English and Mandarin Chinese are the most valuable languages to learn for international business. They are also two of the most spoken languages in the world based on the total number of speakers.

Students in Europe learn foreign languages in school at a much higher rate than their American counterparts. They also tend to learn more languages throughout their education due to national mandates.

“To even to enquire about taking a language course – it takes a lot of courage,” says Barbara Dick at New York Language Center, and she is well placed to comment. Dick is the executive director of a ...