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How to Include Your Language Skills

By Silvia Angeloro

Oct 8, 2024

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12 min read

Debating whether to include language skills on your resume? Here's why they make you stand out!

As a job candidate, you often face an endless dilemma–to include (or not) your language skills on your resume.

In today’s competitive job market, you need a significant edge to stand out. This is what your language proficiency can do for you.

By highlighting your language abilities, you’d ultimately be showcasing your unique talents and achievements, opening doors to new professional opportunities.

Turn your ability to speak, read, or write in multiple languages into a real-life superpower, and don’t miss out on the chance to make a lasting impression.

Key Takeaways

  • Language skills can enhance your job prospects by helping you stand out, communicate across cultures, and fill experience gaps, even in roles that don’t explicitly require them.
  • Proficiency frameworks like CEFR and ILR can help you accurately assess and list your language abilities, ensuring clarity for employers.
  • Strategically place your language skills on your resume by adding them to the summary, skills, education, or experience sections, depending on their relevance to the job.
  • Avoid common mistakes such as exaggerating, mixing frameworks, or leaving out key information, and focus on providing an honest reflection of your true abilities.

Why language skills matter on a resume

Your language skills can be a complete game-changer for your job application and in some roles, like translation or teaching—a clear necessity. In others, like retail or customer support, that may not have an explicit language requirement, they can still give you a significant advantage by helping you communicate.

Need further proof as to why your language proficiency matters?

An American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages survey revealed a growing demand for foreign language proficiency in the U.S. workplace, with 90% of employers relying on employees with language skills other than English.

Sectors like healthcare (64% increase), trade (59%), and education (57%) anticipate significant rises in the need for foreign languages over the next five years.

Hiring managers value candidates who can speak a couple of languages, as this helps the organization:

  • Gain global business exposure: Your language skills can set you apart from other candidates by enabling you to interact with foreign partners or customers.
  • Continue to develop and grow: For jobs requiring continuous learning, your language acquisition skills demonstrate adaptability, cognitive flexibility, and quick learning.
  • Cultural diversity and awareness: Beyond language, knowing the cultural customs of a specific region can help you interact in a culturally appropriate manner, strengthening your professional relationships.

How will language skills enhance your job search

Without a doubt, featuring your language skills is a great idea, as it’ll increase your job opportunities by helping you:

  • Stand out from the competition: Recruiters value candidates who can communicate with diverse groups. Language proficiency also signals hard work, dedication, and the ability to learn challenging new skills.
  • Develop your soft skills: Such as communication, cultural awareness, time management, and cognitive abilities like memory and multitasking.
  • Show your cultural knowledge: Knowing a second language often indicates a deeper understanding of different cultures, which is an important asset as businesses continue to globalize across industries.
  • Fill experience gaps: Language skills can be a great way to add valuable content to your resume, showcasing your quick learning ability and how you apply your knowledge in real-world situations.
  • Land international roles: Your language skills should eliminate communication barriers with coworkers or clients.
  • Build relationships and enhance your performance: You’re able to build direct relationships with international contacts, bypassing the need for a translator.

Where to include language skills on a resume

​​There are three main resume sections where you can list your language skills. This will depend entirely upon the job requirements and the number of languages you speak.

Creating a dedicated language skills section

If language proficiency is crucial to the role (or you’re fluent in multiple languages), creating a dedicated language skills section is ideal to ensure your proficiency doesn’t get lost among other qualifications.

Industry Expertise
French Proficiency C2
Spanish Proficiency B2
German Proficiency B1

The candidate has created a dedicated languages section, detailing the proficiency level, using a unified framework (but we’ll talk more about this in the next section of this guide).

Language proficiencies in the skills section

If the job doesn’t require language proficiency but you still want to showcase it, feature your lingusitc abilities within your resume skills section. This strategy is perfect if you speak one or two additional languages and don’t want to dedicate too much space.

"Native Fluency in Spanish" can be added under a skills section alongside other hard skills (or technologies you’re apt at using) and soft skills, ensuring it’s visible but concise.

Language skills in the education section

For those who have taken formal language courses, the education section can be a great place to highlight this. If you studied a language in school or abroad, be sure to provide details about your achievements.

Education
BA in Literature
University of Washington
Seattle, WA
  • Studied Italian for four years and went on a foreign exchange to Milan, achieving C2-level fluency.

In the education section, the candidate has included:

  • Their degree and university.
  • The institution’s location, and graduation date.
  • Language-specific achievement that could be relevant for an Italian-speaking role.

