Nowadays most universities offer English-taught programs to local and international students- even if the local language is not English. So the question naturally arises: does it make sense to learn any other languages if you don’t need them for the university studies? We say yes- if you also want to prioritize your future career.

1. Studying extra English?

So first of all, let’s take a look at English. If it is not your native language, you must make sure to keep your English in tip-top shape, it is non-negotiable, especially if you want to work abroad. No matter how great your university grades were, if you show up to a job interview with poor English, you definitely won’t make the best first impression. Make sure to utilize your university years well, and make a concious effort, it will also help you a lot already during the university years and it will be an invaluable asset for you for the rest of your life.

2. Learning the local language

If you study in a non-English speaking country, learning the local language is a logical idea- at least in theory. However, many students notice upon starting their studies that the local language is pretty difficult to learn (just look at Polish or Hungarian). So how much effort makes sense here? We already wrote an article about learning Hungarian- generally we can say that learning the local language at least to a certain extent is really very beneficial. It will help you with job opportunities, it can help you understand your surroundings and arrange your life better and you even have 3-5 years to learn it in a native environment. Surely it is not easy, but it has the potential to give you a tremendous boost in the future.

3. Learning big global languages

If you don’t necessarily want to stay in your host country after studies, you should probably start thinking about the country/region you’d like to launch your career after graduating. For example, in Eastern Europe many students would love to work in Germany, the Netherlands, Finnland or France in the future, but nowadays other large non-English speaking destinations like China or Arabic countries are also popular. So the question arises: should you use your university years to learn the language of your preferred destination? A 100%. Again, remember that you have years to prepar while you are studying, seize the opportunity! Even if you change your mind in the meantime, speaking a large global language can only give you a competitive advantage in the future.

All in all, you can only win by speaking a language well- simply speaking, the more languages you speak, the more job opportunities you can expect in the future. And isn’t that the point?