Canada is a remarkably diverse country. This reality is apparent in the way our large cities strikingly contrast with our vast forests and plains. It’s palpable in the micro-cultures that shape the ideas and laws that govern our provinces and territories. But no more is this idea of diversity more evident than in how the people who live here communicate
with each other.
For example, in 2011, Canada’s foreign-born population totaled about 6,775,800 people, or 20 percent of our population—the highest proportion among G8 nations, according to Statistics Canada. The more interesting fact is that over 50 percent of them reported being able to speak in two languages, and nearly 20 percent were proficient in at least three. What’s more, according to the same survey, over 200 languages are being spoken at home in Canada. That’s a tall number given that we only have two official languages: French and English.
Many people speak multiple languages to maintain relationships: a mother tongue to communicate with immigrant relatives at home, and then English or French with colleagues and clients at work. Others grow up simply learning two languages in school. Whatever the reason, out of necessity or interest, being able to communicate in multiple languages is an extremely valuable asset when it comes to your career. So if you’re currently monolingual, it’s worth asking yourself: are you missing out on opportunities to broaden your horizons or grow relationships? Should you consider learning a new language?
Let’s look at the benefits of learning a new language. At the basic level, it would help you to achieve the following:
• Open up new opportunities to communicate with a greater
number of people;
• Allow you to differentiate yourself from other job candidates with similar skills and experiences; and
• Improve your memory, decision-making skills and multitasking skills (according to multiple studies by the University of New Brunswick, the University of Chicago and Pennsylvania State University, respectively).
The benefits are clear. But ultimately, pursuing this course of action must be justified for your current situation. You need to take a strategic approach, and reflect on how this new competency would mix with your current cocktail of knowledge, skills and experiences. Not only that, you need to think about what language is worth acquiring. One way to go about this is to weigh the value of learning languages that many people already speak, or the languages that may soon be in demand. According to the 2011 Census, English, French, Mandarin, Cantonese, Chinese (unspecified), Arabic and Punjabi are the most commonly used languages in Canada’s major cities. So here are a few things to think about:
• What are the different values attributed to different languages?
• What language’s usage is rising the most (in 2011, it was Tagalog)?
• What is the language of your customers or prospective customers?
• Where (what industries and geo-locations) are new market
opportunities emerging?
Let’s say you’ve contemplated those points and decided. You can’t pretend that learning a new language isn’t a massive undertaking. It is. However, you can take solace in knowing that Canada’s current bilingual Governor General, David Johnston, didn’t actually learn French—essential to his current role—until he was 37, after he moved to Montreal, according to The Globe and Mail. It’s never too late.
You also need to survey your options for ways you will learn. You can do this through audiotapes and podcasts; structured language training courses; living in another city or a foreign country; listening to international music and watching foreign media; and computer programs such as Rosetta Stone and Pimsleur, among other ways. Find what works best for you. Oh, and before you get started on what may seem for some people like a long, ambitious and challenging journey, remember that you’ve technically already done this before (you’re reading this, right?). You can do it again. CO
