Do you plan to learn another language to help your career?

Zut alors!

(English translation: Holy mackerel!)

That's how my French grandmother might have reacted to the news that nearly 52 percent of respondents answered “non” (no) to our question. “My job doesn't need it,” you said.

“Oui” (yes) was the response of another 23 percent, who said they're “already working on” learning another language.

And “peut-être” (maybe) was the reaction of the other 25 percent, with some saying they'd take classes if employers paid for them. The rest of the “maybes” said they “don't have the time now.”

The language laggards likely are missing out on a great opportunity to help their careers. That's the view of Ron Tichenor, a contributing writer at www.eslteachersboard.com, a site that offers resources for those who teach English as a second language.

“Being able to communicate with customers, clients and contacts in their own language — even just to put them at ease and make them more comfortable with you and your business — is clearly a great asset,” Tichenor says. “There are many industries in which adding a foreign language would be useful immediately.”

These, he said, include tourism, hotels, restaurants, military and defense, medicine and research, and the communications fields of advertising, marketing and journalism.

“Obviously, learning a second language could get you an assignment in another country,” he says. “The potential experience you could gain could lead to a new plateau in your career, or a new career opportunity altogether.”

OK, now that we've convinced some of you that you really need another language, which one should you add? If difficulty and/or time is a factor, you might want to consider the range of “learning expectations” for English speakers that has been compiled by the Foreign Service Institute of the U.S. State Department.

Rated easiest to learn, in Category I, are languages closely related to English. These include Spanish, French, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish and Dutch. (Slightly more difficult are German, Malaysian and Swahili.)

In Category II (languages with significant linguistic and/or cultural differences from English) are Czech, Russian, Turkish, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi and the Persian group (Dari, Farsi and Tajik).

Want a true challenge? Try one of the Category III languages (rated exceptionally difficult for native English speakers). These include Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese and Korean.

— Jan DeKnock