Learning a second language has been proven in studies to improve your cognitive ability over time, which has many benefits for your overall mental health.

People suffering from anxiety and/or depression could greatly improve their mental health after learning another language. Not only that, but they could earn more money too. 

But which language to pick? 

To discover the world’s most in-demand and highest-paid second languages, the language learning platform Preply has analysed more than 1.5 million job ads looking for specific language qualifications. The research has revealed that Russian speakers are paid the most in London, whereas French speakers are the most sought after. 

The top 10 most in-demand foreign languages in London

• French is the most sought-after foreign language in London right now, with 3,524 jobs requiring these language skills in the job description.
• Russian, one of the highest-paid in London, is not in demand, with only 164 jobs seeking this language capability. 

The top 10 highest-paid foreign languages in the UK

• We discovered that German is the highest-paid foreign language in the UK, with an average annual salary of £38,516. 
• This is interesting, considering German isn’t a widely spoken foreign language in the UK and is not even in the top ten ranking of the most widely spoken languages in the UK.
• In second place is Arabic (£38,339), one of England and Wales’s top ten most-spoken foreign languages. 
• Russian, which is the highest-paid in London, ranks 8th nationally. 

The top 10 most sought-after foreign languages in the UK

• French is the most in-demand second language in the UK, with 9,229 open roles. 
• The discovery is relevant since French is not England and Wales’s most spoken foreign language and has fallen out of the top 10 in 2021. The most commonly spoken foreign language is Polish, Romanian, Punjabi and Urdu. However, these languages are not currently demanded in job ads.