Which foreign languages should one learn in 2023 for better opportunities ?

South Indians should learn Hindi as foreign language first for better opportunities in India. 

@getready @bikidas2060 @Simbha3 @LORDofTheDRINKS @Rosh_0007 kindly give your suggestions 

Dealcharmer wrote:

@getready @bikidas2060 @Simbha3 @LORDofTheDRINKS @Rosh_0007 kindly give your suggestions 

German

Here's my pov about foreign languages one should atleast try once.

Asian: Mandarin

european: German and French

Asian languages are somehow connected, if you can learn Mandarin others like Japanese should be fairly easy. Same goes for european languages. As for others apart from those one can try Portuguese. More power to you.

As For AI on language learners or should i say the bilingual or multilingual job opportunities, i doubt it will change anything atleast for couple of years, nothing can be said for certain if AIs can be trained to show human empathy and complex situation handling that requires human emotions.

Yup Mandarin in Asia, Spanish is good for Latin/south america, Europe and US to an extent

 

Between French and German, I'd chose German although French has a wide base.

German.

Planning to learn Kannada for survival in public Bangalore :|

babayanga5 wrote:

South Indians should learn Hindi as foreign language first for better opportunities in India. 

Given the number of Hindi speaking people seeking work in South India, should it not be the reverse. All Hindi speaking persons should learn Kannada and Telegu for better opportunities.

Given the way China & Korea are advancing, learning Mandarin may become essential in near future, followed by Korean and Japanese. The three are somewhat corelated and easy to pickup together.

panchabhut wrote:

Given the number of Hindi speaking people seeking work in South India, should it not be the reverse. All Hindi speaking persons should learn Kannada and Telegu for better opportunities.

Given the way China & Korea are advancing, learning Mandarin may become essential in near future, followed by Korean and Japanese. The three are somewhat corelated and easy to pickup together.

Mandarin, Korean and Japanese are completely different languages and aren't mutually intelligible, not even somewhat related. Even if one were to gain mastery over any of these, one wouldn't understand the other, beyond some words which are of foreign (to them) origin. They don't even have the same grammar or tense rules.

panchabhut wrote:

Given the number of Hindi speaking people seeking work in South India, should it not be the reverse. All Hindi speaking persons should learn Kannada and Telegu for better opportunities.

Given the way China & Korea are advancing, learning Mandarin may become essential in near future, followed by Korean and Japanese. The three are somewhat corelated and easy to pickup together.

In Maharashtra, there is no compulsion to speak the Marathi ( local language) unlike in other South Indian states. People are free to speak any language they are comfortable with, be it English, Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati, Bihari, Punjabi, Urdu or any other language.

It is worth noting that not all North Indian states exclusively speak Hindi. For instance, Bihar has Bhojpuri, Punjab has Punjabi, and Haryana has Haryanvi. However, these states have also tried to learn Hindi in addition to their regional languages. In contrast, Southern states tend to prioritize their regional language over others.

It's time to move beyond language-based differences and stop fighting over them. While Maharashtra has Marathi as its primary language, no one is forced to speak it. If someone is visiting the state for a short period and doesn't understand the local language, they shouldn't feel compelled to learn it. However, if they are staying for an extended period, it might be beneficial to learn a few phrases. Ultimately, it's up to the individual, and no one should force them to speak a particular language.

panchabhut wrote:

Given the number of Hindi speaking people seeking work in South India, should it not be the reverse. All Hindi speaking persons should learn Kannada and Telegu for better opportunities.

Given the way China & Korea are advancing, learning Mandarin may become essential in near future, followed by Korean and Japanese. The three are somewhat corelated and easy to pickup together.

Understandably, a large number of Hindi-speaking people seeking work in South India may lead some to believe that it would be beneficial for them to learn Kannada and Telugu for better opportunities. However, it is important to remember that language learning is a two-way street, and it would also be advantageous for Kannada and Telugu speakers to learn Hindi to improve communication and understanding between the different linguistic communities.

In regards to the idea that learning Mandarin, Korean, and Japanese may become essential in the future due to the advancement of China and Korea, it is indeed a wise decision to learn languages that can provide better career opportunities and facilitate communication in an increasingly interconnected world. It is also true that these languages share some similarities, making it easier to learn them together. However, it is important to note that language learning is a personal choice and should be based on one's interests, career goals, and cultural understanding, rather than solely on the perceived economic benefits.

shraaj wrote:
In Maharashtra, there is no compulsion to speak the local language unlike in other South Indian states. People are free to speak any language they are comfortable with, be it English, Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati, Bihari, Punjabi, Urdu or any other language.

