As business travel becomes progressively more exotic with emerging and frontier markets opening up to development and major corporations, the demand for savvy business travellers with good language skills is increasing.
Countries such as Angola, Myanmar and Venezuela have opened up to key industries like oil production, telecommunications and manufacturing, bringing in global corporations and their employees. However, as economic growth in these countries begins to take off, business travellers can’t rely on English or similar dominant global languages when reaching a new destination.
Global language learning industry
$38.9bn
Forecasted revenue in 2014
In this respect, language learning is booming more than ever as globetrotters and linguistic lovers are looking to improve their means of communicating in an increasingly globalised world.
When it comes to language learning, it’s also all about ease. So while classic choices such as language schools, evening classes, textbooks and audio options are all good, technological innovations are making it possible to learn on the go and have quickly revolutionised the global language learning industry, which is set to reach $38.9bn in revenues in 2014.
The first option sweeping the language learning industry is language apps. A slew of developers have joined forces with linguistic and cognitive scientists in order to come up with apps that can make you fluent in no time.
One of the more popular apps of the moment is CatAcademy, which was started by Ed Cooke, a co-founder of Memrise, another popular language learning app. The apps use techniques such as spaced repetition, multiple test modes, and adaptation to your learning progress.
What makes CatAcademy different is that it uses pictures of cute cats to help people learn. This follows Japanese research, which found an interesting link between humorous photos and people being able to recall phrases, with photos of cats being the most effective when it comes to language learning. As such, the app shows photos of cats in unusual poses and displays a corresponding phrase in Spanish.
“We looked at what would be the best visual mnemonics we could take to put in this language-learning app, and overwhelmingly that was cute pictures, and specifically cats,” Ben Whately, COO of Memrise, told Wired.co.uk.
“We’ve arranged a course based on the best principles of how to arrange a language learning course based on phrases, utility and frequency lists, and the technology of how to know when to test you at the right time,” Whately added.
[M]obile and online technology is not only making it easier to learn a language, but also helping keep languages alive
The app suggests that a total of 1,000 phrases can be learned with the tool, which the creators say will result in 2,000-3,000 words being added to your brain. Other apps such as Anki and Busuu use similar flash card technology and memes, where one little click on your phone will help you remember key words and phrases – and not just for the day.
In this respect, learning a language needn’t just be a pastime. More and more recruiters are pointing out that multi-language skills are a key capability required in candidates across industries and that this can increase your salary significantly.
New research from The Economist suggests that an average starting salary of almost $45,000, could receive a two percent “language bonus” over 40 years, and also a one percent raise annually, giving employees an extra $67,000 by the time they retire.
The surge in language learning has also lead to the development of interesting online features and websites. One key phenomenon, which has proved to be particularly effective, is Skyping or video chatting with foreigners in a different language. Italki.com is one of the more popular sites, which sets up language learners with native speakers and teachers.
Similarly, blogs such as Talk To Me In Korean produce high quality content about South Korea and the Korean language, including posts about Korean instant food and setting up one-to-one video chats with native speakers.
Other sites, such as SpeakTalkChat, focus on group and video chats in endangered languages, which may prove useful when travelling to particularly remote destinations. In this respect, mobile and online technology is not only making it easier to learn a language, but also helping keep languages alive.
According to polyglots across the globe, video chatting is one of the most effective tools in language learning because these lessons can be tailored to the individual student and can happen in the comfort of your own home or anywhere with an internet connection. In addition, when learning Spanish from a local Argentinian for example, students learn cultural innuendos and slang, which can prove to be crucial knowledge when doing business abroad.