Other places to feature your language skills

In addition to your language skills, skills, and experience sections, here are five other areas of your resume where you can highlight your language proficiency.

Resume summary or objective statement

If speaking a foreign language is a key job requirement, mention a professional achievement, thanks to your proficiency, in your resume summary or objective statement. Not sure what we’re talking about?

Here’s a resume summary that showcases the candidate’s language skills:

Summary
Professional Japanese translator with +10 years of experience, including studying in Tokyo and working in diverse international settings. Proven track record of translating a wide range of articles for a local newspaper, ensuring precision and cultural relevance. Extensive experience as an interpreter and negotiator during high-level meetings with Asian business executives, contributing to successful cross-cultural communication. Known for strong language proficiency, attention to detail, and ability to handle complex translation and interpretation tasks with ease.

The summary above focuses on real-world translation and interpretation ("translating articles for a local newspaper" and "interpreting for business executives") experience with concrete examples.

Work experience

Highlight jobs (e.g. volunteer roles, internships, etc.) where you used a second language professionally or in daily tasks.

Here’s an example:

Experience
Junior Customer Service Representative (Arabic)
Global Support Solutions
Cairo, Egypt
Provided customer service support in Arabic, assisting clients with inquiries and resolving issues while maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction.
  • Handled 100+ daily inbound calls in Arabic, resolving customer issues and ensuring a 95% satisfaction rate.
  • Trained new hires on Arabic customer service protocols, improving their response times by 20%.
  • Developed an Arabic FAQ and troubleshooting guide, reducing call handling time by 15%.
  • Successfully mediated and resolved complaints from Arabic-speaking clients, improving retention by 10%.

The experience section reflects the candidate's previous role at a junior level in Arabic customer support while highlighting achievements like customer satisfaction, process improvement, training, and complaint resolution.

Certification section

We know just how hard you worked to obtain that language certificate. Make sure to add it to the certifications section, alongside the institute that issued it and the date you obtained it.

Check out how in this example:

Language Certifications
Cambridge English: Proficiency (C2)
Cambridge Assessment English
DELE C1 (Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera)
Instituto Cervantes

The resume helps the hiring managers understand the candidate's skill set better because it features:

  • Well-recognized certifications (i.e. Cambridge English and DELE).
  • The proficiency level (C1, C2).
  • The issuer (i.e. Cambridge Assessment English or Instituto Cervantes).

Awards and achievements 

Include any language-related achievements, like in this example:

Awards for Language Proficiency
Best Multilingual Communicator
Awarded for demonstrating proficiency in French (B2), Italian (B1), and English (C2) during the International Business Case Competition.
French Essay Writing Contest Winner
Won first place in a national French essay contest at the B2 level.

The candidate's resume sets them apart from others who may not have such tangible, real-world achievements. Within the awards section, the candidate has shown how they've used the skills, mentioning the levels (B2, C2) and the context (business competition, essay writing).

Projects section

Detail any personal or professional projects involving the use of a second language.

Check out this example of language skills in the projects section:

Projects Demonstrating Language Skills
Translation and Localization of E-Commerce Website
Remote
Worked with a team of international developers to translate and localize the content of an e-commerce website for the Spanish and French markets.
  • Translated product descriptions from English to Spanish (C1 level).
  • Localized UI elements for the French market (B2 level).
Customer Support in German and English
Berlin, Germany
Provided bilingual support for an international e-commerce platform, handling customer inquiries in German and English.
  • Assisted customers in both German (B2) and English (C1) via email and live chat.
  • Resolved over 500 customer issues in two languages, ensuring a high satisfaction rate.

The candidate's resume works as it

  • Highlights how they've used language skills in real-world projects, like translation or customer support.
  • Includes bullet points that describe exactly what they did in both languages (e.g., "Translated product descriptions," "Assisted customers").
  • Provides a timeframe and context for each project.

How do you define your proficiency level in different resume sections? Let’s have a look.

How to list language skills on your resume

The best approach is to list your languages based on proficiency level, starting with the ones in which you’re most skilled. Widely recognized proficiency levels are "Beginner," "Intermediate," "Proficient," "Fluent," and "Native."

  • Beginner: You know some basic words and phrases but can’t create grammatically correct sentences or engage in conversations.
  • Intermediate: You can hold a basic conversation, albeit slower and with limited vocabulary. You understand grammatical rules and have adequate reading abilities but may require repetition to comprehend conversations fully.
  • Proficient: You can read, write, and speak with minimal difficulty, holding conversations with native speakers, though you may need colloquialisms explained.
  • Fluent: You comfortably speak, write, and understand the language with ease, including its idiomatic expressions.
  • Native: You grew up speaking the language and have mastered all its aspects.

