Keeping Up with the World The 5 Fastest Growing Languages

Keeping Up with the World The 5 Fastest Growing Languages Keeping Up with the World: The 5 Fastest Growing Languages In early 2018,  The Guardian asked,  have we reached peak English?Theres no doubt that English is a widely spoken and studied language across the world.But its standing is challenged by other rapidly growing languages.As new global markets emerge or established ones expand, the importance of being multilingual cannot be overstated. Meanwhile, languages spoken by increasingly populous or diverse regions open doors for new relationships and opportunitiesâ€"if you have the communication skills to take advantage.In this post, Ill walk you through five of the fastest-growing languages in the world and the benefits of learning each one. Keeping Up with the World: The 5 Fastest Growing LanguagesAccording to the language publication  Fair Languages, the five fastest-growing languages in the world share one core characteristic: theyre each projected to have the most speakers by 2050 based on population and economic data.The demand for second-language speakers will arguably only increase too . For example, even as the technology industry booms and seeks to bridge language barriers with computerized translations, the CEO of one of the largest tech giants in the world still found it valuable to study Mandarin Chinese.If one of these languages sparks your interest, youll want to get fluent fast as it grows in dominance! Immersive learning  (surrounding yourself with the written and spoken language) is the classic method for rapid language learning. Of course, if you don’t currently live in an area where your target language is spoken, its hard to achieve.  FluentU  is a great way to mimic the immersion experience no matter where you areâ€"it provides authentic videos like movie trailers, music videos, inspiring talks and more.Each video has interactive captions, flashcards and exercises, so you can  actively build your vocabulary while absorbing the native sounds of the language. FluentU also keeps track of your learning and suggests more videos that’ll suit your level and goals.FluentU has programs for some of the useful languages that we’ll cover belowâ€"Mandarin Chinese, Spanish and Frenchâ€"among several others.  Check out all the options and start watching as soon as today with a free trial.Note: some of the languages below will be expected, others not so much. Be open minded!French: Beyond BaguettesThis one is perhaps unsurprising and already a popular choice for second-language learners around the world. But did you know that by choosing French youre choosing a language thats  predicted  to be spoken by 750 million people by 2050?And those people arent just French.Its a common misconception that learning another language is only relevant if you plan on visiting or moving to the country for which its named (in this case, France). However, French is growing in developing regions like sub-Saharan Africa, and as language learning often goes hand-in-hand with wanderlust, French could just be the key that opens new adventures.Why should French s growth matter to you?For the business-minded undergrad or working professional, French is a truly global language, according to  The Economist, which can give your career a significant boost. Youll have a common language with people from Vietnam to Morocco to Switzerland, and youll be equipped to converse with clients and business partners from both established and emerging markets.If you want a peak into the world of French language and culture, check out some of FluentUs authentic French videosâ€"like this interview with World Cup fans in the Ivory Coast.Arabic: Dont Underrate ItA  hugely misunderstood culture has led to a nationally overlooked language of study. From the media to college campuses, Arabic is neglected as the important, intriguing and growing language that it is.You might not realize how widely spoken Arabic already is, with about 300 million native speakers. Its also been deemed the fastest growing language within the U.S. and even the fastest growing language o n the internet.Why should Arabics growth matter to you?Learning a language is, by extension, learning about a culture. Its impossible to learn a language to fluency without communicating with native speakers, listening to their media or reading their literature.Did you know that Middle Eastern cultures, where Arabic is widely spoken, pride themselves on their hospitality and have a history of being gracious hosts?  This is just one tidbit of many to take into account when considering learning Arabic.Furthermore, because of the  shortage  of people in the Western world who speak Arabic, learning it can automatically make you a standout in any job market or field. (And did you know the Arab-speaking world  has a combined GDP of $2.5 trillion?)All of these facts marry to create an especially ripe stomping ground for multilingual business people, journalists and politiciansâ€"these are industries thatll be key in the growth of Arabic in the coming years.Spanish: Trusty and Increasingly ImportantTime tested and true, this is one language whose popularity wont be going anywhere anytime soon, and for good reason. There are  more than 400 million speakers  of Spanish, and its relevance in the business world only continues to grow with countries like Costa Rica establishing themselves as top vacation and retirement spots for U.S. citizens.The language spans two continents, the North, Central and South Americas, and the industries and fields that a Spanish-speaker can go into or further their career in are innumerable.Why should Spanishs growth matter to you?As hinted above, Spanish is a way to open new doors in a stagnant career! Many employers have recognized the usefulness and importance of Spanish, particularly in global business and consulting markets. The importance and value of an American employee who can fluently navigate English and Spanish cannot be understated, and the potential for international travel may increase with acquisition of the Spanish language.F or example, those in the education or medical fields will find a need for their skillsets overseas!Spanish is another language on the FluentU program, and in fact you can start to learn about the languages international growth with this Spanish news broadcast covering its prominence in the U.S.Mandarin Chinese: Worth the WorkLike Arabic, Mandarin Chinese has a reputation for being incredibly difficult to learn, which can be intimidating to many second-language learners. However, the benefits far outweigh the costs and if the cost is simply the time and effort to acquire a new understanding of culture and language, isnt that really a win-win?What ups the  intimidation factor  for Mandarin is the languages use of pictograms, rather than phonetic writing. But did you know that the language is actually much simpler grammatically than what English speakers are used to in their own language? For example, theres no verb conjugation for different tenses.Why should Mandarins growth matter to you?In 2015, China overtook the U.S.  as the worlds largest economy. While that may freak some people out, language learners will recognize this as an opportunity to further both their personal and professional growth in one fell swoop. The enormous markets with which China enters the global economy span industries such as trade, international finance and international consulting, to name a few.This video will get you acquainted with some basic Mandarin business etiquette, among the many other cultural and entertainment videos on FluentUs Chinese program.Hindi-Urdu: A Giant of the Past and FutureBy 2030, India is  expected to overtake China  as the worlds most populous country. Hindi and Urdu are two of the countrys major languages and have been gaining momentum as languages to learn because of Indias emerging international presence in the literary, art and cinematic scenes, among others.Why should Hindi-Urdus growth matter to you?If youre a lover of history, art or culture, Hindi- Urdu should be at the top of your list.India has a turbulent history of colonialism and the impact of British rule on the countrys psyche will be evident to second-language learners who pursue further learning in the countrys native languages. Youll gain a perspective on the countrys history thats often barely covered or left out of Western curricula.Indias art and traditions also hold increasing sway over the Western culture, as this article from  New Geography indicates. If youre passionate about anything from yoga to Bollywood films, Hindi-Urdu is a good option.And of course, as with the other languages on this list,  Indias prominence as a world power makes it an attractive option for language-learners who are interested in joining growing business markets at the front of the line.Whichever language you choose to learn (or for a really zany idea, try learning multiple languages at once!), taking the initiative to learn a second language is a wonderful opportunity to undertake a cultural study as well.Shared language is an incredible bonding agent between people, which is especially relevant to remember in a world as closely linked as ours is today.In addition, taking the time to educate yourself on the fastest-growing languages in the world will help you take advantage of unique professional opportunities. And One More ThingFluentU is growing fast right along with the fastest growing languages. FluentU makes it possible to learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks.With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that real people speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos, like movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse ScreenFluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover over or tap on the subtitles to instantly view definitions.FluentU Interactive TranscriptsYou can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs quiz mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.