[ID:0098]In today's saturated job market, you need an edge over your competition in order to succeed. International experience is one key way to get that edge; and another related method is to become fluent in an in-demand language.

Second language skills are common outside North America. In many parts of the world it's common to be fluent in two, three, or even four languages.

This is especially true in Europe, Africa, and many parts of Asia, and is also true of educated elites almost everywhere. Here in North America, we're a long way behind in this trend; but people abroad often still expect us to speak at least one foreign language. If you're from the US, people abroad may expect you to speak Spanish, since over 19 per cent of citizens are of Spanish heritage and 19 Spanish-speaking countries are right next door. And if you're a Canadian, everyone will expect you to speak French, since it's an official language in Canada and about 22 per cent of the population speaks it as a first language.

Let's take a closer look at how fluency in a second or...