The Top 5 Emerging Languages To Learn in 2023 (2024)

The world is more connected than ever before and people often connect across borders and cultures for business, travel and relationships. This cross-cultural exchange often creates a demand for learning languages beyond the traditional ones such as English, French and Spanish, which are already available to learn on our app. Certain global trends, economic shifts, and pop culture phenomena determine which new languages are on the rise. If you want to be one step ahead in 2023, consider diving into these five fast-growing languages that are now gaining popularity all over the world.

Mandarin Chinese tops the list of languages expected to grow in popularity in 2023. China has firmly established itself as a global economic superpower, with Mandarin serving as the lingua franca for one of the world’s largest trading networks. Proficiency in Mandarin is becoming increasingly valuable for western businesses looking to tap into the booming Chinese market. Whether negotiating deals, communicating with clients, or developing products for Chinese consumers, the demand for Mandarin speakers will only intensify.

Additionally, China’s soft power influence continues to grow through entertainment exports like cinema, music, and mobile apps. The allure of modern Chinese pop culture serves as added motivation for people worldwide to pick up Mandarin. Given China’s rising stature and the sheer size of its population at over 1 billion, expect Mandarin to be the language opening the most career doors moving forward.

Thanks largely to the meteoric rise of Korean pop music and drama, interest in learning Korean has skyrocketed over the last decade. The Hallyu wave of Korean culture stemming from these entertainment forms has spread far beyond Asia, capturing the fascination of young people in places like the U.S., South America, and the Middle East. K-pop groups like BTS and BLACKPINK have achieved global icon status, performing sold out concerts everywhere from L.A. to Paris.

In addition, streaming platforms like Netflix have made Korean dramas accessible to worldwide audiences. Shows like Squid Game and Crash Landing on You have become international phenomena. As more people embrace these aspects of Korean culture, their desire to understand the language behind the lyrics, dialogue, and social media content grows as well. 2023 will likely see Korean become the fastest growing language among Gen Z learners across the globe.

Portuguese may not be the first language to come to mind when considering useful tongues for business, but its importance is rising. Portugal has the fastest growing economy in the EU, expanding tourism across Europe, South America, and Africa. Portuguese is also the official language of Brazil, one of the world’s untapped emerging markets. As Brazil continues to increase economic ties globally, the ability to speak Portuguese will be advantageous for sealing deals and participating in the region’s development.

Culturally, Portuguese opens doors to the arts, food, and music scenes of Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique and beyond. For language learners craving adventure and cultural immersion, Portuguese unlocks a vibrant corner of the world that more people are exploring. Whether for business or pleasure, Portuguese skills will serve you well in 2023 as its use expands.

Bollywood’s growing profile on the world cinema stage has more people tuning into Hindi language films than ever before. As the Indian entertainment industry gains larger audiences abroad, fans are picking up Hindi to better understand dialogue and song lyrics. India’s booming IT sector has also created more call center and tech support jobs catering to English speakers worldwide, for which Hindi fluency is an asset.

While English remains India’s lingua franca, Hindi continues to be widely used in government institutions and across northern India as the country’s most spoken native language. For anyone doing business in India or interacting with its people, Hindi skills are becoming increasingly relevant. As one of the world’s most populous countries, India’s rising global presence and economic growth mean Hindi will be more and more in demand moving forward.

While often overlooked among European languages, German is quietly gaining appeal, especially for those interested in technology and engineering. Germany has long been a leader in innovation, home to major automotive and engineering firms like Mercedes-Benz, Bosch and Siemens. Proficiency in German can open up lucrative job opportunities within these industry giants and other German tech firms.

As a leading EU nation, Germany also attracts immigrants and expats from across Europe and beyond. While many Germans speak English, learning German allows for deeper immersion in the country’s workplaces and social settings. Given Germany’s strong economy and wealth of high-tech jobs, its national language is becoming more useful in specialized circles. For those in STEM fields, developing German skills can unlock exciting career doors in 2023 and the future.

Every day the world is becoming more connected, which leads to an increase in the popularity and usefulness of new languages. Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Hindi and German are five languages on the verge of significant growth due to changing global dynamics. By learning these new languages now, you will take advantage of the changing linguistic and cultural landscape of our world in 2023 and beyond. Practice and improve your language skills with Voccent, an innovative app that not only teaches you the basics of the language, but also overcomes the language barrier with you.

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