Abeni had no idea how useful the Yoruba her grandma and mum taught her would be, until she qualified as a doctor.
Jyostna used her Bengali with family members all the time but she didn't know she'd need it at work too - she’s now a pharmacist.
Elias enjoyed being able to communicate with his cousins every summer but had no idea how valuable Greek would be in his work with a travel firm.
People who speak more than one language have an asset for life! If you or members of your family speak another language, you have an advantage that will help you in all sorts of ways. Employers are always looking for people with language skills. If you speak one or more language, even if not fluently, then research shows that your brain is already more flexible and better at many important tasks than that of someone who only speaks one language. And of course with the Olympics coming up, people with languages will be in demand, to communicate with the athletes and tourists who will descend on London. There are limitless opportunities open to you if you have language skills.
Take a look at our case studies to see what sorts of jobs people are doing using their languages. Click on the drop down menu to see how many languages are featured so far and keep coming back because we’re constantly adding to our case studies!
Our Use it or lose it (pdf 1.48 MB) factsheet is available now. Download it now or order a free hard copy from our online shop.