Language Skills
Do you require language skills to function well in your job role? This article provides a guide on how you can develop the skills and include them on your resume.
What are Language Skills?
Language skills are the capacity to express yourself clearly and engage in social interaction. A basic command of Language skills is necessary for communicating with outside clients as well as within the workplace. With the help of language skills, you can structure and contextualize the information you wish to share with the audience.
Four essential skills—reading, writing, listening, and speaking are required for basic language competency. Moreso, If you are proficient in multiple languages, you may have access to a number of job prospects.
This article highlights the importance of language and provides advice on improving your language skills. It also includes how to highlight language skills on your CV and the kinds of jobs that call for them, among others.
Importance of Language Skills
Below are some benefits proving why language skills are important:
- Improved Perception:
By talking clearly and employing language skills efficiently, we understand one another’s viewpoints and contribute to their clarification.
Similarly, a multilingual individual can better comprehend another person’s point of view. This becomes a critical skill that is advantageous in all spheres of life.
- Boost one’s career:
Being multilingual can give you a distinct competitive advantage over your monolingual peers. No matter one’s industry or skill level, research has shown that language skills are among the top eight skills needed for all occupations, and the demand for bilingual professionals is skyrocketing. Employers are searching for experts who can serve and sell to consumers in newly emerging international markets and a sizeable group of foreign-born domestic customers. As an added incentive, language fluency frequently results in recruiting incentives and higher compensation and makes you stand out from the crowd regardless of your work objectives.
- Long-term business Relationship and Partnership:
Language abilities expose us to various cultures, traditions, and ways of being. It makes us more aware of how to interact politely and respectfully with others.
Knowing more languages helps to bridge the gaps created by the globalization of society. Stronger, more enduring business and personal relationships may result from this.
- Strengthens one’s ties to other cultures:
Language is the closest link to other cultures. Communication in a language fosters understanding and appreciation of the traditions, ideologies, aesthetic manifestations, and history of the people who use that language. Studies have shown that people who learn a second language are more accepting of and have more positive attitudes toward the culture that goes along, which fosters better tolerance, empathy, and acceptance of others.
How to Improve your Language Skills
The following steps below will assist you in honing your language skills:
- Record every dialogue:
As you gain confidence in speaking, you should record your discussions to listen to them later and rectify your mistakes. Look for any occasions in which your vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, or accent made it difficult for someone to comprehend what you were saying. You may monitor your progress and concentrate on improving your shortcomings by doing this.
- Complete a language course.
If you’re studying a new language, you can sign up for short language classes to help you increase your vocabulary and fluency. Numerous courses are available online and also provide the option of weekend classes for working professionals. To improve your understanding, you might also consider enlisting the help of certified language coaches and trainers.
- Pay attention to the different forms of content:
Listening is one of the finest methods to improve your language and communication abilities. Choose a topic that interests you and immerse yourself in it through music, audiobooks, and podcasts. Since you must actively focus on listening to do this task, refrain from multitasking. Your speaking, listening, and writing skills can all be improved by doing this.
- Keep track of unfamiliar words and their definitions:
You might come across new and unfamiliar words while reading text or listening to new material. Make a list of such words and research their meanings, synonyms, and antonyms whenever you have some free time. You can also carry a pocket dictionary or download an application to assist you in this process.
- Become more fluent:
Even if you are uncomfortable speaking the language, try engaging in conversation. By regularly speaking the language you are learning, fluency can be developed. You might join different interest groups or ask coworkers to correct mistakes to enhance your language skills. By conversing with native speakers, you can improve your language abilities.
- Write more often:
Writing down ideas or commenting is a reliable way to improve language abilities. Writing is thought to be a potent tool that improves human information retention. We are more likely to remember something later when we write it down. Not everyone can indeed write well. However, by cultivating this habit, we can undoubtedly help improve our language abilities. Language skills can be honed through simple practices like journaling or writing down thoughts or feelings. Additionally, it aids in clearly expressing ideas and in expanding vocabulary.
Jobs that Require Language Skills
The following job roles require language skills:
- Interpreter
As an interpreter, you act as the voice for individuals who cannot communicate their needs or desires without you. Whether they are helping someone near their first house or understanding a medical problem, interpreters must be able to bridge the dialogue using their language skills swiftly.
- International Travel Coordinator:
Speaking more than one language is a must for an international travel coordinator, whether it be to support those who are studying, teaching, interning, working, or volunteering overseas. This position’s duties include evaluating applicants, developing programs, and assisting program participants with their needs.
- Translator:
Translating includes converting written content into another language. Along with knowing the target language’s grammar, translators must also be familiar with the target audience’s culture.
- Product localization Manager:
Businesses require bilingual workers who can assist them in exporting their products to other countries. As a product localization manager, you would oversee a team of translators, appreciate the demands of the new market, plan product launches, and carry out other responsibilities. To succeed in this position, one must have a solid understanding of cultural trends and language skills.
- Community Health Worker:
Community health workers help people in rural and urban areas receive medical information and resources. They’re also advocates for social change without formal medical training. Speaking the local tongue is essential to communicate between doctors and community members.
- Field Researcher:
Field researchers who conduct surveys and interview locals to understand more about their culture must have in-depth language skills.
Among the many disciplines where field researchers can work include anthropology, archaeology, geography, and environmental science. All of these necessitate travel and linguistic proficiency.
- Social Workers:
Social workers help children and families deal with various problems, such as abuse, addiction, and mental illness. They frequently need to speak a second language to communicate with their customers more effectively and comprehend their feelings.
- Modern Foreign Languages Teacher:
Modern foreign language teachers teach children languages like French, German, and Spanish from the time they are in elementary school until they have finished their secondary education.
