Language skills can strengthen your resume; at times, they are required. How you present them will depend on whether they are relevant to the job, how many languages you speak, and your level of proficiency.
Because the language section is just a small part of your resume, it’s important you understand how to highlight linguistic skills effectively. Below, we’ll consider when, where, and how to include language skills on your resume.
When Is It Worth Putting Languages on a Resume?
Employers value language skills because they facilitate communication within teams, and with customers, suppliers, and other businesses. When companies operate globally, multilingual staff improve customer service and support collaboration.
With this in mind, you should always include your language skills when it’s relevant to the company or position. If language skills are a requirement, include them!
Even if they are not, they can still strengthen your resume. Language Testing International (LTI) reports that bilingual employees may even earn up to 20% more per hour.
💡Tip
English is the business language of many international companies. If you submit your resume in English, this in itself highlights your skills. In the United States, Spanish is also an important language, and Mandarin Chinese is important to many global markets.
How To Write Language Skills in a Resume
There are several ways to include language skills in your resume, depending on how vital they are to the role you’re applying for. Keep the following tips in mind:
- Create a dedicated languages section or include them in the skills section.
- Include degrees, coursework, or language certifications in the education section.
- If a language is a requirement, highlight it right away in your resume objective.
- Don’t forget to include your proficiency level.
Using a resume template is an easy way to build a winning resume that showcases your language skills. Our templates and AI resume builder are available in multiple languages, including English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Hebrew, Japanese, and Chinese.
1. Assess your level of proficiency
Accurately describing your skill level is important. You don’t want to underrate your skills, but overstating them can backfire if you’re not able to perform.
To avoid this, assess your proficiency by taking an online level test or honestly describing your experience with the language. Standardized frameworks (such as ILR, ACTFL, or CEFR’s A1-C2 ratings) or verification certifications (such as TCFT for French or DELE for Spanish) are ideal.
You should clearly quantify your ability to read, write, speak, and listen in the target language in professional contexts.
2. Create a dedicated “Languages” section
A dedicated section allows recruiters to quickly identify your language skills, assess your proficiency, and understand how your abilities match the role.
When you write your resume, use the same heading style and formatting for all your sections, including the Languages section. If language skills are highly relevant, consider placing the section near the top of your resume. If not vital, you can place it closer to the end.
3. List each language separately
You can separate your languages using bullet points or vertical bars (|), just as you would skills in the skills section. Include a proficiency level for each. This will help your recruiter identify the languages you speak and at what level.
4. Be honest and realistic
It might be tempting to exaggerate your language skills, but this can hurt you in the long run. On the other hand, being honest builds trust and prevents awkward or even damaging situations from arising after you’re hired.
Clear, accurate descriptions will ensure the employer’s expectations match your actual abilities. It will also protect your professional credibility. If you don’t have these language skills, don’t include them.
5. Match the job requirements
Carefully read the job description to determine what language skills are required or may be useful. Then, highlight the languages and proficiency levels most relevant to the role.
For example, imagine you speak English, German, and Spanish. If you’re applying to teach English remotely in Central America, both your English and Spanish skills will be highly relevant.
Where To Put Languages on Your Resume (With Examples)
As mentioned above, you can include your language skills in various resume sections: a dedicated language section, the resume summary, the work experience section, or the education section. We’ve provided an example for each.
Language section
This is the most important section you can use to highlight language proficiency. Choose this option if you speak multiple languages or if language skills are a key requirement of the job you seek.
Example
Languages
- English – Native
- Spanish – Conversational (DELE B1)
- Italian – Basic (estimated A2 CEFR)
Resume summary
If you want your language skills to shine front and center, use the resume summary to highlight key language skills at the top of your resume. Only mention your strongest, most relevant, or most in-demand languages here.
Example
Recent university student with international study experience in Europe and strong multilingual communication skills. Proficient in English and conversational in Spanish and Italian, with hands-on experience navigating multicultural environments and collaborating with diverse peers.
You can use ResumeCoach’s AI summary generator for instant suggestions on how you can highlight language proficiency on your own resume.
Work experience
Even if you listed them in another section, you can use the Work Experience section to show your language skills in action.
In some of your bullet points, demonstrate how you’ve used them in real-world situations. This context lends credibility to your language skills.
