What language for career in Intelligence/IR?

[Embarrassinglyoverinvestedmum]

DS is choosing a language module for next semester but he's not sure what to take. He is fairly fluent in Spanish but says that not much use as so many people globally speak it. I suggested Arabic which he did start learning years ago for fun but he says the dialects are so different it's not that useful. Im not sure if hes correct ( I dont think he wants to be a spy!) He's considering Russian or Farsi. The options are also French, Japanese and Mandarin.

Arabic or Russian are probably the best options currently, Russian is ok to pick up according to my friend who taught Russian. If you show aptitude for languages there’s intensive training if you work for the security services eg gchq

I was looking into this for my DD, specifically for working for the UK foreign office. They list Priority 1 languages of Arabic, French, Mandarin, Russian and Spanish. Priority 2 languages of Farsi, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Turkish.

Obviously, intelligence would have a somewhat different priority list, perhaps less interested in French and German.

Demonstrating that you can learn a language can be valuable, irrespective of the language, as they can train you in whatever they need.

Mandarin or Russian

@Weirdpig according to DS's research French is the diplomatic language so I think it is quite valued. Interesting about that language list. It looks like any of the available languages are useful so maybe the best advice is just to choose one that appeals and stick to it. I think his gift and his problem is that he can pick up basic language quite easily so just picks bits when he needs or feels like it then moves onto something else instead of sticking to one in depth.

Is he applying for jobs in the 18th century?

Russian, Chinese, Arabic, Spanish/French

Do you mean in intelligence or just in diplomacy?

Well his first choice is diplomacy but I would imagine that's pretty difficult to get into so he's looking at that kind of ball park. I mean he's only just started university so he hasn't got everything worked out he just wants to do a language that will get him a job or internship!

Personally I would pick Farsi (Persian) as there is a high demand for Farsi speakers in the intelligence services, what with all the stuff Iran have been up to, will be up to & have been for years.
Plus it's a beautiful language.

As pp's have said he does need to be fluent and speak it like a native whatever language he chooses.

I agree with those who say focus on getting the Spanish really up to scratch. If his Spanish is A level standard and he's not a native speaker I doubt he's anywhere near fluent.

We went to Spain on holiday with dd just after her gcses and she could talk to waiters/checkout staff etc. with absolutely no problem, she'd be jabbering away and I had no idea what they were talking about.

She's now doing a language/humanities joint degree and it's generally accepted that they only really become fluent after their year abroad. Did your ds not want to do an IR + mfl joint degree or was it not available at his uni?

As someone who has learnt four foreign languages as an adult and worked in an international environment, a lot depends on aptitude. Only pick Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Thai if you are truly gifted and pick up languages easily. Of these Chinese will be the most useful. However be aware that this then pushes you towards a career focussed on East Asia. Does he have a real interest in Chinese culture? I knew people who spent two years learning Chinese, did a full posting and then really had no desire to return. Equally others who had pent their gap year teaching English in China and could not wait to get back.

Arabic falls into the next most difficult category along with Farsi and others. There are a lot more postings available, either with the FCDO, or commercial employers like banks and accountants. But again is he keen to spend a career based around the Middle East? Again some are, but others, especially when they have families, are not.

Russian and other Slavic languages are quicker to lean, and/or require less aptitude, but still relatively challenging. French, Spanish, German are even more straight forward and typically you would be expected to master a working level in about three months. French is used within the EU, and documents would not be translated for Civil Servants working in EU facing jobs. With translation apps this has become easier still.

In short, factor in interest in the Country/culture and general aptitude. Chinese only if you are top of the year in languages at school.

The alternative is immersion. Spend a year or two in the country and study hard whilst there and make an effort to have local friends. However be aware of new Government residency requirements:

"If a role requires national security clearance, you must meet specific continuous UK residency criteria to allow meaningful background checks: [1]

• Counter Terrorist Check (CTC): Normally 3 years of continuous UK residency.
• Security Check (SC): Normally 5 years of continuous UK residency.
• Developed Vetting (DV): Normally 10 years of continuous UK residency."

These are a complete pain, and some departments are applying them very strictly. (A PhD undertaken at a top US University ruling you out of economist jobs at the Treasury!)

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No it was available. I'm not sure. He loved politics so just went for that and thought he'd do the Spanish modules and a year abroad in Spain but now he's thinking he'd prefer to go further afield.

@Needmoresleep Thank you. That's very helpful. I think he's leaning more towards Arabic although I think he is more interested in Asia. I'll show him your post.

I'd also suggest that the language he picks doesn't matter as much as demonstrating the ability to learn. I did one of the recommended languages above and several of my coursemates went on to work in intelligence, where they were mainly trained in whatever language was most pressing at the time. Genuine, native-level fluency is possible, of course, but showing the ability to pick up a complex language in a short amount of time, the curiosity to develop it, being exposed to different cultural norms and putting yourself out of your comfort zone on a year abroad are often seen as equally important skills. If I was in his shoes I would choose whatever seemed most interesting.