It is worth noting that not all North Indian states exclusively speak Hindi. For instance, Bihar has Bhojpuri, Punjab has Punjabi, and Haryana has Haryanvi. However, these states have also tried to learn Hindi in addition to their regional languages. In contrast, Southern states tend to prioritize their regional language over others.

It's time to move beyond language-based differences and stop fighting over them. While Maharashtra has Marathi as its primary language, no one is forced to speak it. If someone is visiting the state for a short period and doesn't understand the local language, they shouldn't feel compelled to learn it. However, if they are staying for an extended period, it might be beneficial to learn a few phrases. Ultimately, it's up to the individual, and no one should force them to speak a particular language.

Hindi is an artificial language created by the British as they were overwhelmed with the multiple languages.
Originally people of North spoke Punjabi, Rajasthani, Haryanvi, Maithili, Bhojpuri, Chattisgarhi, Bihari, Kharhiboli, Brajbhasha, Awadhi, Magadhi, Bundeli, Bagheli etc. 

starbearer wrote:
Mandarin, Korean and Japanese are completely different languages and aren't mutually intelligible, not even somewhat related. Even if one were to gain mastery over any of these, one wouldn't understand the other, beyond some words which are of foreign (to them) origin. They don't even have the same grammar or tense rules.

Japanese and Korean share considerable similarity in typological features of their syntax and morphology and a small number of lexical resemblances. Chinese characters are present in both scripts.

panchabhut wrote:

Japanese and Korean share considerable similarity in typological features of their syntax and morphology and a small number of lexical resemblances. Chinese characters are present in both scripts.

Heh, notwithstanding the dexterity in copy-pasting Wikipedia articles, do take some time to understand the full text, context and what makes languages similar and intelligible. Further, if this was the basis of the advice tendered that "they can be easily picked up as they are somewhat related", then it's incorrect. Koreans cannot converse in spoken or written Japanese or Mandarin, while being ignorant of them, and the same is true of others. Perhaps one word out of 20 in a sentence, with a higher probability if the word is of non-Oriental origin (like cake, police, radio etc.), which is wholly impractical for anything really. A few (or even more than a few) common characters in script won't lend to mutually intelligible languages. That's like saying  Portuguese and English should be mutually understandable just because both use the Latin script, however one is a Romance language while the other is Germanic. 

panchabhut wrote:
Hindi is an artificial language created by the British as they were overwhelmed with the multiple languages.
Originally people of North spoke Punjabi, Rajasthani, Haryanvi, Maithili, Bhojpuri, Chattisgarhi, Bihari, Kharhiboli, Brajbhasha, Awadhi, Magadhi, Bundeli, Bagheli etc. 

This statement is not entirely accurate. While it is true that Hindi is a standardized language that has evolved from a variety of regional dialects, it is not an artificial language created by the British. Hindi has a rich history and literature that predates the British rule in India.

Moreover, the British did not create Hindi but rather promoted it as a language of administration and education in the 19th and 20th centuries. This was primarily done to facilitate communication between the British and the local population, as well as to create a sense of unity and identity among the diverse communities of India.

Therefore, while it is true that the people of North India spoke a variety of regional languages, Hindi is not an artificial language created by the British. It has a rich cultural and linguistic heritage that has evolved over centuries.

panchabhut wrote:
Hindi is an artificial language created by the British as they were overwhelmed with the multiple languages.
Originally people of North spoke Punjabi, Rajasthani, Haryanvi, Maithili, Bhojpuri, Chattisgarhi, Bihari, Kharhiboli, Brajbhasha, Awadhi, Magadhi, Bundeli, Bagheli etc. 

If all South Indians thought the similar way as you did, then they wouldn't have any problem learning Hindi because they learnt English which is also British. 

panchabhut wrote:

Japanese and Korean share considerable similarity in typological features of their syntax and morphology and a small number of lexical resemblances. Chinese characters are present in both scripts.

After watching lots of Chinese, Japanese & Korean content I can assure you that learning one of them maybe at best give you a 4-5% advantage in learning other 2 languages but nothing significant.

shraaj wrote:
This statement is not entirely accurate. While it is true that Hindi is a standardized language that has evolved from a variety of regional dialects, it is not an artificial language created by the British. Hindi has a rich history and literature that predates the British rule in India.

Moreover, the British did not create Hindi but rather promoted it as a language of administration and education in the 19th and 20th centuries. This was primarily done to facilitate communication between the British and the local population, as well as to create a sense of unity and identity among the diverse communities of India.

Therefore, while it is true that the people of North India spoke a variety of regional languages, Hindi is not an artificial language created by the British. It has a rich cultural and linguistic heritage that has evolved over centuries.

