In today’s multi-cultural society and global economy, learning to speak a new language can help you succeed in the job market, increase your promotion potential and open doors to careers in other countries. Studies show it can also keep you mentally sharp.

Of course, it can seem daunting to find time to learn a second, or third, language. Let’s face it, a lot of us didn’t do that great in French or Spanish class back in high school, anyway!

But the odds are your company may support your efforts to learn a new language because speaking a language other than English is clearly good business in the 21st century.

What’s more, it may not be as hard or time consuming as you think! In recent years researchers have come up with ways to make learning a language more efficient by including on-line classes and highly specialized CD and DVD courses based on proven, quick learning techniques.

Learning new languages translates to success

If you need motivation, consider the ways speaking a new language can help you and your company stay ahead of the competition.While there has always been a need for people with bilingual skills to work as interpreters or in various government positions, today’s diverse world has a greater need than ever for employees with multi-lingual skills.

Advantages to learning a new language include:

• Speaking more than English can give you a distinct advantage over other applicants for many positions and promotions in companies that conduct international business.
• When working with international clients or your own company’s office in another country, being able to converse with business associates in their language demonstrates you have some knowledge of their culture. It builds trust and helps reduce misunderstandings and miscommunication.
• Studies have shown that learning one or more additional languages helps improve your English and personal communications skills, too.
• With many businesses in the U.S. employing workers whose native language is not English, speaking another language such as Spanish can help build a sense of multi-cultural community in your workplace.
• Knowing a foreign language can open opportunities for you to work in your company’s international offices. And you’ll be in a position to travel and conduct business more productively for your company.

It’s not too late to learn

If you want to learn to speak another language, the best time to do it is in childhood. But if you don’t have a time machine handy, that doesn’t mean you should give up your quest to speak French, Spanish, or even Chinese.

In fact, remember those French or Spanish classes you took way-back-when in school? Don’t assume they were a waste of time. A new study by psychologists Jeffrey Bowers, Sven L. Mattys, and Suzanne Gage from the University of Bristol indicates a "forgotten" language studied even briefly is probably engraved in your brain, so there’s a good chance you can learn that once studied language more quickly today.

"Even if the language is forgotten (or feels this way) after many years of disuse, leftover traces of the early exposure can manifest themselves as an improved ability to relearn the language," the researchers wrote in the journal Psychological Science.

More good news about learning a second language: according to University College London (UCL) scientist Dr. Paul Iverson of the UCL Center for Human Communication, it’s true our ability to hear and understand a second language becomes more difficult in adulthood. But research shows older brains can be retrained to learn new languages easier than previously thought.

Children are language whizzes because they pick up small sound differences that adults often miss. Dr. Iverson’s studies show adults can retune their brains to hear these nuances by concentrating on differences in speech sounds.

Already bilingual? If you study yet another language, chances are you’ll learn it far easier than your singular language speaking counterparts, according to research conducted at Northwestern University. What’s more, the bilingual advantage persists even when the new language you study is totally different from the languages you already know.

Learning your new language

Just how long will it take you to become fluent in a new language? Everyone is different, but according to the FSI (Foreign Service Institute) Language Rating Scale, most adults who undertake learning what FSI designates as the "easiest" languages (including French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish) will need about 240 hours of study and practice to get to the first level of fluency. Double those hours to double your ease in conversation and reading comprehension.

The specific language you choose to study depends on several factors including your personal interests and the countries your company does business with regularly.

The most useful languages to learn:

• Spanish. The U.S. Hispanic population continues to grow and so does the use of Spanish throughout the United States.
• French. Along with English, French is recognized as a global language. It’s an official language of most world governing agencies and organizations like the United Nations, NATO, and the International Red Cross.
• Japanese and Korean. Japan and Korea dominate many areas of international industry; learning their languages can be a plus in landing trade and business opportunities.
• Chinese and Hindi. Both languages are more difficult to learn for English speaking natives than other tongues, however it can well be worth the effort if your company does business in India and/or China.

Not only are language classes available at local colleges, universities and private language schools, technology has also opened up other ways to learn – from on-line podcasts to DVDs and CDs for learning on the go.

Watch for virtual reality programs now in the works to speed language learning, too. For example, an international team of Mexican and Jordanian scientists has developed a wireless virtual reality environment called Realtown that promotes language learning and practice. New applications for Apple's iPhone 3GS designed for speech-to-speech and speech-to-text translations may help language learning. They are currently being developed at Carnegie Mellon University's International Center for Advanced Communication Technologies (interACT).

If you are ready to sign up for a language class, talk to your manager at work. Your employer may subsidize language training classes if you provide a written request to management explaining how learning a second language will help you do your job better and benefit your company.