only continue to grow with the years.

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