Prior to the coming of the British, the official language of most of Northern India was Hindusthani, based on Persian. The language spoken in the streets were Khariboli and other dialects.

The British wanted to shift away from the Mughal-Afghan legacy and create a distinct language to rule. They created the standardised Hindi, based on Hindusthani, Khariboli and Awadhi and replacing the Persian words by their nearest sanskrit synonyms and changed the written script to Devnagri.

It was developed at the then Fort William, Calcutta by John Borthwick Gilchrist, a Scottish medical surgeon and self-styled linguist. His first publication was "A Dictionary: English and Hindoostanee" Calcutta: Stuart and Cooper, 1787–90. He popularized Hindustani as the language of British administration and suggested to the then Governor-General and the East India Company, to set up a training institution. This started as the Oriental Seminary (or Gilchrist ka madrasa) but later enlarged to become the Fort William College in 1800 within the premises of Fort William. Gilchrist inducted Indian writers and scholars into the college, and offered them financial incentive to write in "Hindi". Gilchrist wrote "Bifurcation of Khariboli into two forms – the Hindustani language with Khariboli as the root resulted in two languages (Hindi and Urdu), each with its own character and script." i.e. what was earlier single Hindustani language was then segregated into two, Hindi (devnagari script) and Urdu (Persian script), codified and formalised.

This is well documented.

But the legacy still remains in the language spoken by the mass. People still say "daftar" and not "bibhag", "zamanat" instead of "pratibhu", "bharti" instead of "pravaran" etc.

panchabhut wrote:

Prior to the coming of the British, the official language of most of Northern India was Hindusthani, based on Persian. The language spoken in the streets were Khariboli and other dialects.

The British wanted to shift away from the Mughal-Afghan legacy and create a distinct language to rule. They created the standardised Hindi, based on Hindusthani, Khariboli and Awadhi and replacing the Persian words by their nearest sanskrit synonyms and changed the written script to Devnagri.

It was developed at the then Fort William, Calcutta by John Borthwick Gilchrist, a Scottish medical surgeon and self-styled linguist. His first publication was "A Dictionary: English and Hindoostanee" Calcutta: Stuart and Cooper, 1787–90. He popularized Hindustani as the language of British administration and suggested to the then Governor-General and the East India Company, to set up a training institution. This started as the Oriental Seminary (or Gilchrist ka madrasa) but later enlarged to become the Fort William College in 1800 within the premises of Fort William. Gilchrist inducted Indian writers and scholars into the college, and offered them financial incentive to write in "Hindi". Gilchrist wrote "Bifurcation of Khariboli into two forms – the Hindustani language with Khariboli as the root resulted in two languages (Hindi and Urdu), each with its own character and script." i.e. what was earlier single Hindustani language was then segregated into two, Hindi (devnagari script) and Urdu (Persian script), codified and formalised.

This is well documented.

But the legacy still remains in the language spoken by the mass. People still say "daftar" and not "bibhag", "zamanat" instead of "pratibhu", "bharti" instead of "pravaran" etc.

Thank you for sharing this interesting and informative piece of history about the development of the Hindi language in Northern India under British colonial rule. It is true that the British had a significant impact on the evolution of the Hindi language, as they sought to create a standardized language for administration and governance.

It is fascinating to learn about the role of John Borthwick Gilchrist in developing the Hindi language, and how he influenced the creation of Fort William College as a training institution for Indian writers and scholars. The fact that Gilchrist induced Indian writers and scholars to write in Hindi is a testament to the language's importance in the British administration of India.

Despite the efforts to create a standardized Hindi language, it is interesting to note that the language spoken by the masses still retains many of its original features, including Persian loanwords. It is a testament to the resilience of the language and the culture of the people who speak it.

Overall, your post highlights the complex history of the Hindi language, and how it has been shaped by various cultural and historical influences over time. Thank you for sharing your insights on this topic.

starbearer wrote:
Heh, notwithstanding the dexterity in copy-pasting Wikipedia articles, do take some time to understand the full text, context and what makes languages similar and intelligible. Further, if this was the basis of the advice tendered that "they can be easily picked up as they are somewhat related", then it's incorrect. Koreans cannot converse in spoken or written Japanese or Mandarin, while being ignorant of them, and the same is true of others. Perhaps one word out of 20 in a sentence, with a higher probability if the word is of non-Oriental origin (like cake, police, radio etc.), which is wholly impractical for anything really. A few (or even more than a few) common characters in script won't lend to mutually intelligible languages. That's like saying  Portuguese and English should be mutually understandable just because both use the Latin script, however one is a Romance language while the other is Germanic. 