To operate as a modern foreign language teacher, you must be skilled in the language you desire to teach.
- Flight Attendance:
You would have the responsibility of ensuring that airline passengers are secure and at ease throughout their flight as a flight attendant.
Given that you would be interacting with people from all over the world in this position, having excellent language skills would be especially helpful. Even if it’s just a greeting, customers typically appreciate and feel more comfortable with a service if it is provided in their native tongue.
How to Include Language Skills on Your Resume
- Choose the language classification system to employ:
You can use the beginner to native rating scale after each language, depending on the job’s requirements. You may also put the ILR rating after the language if you have taken the ILR assessment.
Examine the company’s requirements and potential for international business to determine whether the basic or ILR scale is better for your resume. If the job description specifies a level of proficiency, include your language rating after the scale used for the job posting.
If your comprehension levels differ when speaking, reading, and listening, you might need to list each rating separately on your resume. However, you can choose an average rating if your comprehension levels are generally high across all three areas.
- Include language skills in your resume summary:
Include your language skills here if the job description specifies that they are a requirement for the position. Match the requirements as closely as you can. Include your level of proficiency and any noteworthy language-related achievements in this section.
- Mention Language skills in the work experience section:
Highlight your language abilities in the section on your work experience by mentioning how you applied them in prior positions. This demonstrates that you can use these abilities. To describe each job responsibility you had that required these skills, use bullet points.
- Emphasize Language skills in the education section:
Include any academic credentials that are pertinent to your language abilities. Keep a record of the certification names and the names of the certifying organizations. Consider taking tests that grant certifications to prove your proficiency if you want to increase your knowledge in this area. Test examples include The Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), etc.
- List language skills in your skills section:
Here is where you need to highlight your language skills the most. If the position requires them, consider going to great lengths to describe these skills. Create a header for your language skills and include a complete list of the languages you are proficient in. Describe your language skills in speaking, reading, and writing for each language. Always emphasize the skills that are relevant to the position. For instance, if you’re seeking a job as a translator, you might indicate that you’re fluent or proficient in the languages you can read and write.
- Include Evidence of Your Levels of Proficiency:
You can highlight in your resume the instances in which you used your language skill in a professional setting to persuade a prospective employer of your level of language proficiency. Include activities where speaking, writing, or reading the language was necessary to ensure success in demonstrating your proficiency in the language levels listed on your CV.
- Make a format for the language section:
The format of your language section will depend on your industry and the overall format of your resume. You can use chronological, functional, and combination formats for formatting your resume. If this part is essential to getting the job, it should be consistent with the rest of your resume and can be highlighted or bolded in various ways to stand out. Use a different bullet point or line in the skills area if you mention your language talents.
List each of your languages in order of increasing proficiency, starting with the one you speak best. You can format your language skills as a separate box section or an infographic if it complements your resume’s format.
Examples of How to Include Language Skills on Your Resume
Follow the examples below to highlight Language skills on your resume:
Example 1: Language skill highlighted under Resume Summary
Professional Summary:
A result-driven multilingual translator with over seven years of experience, translating more than 150 projects, including books and articles, from English to Japanese for high-profile individuals and companies. I’m fluent in French and Japanese, as I can easily read, write, and speak them.
Example 2: Language skill highlighted under work experience
Work Experience:
Translator | November 2020 till date Technovate Translations| Los Angeles
- Executed a variety of interpretations and translations, including those from English to Japanese, for books, articles, and audio files.
- Read Japanese-language articles to stay up to date on idioms and colloquialisms and to produce appropriate translations for modern content.
Example 3: Language skill highlighted under the skills section
Language Skills:
- Italian – Intermediate
- Spanish – Native/Bilingual
- English – Native/Bilingual
- Japanese – Intermediate
- French – Intermediate
Example 4: Language skills highlighted under the Education section
Education:
Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and English, University of California
Certifications
Japanese-Language Proficiency Test Certificate Level N1, November 2019
How to Demonstrate Language Skills in an Interview
Paying keen attention and speaking fluently is among the most powerful ways to demonstrate your language skills in an interview.
Before speaking, frame your ideas and responses to demonstrate your reading, articulation, and expression abilities. Additionally, you can prepare a list of professional accomplishments to discuss before the interview and, if necessary, practice responses to frequently asked questions.
Secondly, you should be prepared to speak bilingually during the interview if requested. You can describe how your language skills have helped you advance professionally or how they brought in more business for your previous employer. Moreso, describe how you used your bilingual abilities to enhance teamwork, promote open communication among all employees, or look into customer satisfaction issues.
Finally, never be afraid to speak slowly and deliberately when asking the interviewer to repeat a question you didn’t understand. You also need to use good body language., and act confident.
Examples of Interview Questions to Test Language Skills
- How many languages can you speak with ease?
With the help of this query, the interviewer can determine how many languages you are fluent in and how well you can speak them. Even if you took classes in several other languages, it’s crucial to be honest with the interviewer if you only speak one or two fluently.
- What do you know about learning a second language?
The interviewer uses this question to gauge how well you understand the process of language acquisition. Additionally, it enables them to comprehend your proficiency in other languages and the techniques you employ.
- Do you own any language proficiency certifications?
Employers might inquire about your formal language training by asking you this question. If you do, they might inquire about your certification and its relevance to the position. Moreso, they might be interested in your experience with the language if you don’t have a certification.
- Do you believe that speaking several languages makes it easier for you to interact with people from various backgrounds?
This question is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate your capacity for helping others and your interpersonal skills. In your response to this question, it’s crucial to emphasize the value of learning a foreign language to improve your ability to communicate with people from various cultural backgrounds.
