What languages should a diplomat learn?

As the language of diplomacy, business and popular culture, currently spoken by an estimated 1.5 billion speakers (and with another billion in class right now), English really is the “world’s language”….Learn one of these 5 languages to stand out

• Mandarin Chinese.
• French.
• Spanish.
• German.
• Portuguese.

Do diplomats speak French?

The Rise of English Political officials and French nationalists have fought to keep French as the international language of diplomacy, but many argue that English has taken over that role. Despite the popularity of English, the French language still continues to play an integral part in international relations.

Do you need to speak another language to be a diplomat?

“In general we do not require applicants to have language skills before applying to join the FCO. Doing so would exclude many talented people who, for whatever reason, have not had the opportunity to study languages.

Is French still used in diplomacy?

Therefore, naturally, the French language was also used for diplomatic affairs between several countries. Times have changed, and even though today French is fighting a losing battle with English, the French language is still well represented in the vocabulary of diplomacy.

Why are most international diplomatic documents written in French?

Because international diplomacy became a profession when France was an extremely important country and French was the international language, the lingua franca. Diplomatic documents were written in French because governments all had people who could understand it, read it, write it. Prior to that, Latin was the language of “officialdom.”

Why is international diplomacy considered a profession in France?

Because international diplomacy became a profession when France was an extremely important country and French was the international language, the lingua franca.

What skills do you need to become a diplomat?

Foreign Language Skills: Diplomats need to be adept at learning new languages and are often bilingual or trilingual. Whether it is French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Hebrew, or Arabic, trying to understand a new language demonstrates their ability to become more knowledgeable in another culture and keep learning.

Is it better to learn French or German for studying abroad?

If you have something to do with Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, German would statistically be more helpful. These countries, however, are not strictly monolingual. A large number of people in these countries do speak English, unlike French.