Two of my close friends spent 9 years working in Japan and then 7 years working in South Korea and 4 in Chinese Taipei. They now run a successful specialised online language training center targeted towards Korean and Japanese companies intending to work with Indian companies, training people from both sides.

My views are primarily based on their inputs.

I never claimed that if one learns one, they would understand another. But the learning curve would be lesser for the next language. 

Even in India, most Indians would not understand the language of another State directly and would not be able to converse between themselves. But it is easy for them to pick up because of the common roots (except may be the languages of North Eastern States other than Assam, which have Tibeto-Burmese roots) 

starbearer wrote:
Heh, notwithstanding the dexterity in copy-pasting Wikipedia articles, do take some time to understand the full text, context and what makes languages similar and intelligible. Further, if this was the basis of the advice tendered that "they can be easily picked up as they are somewhat related", then it's incorrect. Koreans cannot converse in spoken or written Japanese or Mandarin, while being ignorant of them, and the same is true of others. Perhaps one word out of 20 in a sentence, with a higher probability if the word is of non-Oriental origin (like cake, police, radio etc.), which is wholly impractical for anything really. A few (or even more than a few) common characters in script won't lend to mutually intelligible languages. That's like saying  Portuguese and English should be mutually understandable just because both use the Latin script, however one is a Romance language while the other is Germanic. 

Good point I was going to point that out. Glad you already did. BTW Dravidian languages like Tamil, Telugu, (and more) share a similar words and phrases with East Asian languages like Korean and Japanese. I'm not sure when and how they converged.

panchabhut wrote:

Two of my close friends spent 9 years working in Japan and then 7 years working in South Korea and 4 in Chinese Taipei. They now run a successful specialised online language training center targeted towards Korean and Japanese companies intending to work with Indian companies, training people from both sides.

My views are primarily based on their inputs.

I never claimed that if one learns one, they would understand another. But the learning curve would be lesser for the next language. 

Even in India, most Indians would not understand the language of another State directly and would not be able to converse between themselves. But it is easy for them to pick up because of the common roots (except may be the languages of North Eastern States other than Assam, which have Tibeto-Burmese roots) 

Well, to be honest, the learning curve of any other language becomes easier once you actually learn any language at all, given enough time. That is just how the cerebral cortex and neutral regions like the Broca's area work. Human languages operate according to a common underlying linguistic mechanism, with surface differences. Add to that, the standardization within common languages after centuries of linguistic evolution, and you can pick off languages one after the other, given enough time and effort.

However, here, we're questioning time and effort, with ease of pickup as a function of both. Languages having a common root, such as romance languages, are certainly far easier to pick up on, since they share a history, roots and common linguistic features including grammar, syntax, pronunciation and syllabary emphasis. Even with all that,  it's not as if Italians can suddenly understand the French, or the French party hard with the Spanish or Sardinians (well, they do but that's another story).

On the other hand, languages such as Korean, Japanese and Mandarin aren't very similar at all, whether it's the script, grammar, vocabulary, phonology or ( and this is important) pronunciation. Mandarin lent a lot to Korean, and lent its glyphs to Japanese Kanji as well, but now they're quite far apart, completely divergent, and the same symbol doesn't even mean the same across all three. The extent of divergence is such, that it'll probably be easier for Koreans to understand Japanese despite sharing no history or common ground, and being part of different families.

One thing that'll be easier to pick up is probably the intricate handwriting required  with Kanji / Hanja if one knows Mandarin. Similarly a pair can have some traits  they share with every other language.  Essentally though, the "easy to pick up as they are somewhat related" doesn't work, unless one has training / classroom coaching / a stay for a reasonably long period for a conversant fluency.  Can a Korean understand Japanese out of box? No. Can they learn? Yes. Can the pick up be easier than, say French and Italian, or Hindi and Bengali? No. The relative ease isn't likely since they're not mutually intelligible, have different scripts, aren't phylogenically related, have vastly different consonants, vowels, sounds, pronunciations etc.etc.

Both Japanese and Korean languages have been influenced by China.

Northern Korea has long political history with China. After the Qin unification of China, the Yan rebels moved to Korea around 2nd Ct BC and they subsequently took control of Northern Korea. They in turn were defeated by the Han dynasty.

Korea was also under Japanese colonial rule for about half a century. In fact the present North-South Korean divide is a result of that, as after the WW-II, Soviet took control of North and USA took control of South. Like any other colonial rule, the Japanese rule of Korea left impact on their cultural norms as well as language, even if limited. 

This might be weird but.. learn British english or American English accent as it helps in interviews or jobs just based on your communication skills.. Also German universities offer less tuition fees so probably German.. aim for large opportunities first.. Scope to use British/ American English are high.