Careers
Industries that Need Bilingual Workers:
- Health care (ex: registered nurse, paramedic, home health aide)
- Hospitality (ex: concierge, hotel manager)
- Law Enforcement (ex: police officer, corrections officer, lawyer)
- Customer Service (ex: customer service representative, sales clerk, computer support representative)
- Social Services (ex: family social worker, substance abuse social worker)
- Communications (ex: journalist, public relations specialist, media relations specialist)
- Finance (ex: bank teller, accountant, financial advisor)
- Education (ex: teacher, ESL instructor, guidance counselor)
Alumni Testimonials
Meet GVSU Alumnae Alyson Caillaud-Jones and Mallory Caillaud-Jones
Studied French and Italian
Meet GVSU Alumnus Kyle Meppelink
Studied Arabic
Meet GVSU Alumna Sarah Piper
Studied French
Meet GVSU Alumna Libby Jawish
Studied French and Arabic
Skills gained from learning a second language:
- Cultural awareness/competency
- Critical thinking skills
- Communication skills
- Writing skills
- Deeper understanding of the English language
- Interpersonal skills
- Analytical skills
- Higher problem solving skills
Studies also show studying languages gives you:
- Higher test scores
- Improved memory
- Increased confidence
- Higher creativity
- Higher income than monolingual counterparts
Applied skills ranked as the most important by employers:
- Professionalism/Work Ethic
- Oral and Written Communications*
- Teamwork/Collaboration and*
- Critical Thinking/Problem Solving*
*Skills that are improved by studying a language!
Page last modified September 23, 2025