Five Languages World Travelers Should Know and Why

Did you know there are around 6,500 languages spoken around the world? Luckily, there’s no need to learn all of them if you want to see the world. You should; however, consider learning a few. Here are the five languages that’ll help you the most in your travels.

Chinese

Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world with more than 1 billion speakers, double the amount of both Spanish and English. As China continues to be a prominent player in global business and economics, it makes sense to look at it not only for traveling, but also personal and professional reasons as well.

Spanish

Spanish speakers are steadily becoming a large minority in America, and are set to actually become the majority in a few decades. You might as well get ahead of the curve and use your new skills in both Latin and South Americas on your travels.

Hindi

The number of Hindi speakers in the world is only slightly less than the amount of English speakers and some of the best places to travel are Hindi-speaking countries. India is one that comes to mind.

French

Though not as widely spoken as some other languages, French is becoming more prominent across the world. It’s also begun to play a major role in global business transactions, so if you travel extensively for work it should be near the top of your list.

German

Germany is the top export country in the world and many so-called American companies are actually owned by German corporations. It’s also one of the Top 10 most traveled to places in the world. It definitely couldn’t hurt to learn it, plus it might be the easiest on the list since it’s the only other Germanic language here.