How to Cash-in From Multiculturalism

Many economists assure us that immigration and multiculturalism mean more money. So if you’re living in the alleged utopia of multiculturalism, you’re probably asking yourself…

“When do I get mine?”

Put aside all the bad stuff, like crime and public spending and think positive. When life gives you mass immigration, make lemonade. Whats the main thing foreigners are better at than us? That’s right, speaking foreign languages. Multiculturalism means multilingualism. Foreign language speaking immigrants result in a need for foreign language services, and they also provide the expert knowledge to provide such services. That’s a new consumer market and a new employment market for you to exploit.

This certainly gives employers something to think about, but the education sector also needs to get involved with this. Professor Nigel Vincent, president at The British Academy for the Humanities and Social Sciences, said that the deficit in multilingual graduates could negatively impact the British economy. Schools aren't producing enough multilingual employees for our multicultural societies. Some employers are finding they have to recruit abroad or train graduates in new languages.

Other countries have figured out that language learning and multilingualism are good for the economy in an international marketplace. But people in English speaking countries have a tendency to assume they can get by with their native tongue alone.

The warnings of Professor Vincent have been pooh-poohed by critics who say only call centers need employees with foreign language skills, but Professor Vincent stands firm in his position.

“The evidence is that language skills are valuable at all levels, from the person answering the telephone to senior executives and consultants” he says. He also believes that technology can never replace real bilingualism, and that this is especially the case when you look higher up the chain of business.

Some employers think immigrants are only good for unskilled labor but there are more valuable, untapped human resources available that can help bring a business to the global marketplace. Graduates should also be looking at language learning to compliment their existing academic skill set. If you are qualified in a specific industry and are also bilingual then you can provide valuable translation services to companies in that industry.

The truth that politicians and journalists rarely want to admit is that not everyone benefits from a multicultural society, only those who figure out how to make a profit out of it do. It’s a simple case of adapting to change and exploiting opportunities as they become available.