“Soft skills” of all kinds, including strong interpersonal communications ability, are in high demand for employers of all kinds. The ability to speak foreign languages is a particularly powerful case; the ability to speak multiple languages is indicative of a higher level of communications skills in general, and for more and more businesses this capability can be a major asset. For example, in America, many jobs in areas as diverse as customer support and restaurant management may either require or preferentially hire applicants that speak Spanish.

Language skills are also foundational, and absolutely required, for a number of other career paths. A translator must be able to carefully convert the meaning and nuance of texts across two languages, whether they’re translating literature, advertising copy, or film subtitles. Interpreters, meanwhile, need to be able to bridge two languages in real-time, requiring a high level of ability in both languages as well as the ability to think on your feet.

If you have excellent language skills and want an even higher-profile career, you can work in the foreign service as an intelligence agent, or in other government linguist jobs in the military or diplomatic agencies. The work of these language specialists can be very high-pressure, with potential for international ramifications - or even life or death risks - if material is translated or interpreted incorrectly. However, the impact and prestige of these jobs may be unmatched in the field of language, and they certainly provide a rewarding career path for language experts that want to serve their country.

Online courses are a great opportunity for language learning, thanks to the ability to review and practice material at your own pace. You can take courses to improve your speaking ability, your writing skills, or even details of grammar in a foreign language. The ability to complete coursework on a flexible schedule also makes online courses a great fit for learning foreign languages while continuing to work full-time or raising a family.

In addition to acquiring language skills yourself, online courses can be a great way to learn how to help others learn languages - for example, through ESL (English as a second language) teaching courses. There are also opportunities to dive more deeply into the discipline, with online courses in specialized areas like linguistics, computational linguistics, or even archaeology.

Regardless of your area of language learning interest, online courses offered through Coursera let you build your skills at a lower cost than on-campus students without sacrificing in quality. You can take courses from top-ranked institutions from around the world, such as Peking University in China, École Polytechnique in France, Universiteit Leiden in Germany, and Arizona State University and the University of California in America.