Including Languages on Your Resume

Source: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/resume-language-skills

If you're reading this, you are bilingual, or maybe even multi-lingual! That is a very important skill to
have, especially in Northern Virginia. More than 160 foreign languages are spoken in Fairfax County schools. Businesses and schools need employees who can speak to many different people. Here is how to include your language skills on a resume.

You should include a Skills or Qualifications section on your resume. This is where you include your special skills, such as software programs, technical skills, and languages. You can include languages here. For example:

Skills

• Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Website management
• Languages: Spanish (fluent), English (advanced)
  

If you speak many languages, you might want to make a separate section:

Languages:

• Arabic - Fluent
  
• English - Intermediate
  
• French - Intermediate

Here are some different ways you can describe your language skills:

• Beginner: The beginner language skill level covers those who are just starting to learn a new language. They know some basic words and phrases, but would not be able to create a grammatically correct sentence or carry on a conversation with someone in that language.
  
  
• Intermediate: An intermediate language speaker can hold a basic conversation in the language while speaking at a slower pace than a native speaker and requiring some repetition to understand the conversation. They have limited vocabulary knowledge, understand grammatical rules and have adequate reading abilities.
  
  
• Proficient: A proficient language ability involves the ability to speak, read and write the language with minimal difficulty. Proficient speakers can hold a conversation with a native speaker easily but may need some things repeated or colloquialisms explained. A proficient skill level means they are able to converse in the language
  
  
• Fluent: A fluent language speaker can comfortably speak, write and understand the language with ease. They have full knowledge of the language, including colloquialisms, but are not native speakers of the language.
  
  
• Native: A native language ability refers to a language you grew up speaking and have mastered all aspects of, including grammar, complex concepts and extensive vocabulary.