What is the best language for me to learn?

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Hi Guys,

I have wanted to learn a foreign language for a while. Which language do you guys think is best for me to learn?

I want to boast my CV, So I looking for a language that will be relevant to a IT career in the European market.

Thanks

 

French and Spanish also cover a wide area of countries

 

I'm looking to stay in the UK, but I suppose I want to know which language would be most useful to have on my CV.

 

Spanish. Most widely spoken language on Earth after English. Failing that, you could learn a language that would be useful in the business world (Chinese, Urdu, Russian, German are all good choices)

 

English...

 

Careful with that declaration. There is no such language as "Chinese" per se. "Chinese" is actually made up of at least 12 different "dialects", each of which share the same written language (with a few minor differences between them), but have almost no relation between them in terms of spoken.

The most common (and widely spoken) dialect is Mandarin (or more accurately, putonghua).

 

I've been looking at learning Modern Arabic recently.

 

Funny you should mention it. It had crossed my mind as a future language possibility. Although I'm thinking Russian first.

That said, I'm a long way from being proficient with Mandarin, so I'll take my time.

 

If you learn the language of love you will be fine.

 

Why is that? French is gash.

 

Parts of Switzerland too.

Any of the main european languages would be a good choice. As mentioned French, German, Spanish and possibly Russian.

 

I can't believe no-one has mentioned an Indian language yet (though I have no idea which one would be appropriate), the world is awash with Indian outsourcers all wanting a piece of the lucrative IT pie.

 

Why would this make me want to lean an Indian language? Sorry; I really don't care to make it easier for companies to transition to outsourced labor.

In any case, there's not a big demand for expensive Western labor who can speak Hindi... there's a big demand for cheap Indian labor who can speak English.

 

Greenlandic

 

I don't want to make it easier either but I know of many developers who have to manage a team of cheap offshore resources, they are given little choice.

Think about it, every major player has cut its western workforce year on year whilst investing heavily in the east, they recognised the west is a shrinking market and they know where their future revenue streams are coming from, India and China are rapidly becoming economic super powers and that can't be ignored.

 

If I'm going to manage a team of cheap offshore resources, I'll manage them in English. Again, I don't HAVE to make it easier for an employer to outsource jobs that my neighbors could be working. If you feel the need to do so to make a buck, and you can sleep at night afterwards, then do so.

A shrinking market? Not at all. More saturated, perhaps. But not shrinking. And many of those outsourced jobs are coming back... at least, they are in the States.

India and China ARE rapidly becoming economic super powers. Guess what language Chinese kids are required to learn in school? You got it... English. I don't know for certain, but I suspect India is the same.

 

I don't want to and I'm too old to start learning a new language anyway, when an Indian outsourcer needs someone to communicate and manage a large team in Bangalore who do you think would stand a better chance of getting that gig? I don't want this to happen but it's already a reality in the UK.

In the UK our government has sold out to big business, they don't care for their own indigenous workforce, Indians are coming in left right and centre by abuse of the 'Inter Company Transfer' scheme, Indian IT firms advertise in the UK at ridiculously low rates then use the lack of interest as 'proof' that skills don't exist thus allowing them to bring in the skills from India at a much reduced rate, they don't need to outsource anymore, they are replacing us on our own soil!

For 3 years straight I've seen my income take a dive, I'm not even working at the moment because IBM sold out my work to Fujitsu and the only markets I see growing are in the east and in Europe eastern companies are moving in on our patch. I don't know the US market but following discussions on LinkedIn I can see it's not exactly rosy over there either, sadly I think the tough times are here to stay for a while and the increased competition will make it even tougher.