Check out the example below, to see how the candidate has effortlessly integrated their proficiency in the resume language section:

Languages
Portugese
Fluent
Spanish
Proficient
French
Intermediate

You can also assess all four comprehension areas by breaking down your language skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Your strengths might vary across these, so be ready to list them separately if needed.

While listing your skills, focus on languages in which you're proficient or fluent, skipping those at the beginner level unless they're highly relevant to the role.

Language proficiency frameworks

When listing your language skills on your resume, provide a more standardized understanding of your proficiency by using a well-recognized framework, like the ones listed below:

Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)

CEFR Levels are widely used in Europe, categorizing users into three broad levels: "Basic User" "Independent User," and "Proficient User," with sublevels indicating more precise skill:

  • A1–Beginner
  • A2–Elementary
  • B1–Intermediate
  • B2–Upper–Intermediate
  • C1–Advanced
  • C2–Proficiency

In the example below, the candidate has integrated their language skills in the skills section, alongside their proficiency level:

Industry Expertise
Hungarian Proficiency C1
Serbian Proficiency B2
Croatian Proficiency C1

Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR)

The ILR framework, developed by the US government, assesses proficiency across six levels (0-5), with the possibility of a "+" for in-between stages:

  • 0–No Proficiency
  • 1–Elementary Proficiency
  • 2–Limited Working Proficiency
  • 3–Professional Working Proficiency
  • 4–Full Professional Proficiency
  • 5–Native or Bilingual Proficiency

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)

The ACTFL proficiency guidelines divide language skills into more detailed sublevels:

  • Novice Low–Basic word recognition
  • Novice Mid–Simple phrases
  • Novice High–Basic sentences
  • Intermediate Low–Basic conversation
  • Intermediate Mid–More fluent conversations
  • Intermediate High–Proficient, with some difficulty
  • Advanced Low–Full conversations with few errors
  • Advanced Mid–Conversational ease
  • Advanced High–Nearly native ability
  • Superior–Complex communication
  • Distinguished–Native-like fluency

LinkedIn Language Proficiency Levels

LinkedIn’s framework is based on the ILR and is commonly used in professional networks:

  • Elementary Proficiency: Basic conversation, limited understanding
  • Limited Working Proficiency: Simple work-related tasks
  • Professional Working Proficiency: Comfortable in professional settings
  • Full Professional Proficiency: Fluent in professional environments
  • Native or Bilingual Proficiency: Same as a native speaker

Using these frameworks and formats will ensure that your language skills are clearly communicated and easy for employers to evaluate. Remember, consistency is key when listing multiple languages, so stick to one framework and format.

Four examples of language skills on a resume

Customer service expert: language skills resume

Notice how in this resume, the candidate's language skills are directly linked with the bigger picture and business goals.

Name: Rebecca Jones

Customer Service ExpertEmail: rjones@enhancv.com

Phone: (123) 456-7890

Location: New York, NY


Professional Summary

Multilingual customer service expert with 7+ years of experience resolving client inquiries and ensuring customer satisfaction across multiple industries. Fluent in English, Spanish, and French, with extensive knowledge of customer relationship management (CRM) tools. Proven track record in improving customer retention rates and driving team performance in fast-paced environments.


Skills

  • English (Native)
  • Spanish (Fluent)
  • French (Fluent)
  • Zendesk
  • Salesforce
  • Conflict resolution
  • Problem-solving
  • Client communication
  • Team leadership
  • Training
  • Data analysis
  • Reporting

Experience

Customer Service Team Lead
ABC Solutions, New York, NY
2018 - Present

  • Led a multilingual customer service team, achieving a 15% improvement in customer retention over 2 years.
  • Managed a ticketing system in English, Spanish, and French, resolving 98% of inquiries within 24 hours.
  • Trained new hires on communication strategies and best practices for cross-language customer support.

Customer Support Representative
GlobalConnect, New York, NY
2015 - 2018

  • Handled customer queries in three languages, maintaining a 4.9/5.0 customer satisfaction rating.
  • Assisted in localizing company communication materials, contributing to a 20% increase in sales from international customers.

The candidate’s focus on her language skills works because it demonstrates:

  • Her ability to communicate in multiple languages is a primary driver of success, especially when handling customer inquiries and improving retention rates.  
  • How language proficiency adds managerial value (managing a multilingual team), further positioning her as a well-rounded leader in customer service.

