What is the Best Language to Learn?

The answer is entirely subjective, of course. If you want or need to learn a particular language, then that one is the best to learn. Nobody can tell you otherwise. But, what if you don't need to learn any particular language, and there isn't one that you find outstandingly appealing? Is there a way to put a number on it to determine objectively which one might be 'best'?

Here's one way to break it down. Spanish is the most commonly studied foreign language in the US. But what kind of return does knowing Spanish give you? On average, a college graduate who knows Spanish as a second language has a 1.7% wage boost over a graduate who doesn't have a second language.

In comparison, knowing French would give you an average of 2.7% boost in earnings. But, knowledge of German, Italian, Chinese or Russian would give you a 4% boost!

Why is that? I think it's a combination of how many people are studying (or not studying) a particular language (and therefore how many people are your competition) versus job opportunities with those languages. There are other factors such as what industries are relevant for each language which could skew those numbers one way or the other.

And how would a much less commonly studied language fare in comparison to those above. I would imagine someone knowing Polish, Vietnamese, Korean or Farsi may be highly prized in certain industries.

If earnings are a key factor in determining which language you will study, take a good hard look at the field you are in to find out which languages are most relevant. Then go for the one with the least number of people studying it. You will then have a greater chance of standing out!