I was wondering:
what is one way to boost the economy of a country?
Then it hit me!
Learning languages can be a great economic booster.
Why/How do I think languages and translating could help an economy
Consider the following:
1- Learning languages (with focus on languages other than English) will enable sharing the history with people around the world, which makes it easier to invite tourists to visit. I believe this point is sufficient by itself, because tourism is a valuable economical booster.
2- Learning languages opens the door of translation services. There isn’t a single business on this planet that doesn’t want to reach more people.
Businesses of all sorts go directly to translators, and after the translation work is finished, they are ready to enter a whole new market with millions of new possible buyers.
Think of everything around you! physical products from cars to chocolate boxes. Think of services such as websites and apps. Think of movies, TV shows, video games, even YouTube videos (the list doesn’t end)
Remember that translating is not just the written word, it’s also the spoken word. almost everything you read and listen to can be translated into other languages.
3- Learning a language can be as cheap as free.
Contrary to what many believe, you don’t need a university degree in translation to be able to work in the field.
A recognized certificate is sufficient for most businesses, and some don’t even require that, but I’d encourage you to get one anyway. Taking such tests costs money of course, but the learning part can be done through videos on YouTube, language learning apps, and websites (many are free, although one will have to watch some ads along the way😅).
4- Learning a language is an environmentally friendly opportunity (although, the businesses you translate for might not be).
5- ROI (return on investment) is worth it because most of what you need to invest is time and maintaining a language is cheaper than maintaining a grocery store (or any other store/business for that matter).
6- Translating services can be compensated for with foreign currencies (the dollar is dominating the translation market from what I’ve seen).
7- and most importantly, when the citizens speak more languages, they can reach the world with whatever it’s they are offering.
No import or export, not many restrictions, instant delivery after finishing the work.
Final thoughts
A huge economic growth potential. The government can create language programs that support access to languages and provide financial means for the ministry of education in order to develop curriculums for different languages (starting with the most spoken languages).
Can a country be known for the language abilities of its people?
Use and improve your language skills. If I was able to convince you that a language can help a country, then imagine what it can do for individuals.