Translator: language skills resume

Check out how this candidate has created his resume for an industry that highly values niche expertise in different languages.

Jason Smart
Professional Translator

Email: jsmart@enhancv.com

Phone: (123) 456-7890

Location: Albuquerque, NM


Experience

Freelance Translator
Legal and Business Translations | Remote | Jan 2020 – Present

  • Translated over 500 legal contracts and business documents from Spanish and French to English, ensuring compliance with local laws.
  • Improved translation accuracy by implementing translation software, achieving a 99% error-free rate.

Junior Translator
XYZ Translations | New York, NY | Mar 2017 – Dec 2019

  • Delivered high-quality translations of technical manuals and marketing materials from Italian and German to English for corporate clients, reducing time-to-market by 15%.
  • Contributed to a team that secured a multi-million-dollar contract by translating time-sensitive documents within tight deadlines.

Language Skills

  • Spanish: C2
  • French: C1
  • Italian: B2
  • German: B2

Certifications

  • Certified Translator, American Translators Association (ATA)
  • Proficiency in Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) Tools, SDL Trados Certification

Software Skills

  • SDL Trados Studio
  • MemoQ
  • Wordfast
  • Adobe Acrobat Pro

Education

Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics
University of California, Berkeley | Graduated 2016

The candidate's resume works because:

  • The language skills section is front and center, providing immediate clarity on which languages Jason can work in.
  • His certificates further solidify Jason’s expertise, showing he's not just conversational in these languages but certified to translate professionally.
  • Jason has linked his language proficiency directly with the quality of work, such as error rates and time savings.
  • As a bonus, Jason has added his proficiency with translation tools to show his deeper level of language skills and niche industry expertise.

Teacher: language skills resume

The next resume offers a glimpse at how languages can be integrated through various resume sections (e.g. experience and skills).

Emma Williams
Bilingual Educator
Email: emma.williams@enhancv.com

Phone: (987) 654-3210

Location: Los Angeles, CA


Experience

Bilingual Teacher (English/Spanish)
ABC Middle School | Los Angeles, CA | Aug 2018 – Present

  • Developed a bilingual curriculum for 150+ students, leading to a 25% improvement in reading comprehension scores for non-native English speakers.
  • Created after-school tutoring sessions in Spanish, helping students prepare for state-wide language proficiency exams.

English Teacher
XYZ Language Institute | Mexico City, Mexico | Jan 2015 – May 2018

  • Designed lesson plans focused on conversational English for adults, increasing student pass rates by 30%.
  • Collaborated with Spanish-speaking faculty to co-teach classes and promote cross-cultural learning.

Volunteering

Volunteer English Teacher
NGO “Learning Without Borders” | Guatemala | June 2019 – Aug 2019

  • Taught English to underprivileged children in rural areas, increasing their literacy rates by 20% over a 3-month period.
  • Created interactive lessons that made learning English engaging for young students.

Skills

  • Bilingual Education
  • Curriculum Development (Bilingual Focus)
  • Classroom Management
  • Student Progress Assessment
  • Cultural Competency in Education

Education

Master’s in Education
University of Southern California | Graduated 2018

Bachelor of Arts in English
University of Texas at Austin | Graduated 2014

The volunteer section adds depth by showing how Emma applies her language skills outside the classroom. This demonstrates her passion for education and language instruction in diverse, real-world settings, reinforcing her bilingual teaching credentials.

Interpreter: language skills resume

The following resume is successful because it integrates language skills throughout, tying them to specific results in various professional contexts.

Mark Davis

Certified Interpreter: Arabic and French


Email: mark.davis@enhancv.com

Phone: (555) 123-4567

Washington, D.C.


Professional Summary

Skilled interpreter with 12+ years of experience facilitating communication between English, Arabic, and French speakers in high-stakes business, legal, and government settings. Proven expertise in simultaneous and consecutive interpretation, with a focus on diplomacy, international business negotiations, and legal proceedings.


Key Skills

  • English (ILR 5)
  • Arabic (ILR 4)
  • French (ILR4)
  • Simultaneous and consecutive interpreting
  • Cross-cultural communication
  • Business and legal terminology
  • Conference and meeting facilitation
  • Interpretation technology (headsets, video calls)

Experience

Senior Interpreter
Global Negotiations Group | Washington, D.C. | 2015 – Present

  • Provided simultaneous interpretation for over 300 high-profile business meetings and government events, ensuring clear communication across three languages.
  • Played a key role in negotiating multi-million-dollar contracts, ensuring mutual understanding between English and Arabic-speaking parties.
  • Trained junior interpreters on the nuances of business and legal terminology.

