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How to Include Language Skills on Your Resume

Do you speak Spanish? Can you write in French or Dutch? Maybe a bit of German? Whatever the language, it’s crucial that you list your language skills on your resume or CV. Now, how do you include language skills on your resume?

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You’ve got the skills, so make them shine on your resume!

While the best spot to put your language experience is in the resume language skills section, sometimes there is not enough room. When applying to jobs, you want to show off your talents, achievements, and uniqueness. Adding your language proficiency is sure to make your resume stand out from the rest.

Should I include language skills on my resume?

Yes, ja, sí, oui! Speaking another language is a skill that employers love to see in potential hires. Absolutely, you should include language skills on your resume. This includes mentioning whether you are a beginner, intermediate, advanced, fluent, or a native speaker of a foreign language.

Displaying your language abilities on a resume gives you an advantage over your competition. Not only can you claim to be bilingual, but you can have more insightful intercultural knowledge than others applying to the same job as you who can only speak one language.

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In other words? Snagging interviews you want will be a lot easier.

Including language skills on a resume makes you stand out in roles which involve communicating often with clients, guests, or customers. Perhaps the job is in an area where half the target population speaks English, and the other half speaks Spanish. Listing your ability to communicate with both types of speakers will make you more desirable to potential employers.

Listing your proficiency in language learning shows you are a fast learner with a deeper understanding of the world.

So in short, yes, you should include language skills on your resume!

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Where do I put language skills on my resume?

There are a couple of key places to display your language skills on your resume. If you’re fluent in multiple languages, try creating a language skills section. Then you can list all the languages you know on your resume.

Only speak one other language? No worries, that’s still a great accomplishment! A great spot to highlight your bilingual skills on a resume is to place it in the generic skills section. Another option is to write it out in the summary section of your resume.

Besides the skills and summary sections, the next best place to write language skills on a resume is in the descriptions of your experiences for work, volunteer, and/or education. For instance, if you participated in a , you can list this under your education section and describe what level you have achieved in your chosen foreign language course(s).

How to display your language skills on a resume

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The career center at your university can help with additional templates and advice.

Now that you know you should be including foreign language skills on your resume, and in which section they’ll fit best for your experience, it’s time for advice and examples. Here are our best tips for adding your language skills to your resume:

  • List your proficiency in the foreign language. State whether you are a beginner, intermediate, advanced, or a native speaker.
  • Describe your proficiency. Can you write and read in a foreign language but are unable to speak it? Say so! Employers want to know the extent of your language skills.
  • Share proof of proficiency and display your foreign language test results. One of the most common tests to examine your proficiency is the Assessment of Performance Toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL). Another option is to use the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale or the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) scale.
  • Highlight your experience abroad. Talk about your , , or experience, especially if it required you to use a foreign language in your daily tasks, or if you primarily spoke a foreign language while living abroad.
  • Display awards and certificates. Specifically, show the certificates and awards that you have received for your foreign language abilities.
  • Mention language courses. Don’t forget to list out language courses you have taken while attending high school and/or college.

Examples of language skills on a resume

Now that we have established what and where to write about your language skills on your resume, let’s get more practical. Below are examples of language skills to put on your resume. Keep in mind, these are just foreign language resume examples, so consider them templates to use on your resume or CV.

Skills

  • Adobe Suite
  • Microsoft Office
  • French - Intermediate proficiency

Languages

  • English - Native/Bilingual
  • Spanish - Native/Bilingual
  • Italian - Intermediate

Language Skills

  • Four years of German in high school
  • Four years of German in college
  • Trilingual in French, Dutch, and English

Awards and Certificates

  • Certificate in Italian: Advanced Working Proficiency from University of California, Irvine
  • Certificate in Human Resources from California State University, Fullerton
  • 2020 Dean’s List

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Your resume will get a boost from your foreign language skills!

person smiling during a company meeting

Your foreign language skills could lead you right into your dream job!

There is no doubt that displaying your language skills on a resume is a great idea. Highlighting your foreign language skills will make your resume pop and stand out from the rest.

Listing your foreign language experience shows that you can apply yourself, learn quickly, and can communicate interculturally. These are very desirable traits employers are looking for in any candidate applying to a job.

Now you have no excuse—add your foreign language skills to your resume right away!

Need to improve your language skills? !

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