How important are foreign language skills to employers?

Gall1987

Gall1987

Gall1987

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1 Jan 2009
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441
Hi guys,

Just after some opinions to help me out really.

I am currently in my first year of a Computing degree and we are coming to the stage of selecting our optional modules for the second year. Now I am looking at selecting Spanish or possibly German as one of my modules, as I've always wanted to learn a foreign language and it would also add an extra element to my course and break it up slightly.

I would be interested in maybe working aboard for a few years, but I doubt it would be something that I would consider on a permanent basis, however I'm guessing that it would sill be useful for a number of roles in the UK.

Would you generally say that I'd be better off selecting another computing related module and learn as many skills as I can, or would studying a language would benefit me? Obviously it will depend of what organisations and roles I apply for, but I'm just after some views especially from graduates and employers.

I forgot to mention that I would be starting at beginners level in year two, but I can build on this further in my placement and final years.

I appreciate any advice :)
 
Probably only useful if you can speak it at a conversational level. A module in itself is probably not going to get you there though a placement year abroad might or further study might.

I guess you'd need to weigh up what modules(s) you'd be dropping in place of this language option. If you're really interested in a language you could always opt to learn one in your spare time - its not something that *has* to be taught at school/uni. The software firm where I work has clients on the continent and a requirement for some account managers & people in client services to speak other European languages - though they are pretty much expecting that people claiming another language are basically fluent in it.
 
I got conversational Russian at native level and my company (embeded software engineer) tried to get me to do some translations, but conversational is not good enough for professional, technical translations. But I can look over professional translation and apply what I know from working in the sector for a better translation.

It will be useful if you do go down say engineering sales role perhaps to be able to meet clients and impress them with knowing their language, or if your company would have clients who didn't know much English, but in IT... they are really more likely then not to know English.

Also depends what area of computing you want to go into, embedded market is quickly moving towards Asia instead of Europe, but in all honesty, if you want to learn another language, go for it, its always cool and you get to meet interesting people. I would say as a coder, it had limited benefit in my work, at least for now. We do have Russian language products that I helped with, but overall its not essential to my work in particular (not client facing/sales).
 
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I wouldnt go for a language module and take something else insyead.
Learn a language in your spare time and say yiu can soeak it fluently as this is better than just doing am exam but only being able to write. You need conversation speed abilities
 
Fluency in 'Managementspeak' and 'CorporateBull****' will go a lot further than any fancy foreign language you could ever wish to speak in Business sadly.
 
As said, learn in your spare time.

They run lots of free language courses at my university, this means you could pick a more worthwhile module.
 
Ask yourself a few questions. Would you want to work in Germany? If so learn German. Would you want to work in Spain, Latin America or (as Rich L deftly points out) the USA?

Can I ask why you've ruled out French? That covers you for most EU countries (and you'll find a lot of German's may well speak French) a lot of Africa, Lebanon (huge market) and Canada. I'm very glad my French is now conversational and heading towards fluent for my sector.

Languages are a really overlooked part of career development in the UK compared to other European countries, and if you can do something to bridge that gap it'll stand you in good stead. I couldn't do my job without French, and I wish people had told me that in uni!
 
doofer said:
Fluency in 'Managementspeak' and 'CorporateBull****' will go a lot further than any fancy foreign language you could ever wish to speak in Business sadly.
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This unfortunately. I've worked for a French client in the past (software development project), we insisted that the contract stated that all communications to/from us would be in English. I'm guessing that if they didn't agree to that we would have pulled out because we just wouldn't have been able to staff the project with fluent French speakers. There just isn't the critical mass of foreign language speakers in this country to do work in other languages.

That said, if you want to learn a foreign language then you should do so. As others have said you might want to work in a country that speaks that language in future. While it might not exactly be valued by employers it will still look good on your CV.
 
Moses said:
My uni (Sheffield) runs language courses when we have holiday (Easter, etc)... do a course like that, rather than risking bombing in a module!
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Actually not just the holidays - I learnt Chinese at Sheffield on Wednesday evenings during term time, and they also offered French and Spanish on the same night as I walked past the classes in the Hicks Building to get to mine. I had to pay for the Chinese class as it was done by the Confucius Institute there, but it wasn't that much (about £5/2 hour lesson).

You just need to root around a little harder - when I was at Sheffield they sent emails before the start of each term to sign people up to the classes.
 
I do Software Engineering good for you man:) well anyway if you wanting to work abroad Germany is pretty cool so I'd learn German but even if you don't work there its a language that will come in useful, because its hardish to learn and once you've learnt it you'll be able to pick up other languages easier. For example I used to work for computer company(I left to go to uni) There was this Dutch guy that came in who never spoke English, I was able to talk to him because I speak Afrikaans and Dutch. So it just goes to show that another language will someday come in handy.
 
doofer said:
Fluency in 'Managementspeak' and 'CorporateBull****' will go a lot further than any fancy foreign language you could ever wish to speak in Business sadly.
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This.


Speaking German/whatever would be a good impression to a client when meeting them for the first time, but wouldn't swing the work your company's way.
 
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