Freelance Interpreter
United Nations | Geneva, Switzerland | Mar 2020 – Present

  • Facilitated high-stakes negotiations by interpreting between English, Arabic, and French in simultaneous and consecutive formats.
  • Helped secure a landmark trade agreement, translating technical and legal terminology with 100% accuracy during a 3-week negotiation process.

Court Interpreter
Global Language Solutions | Washington, D.C. | Jan 2018 – Feb 2020

  • Provided real-time interpretation for non-English speaking defendants in federal court cases, ensuring accurate communication during trials.
  • Worked with legal teams to prepare translation materials for depositions and hearings.

Projects

Conference Interpreter – G20 Summit
Tokyo, Japan | June 2019

  • Delivered simultaneous interpretation services in Arabic, French, and English for government representatives, ensuring smooth communication during diplomatic discussions.

Humanitarian Interpreter – International Red Cross
Syria and Lebanon | Aug 2020 – Oct 2020

  • Supported relief efforts by providing interpretation services in Arabic for refugee aid workers and displaced families, ensuring essential medical and legal information was communicated clearly.

Certifications

  • Certified Interpreter, International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC)
  • Court Certified Interpreter, National Center for State Courts (NCSC)

Education

Master’s in Conference Interpretation
Middlebury Institute of International Studies | Graduated 2017

Bachelor of Arts in French
Georgetown University | Graduated 2015

Mark's resume shows he excels with his language skills at work and that he can leverage them in time-sensitive, high-stakes environments.

  • His experience section focuses on long-term professional engagements and Mark’s achievements (like interpreting for over 300 meetings and ensuring 100% accuracy in legal negotiations), adding a results-oriented focus.
  • Mark’s projects highlight prestigious and high-impact events, like the G20 Summit and humanitarian work with the International Red Cross.
  • Note how his language proficiency isn’t just listed in both the skills and summary; it’s tied to achievements in business, legal, and humanitarian settings.
  • Adding the certifications and education sections further builds trust in Mark’s expertise, ensuring his credibility.

How to assess your language proficiency

Now that you’ve chosen your framework, it’s time to accurately determine your language proficiency (and you can even do this at home).

  • Get certified: If the language is key for the job, getting an official certification can boost your resume. Many language schools and online platforms offer tests that provide recognized certificates.
  • Take a language test: If you're unsure of your level, try an online language test—many are free! You can also look into formal exams like the Assessment of Performance Toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL) for an official evaluation.
  • Self-assess using guidelines: Check out the ILR, CEFR, or ACTFL websites for self-assessment tools, so you can judge your skills based on clear standards.
  • Consider the experience you have: Think back on how often you use the specific language in your day-to-day (i.e. are you watching anything foreign on Netflix in its native language) and rate your skill set from there.

Seven common mistakes to avoid

Here are the common mistakes people make when listing their language skills, along with tips on how to avoid them:

  • Exaggeration: Don’t claim fluency just because you can order a coffee in Greek on holiday. Be honest about your level to avoid awkward situations in the workplace and stick to what you can actually do in real-world settings.
  • Underestimating: If you're practically dreaming in French, there's no need to be modest, so don’t list yourself as "intermediate." Be confident and give yourself credit where it’s due.
  • Mixing language frameworks: Listing “Professional Working Proficiency” for your Japanese proficiency and “B2” for your Mandarin language skills is confusing. Stick to one framework, like CEFR, and keep your resume consistent.
  • Using years instead of proficiency: Listing “2 years of university studies in German” doesn’t say much about your ability. Instead of focusing on how long you’ve been exposed to the language, list your actual skill level.
  • Forgetting LinkedIn: If you’re showing off your language skills on your resume, make sure your LinkedIn is in sync. Plus, it’s a great way to gather endorsements for your language abilities.
  • Leaving out your native language: Don’t forget to mention your mother tongue, especially when applying internationally, and if it's a requirement for the job. But, there's one exception to this rule.
  • Listing your native language when it’s obvious: If you only speak your mother tongue and you’re applying for a job in your home country, there’s no need to list it. Focus on any additional languages instead!

Conclusion

Your language skills can significantly enhance your job prospects by demonstrating your ability to communicate across cultures and meet multilingual role requirements.

Be sure to accurately assess your proficiency through certifications or self-assessment, and strategically list it across different resume sections.

Remember, honesty is crucial—especially in reflecting your true language skills.

Take the time to refine your language section, and watch how it opens doors for your career!

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