Example
Customer Service Associate
Market Square Cafe, New York, NY
June 2023 – August 2024
- Collaborated with team members during peak service hours.
- Served a diverse customer base, regularly assisting Spanish, Italian, and Greek-speaking guests with orders and inquiries.
- Recognized by management for cultural awareness and conflict resolution.
- Managed customer orders efficiently in a fast-paced café environment.
- Service during peak periods of 100+ daily transactions.
Education
If you obtained your skills through academic studies, highlight language-related degrees, courses, certifications, or exchange programs in your education section.
You might not be accustomed to using bullet point descriptions in your education section, but it’s a good option for highlighting language, as you’ll see in the following example.
Example
Bachelor of Arts in English, Minor in Spanish
Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN | 2010
- Courses included Medieval English Literature, Principles of Translation, and Spanish I-VI
- Thesis: How Spanish-Language Productions of Shakespeare Have Changed Over Time
How To Describe Language Proficiency Levels on a Resume
Once you’ve decided where to put your language skills, you must consider how to write them. It is important to use clear words and descriptions, especially if your reader’s native language is different from your own.
Avoid relying on icons, images, or vague terms to describe your proficiency.
Include common self-descriptive terms
Use clear, commonly understood terms to describe your level. These labels help recruiters quickly assess your abilities without needing technical frameworks or certifications.
Here are some common options:
- Basic
- Beginner
- Elementary
- Conversational
- Intermediate
- Proficient
- Advanced
- Fluent
- Native
- Bilingual
- Multilingual
- Polyglot
- Superpolyglot
Use LinkedIn’s language scale
Alternatively, you can use LinkedIn’s scale to describe your level of proficiency. It offers standardized descriptions across the platform. It also provides a good opportunity to optimize your LinkedIn profile while you’re at it.
- Elementary proficiency
- Limited working proficiency
- Professional working proficiency
- Full professional proficiency
- Native or bilingual proficiency
Use recognized frameworks
Use recognized scales to provide precise, globally understood levels. It avoids vagueness and makes skill levels comparable, even if candidates hail from different countries.
The following are some of the most common, internationally recognized frameworks.
| Name of framework | Grading scale | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Interagency Language Roundtable Scale (ILR) | 0 to 5, with + to indicate intermediate ability between levels | Mainly used by U.S. government agencies, diplomatic services, and the military |
| Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) | A1 to C2 (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2) | Widely used in Europe by universities and in the international job market |
| American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) | Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Superior, Distinguished (each with sublevels Low, Mid, High) | Common in U.S. educational system and academic programs |
Take a language proficiency exam
Standardized tests can provide a score or ranking to include on your resume. These certifications make your skills more credible.
Common examples include the DELE (Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera) for Spanish and TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) for English, both widely recognized by employers and institutions worldwide.
Common Mistakes To Avoid When Listing Languages
Above, we addressed the need to be honest and clear when listing your language skills. Next, consider other common mistakes to avoid.
- Typos: This can hurt your credibility, especially if you make mistakes writing in your target language!
- Irrelevant information: Don’t sacrifice other relevant details to make space for a language section if it’s not relevant to the position.
- Vague descriptions: Don’t forget to include specifics about your proficiency.
- Submitting in the wrong language: Pay attention to the instructions and submit your resume in the requested language.
You can use our AI resume builder to update your resume or build one from scratch. Our resume editor is available in multiple languages, including Chinese, German, French or Spanish. You can use our tools to generate your resume in these or other languages.
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FAQ: Resume Language Skills
Yes, even elementary proficiency can strengthen your resume. Your interest in languages can also demonstrate cultural awareness. However, be careful not to overstate your language skills if certain languages are required for the job.
Yes. Especially if you’re a student, the languages you’re learning can strengthen your profile. Be sure to accurately describe your interaction with the language. Depending on the circumstances, you might put “Currently studying [language]” or “Currently enrolled in [language course].”
If you’re an advanced student, you may be able to list an elementary or conversational proficiency.
You can prove your proficiency by clearly and accurately describing it on your resume. Use common terms like “conversational” or “native.”
Alternatively, you could take an exam that assigns you a standardized level. If language skills are a requirement, part of your interview will likely be conducted in the target language.
These levels are used by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). They describe your ability in reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
- A1: Beginner
- A2: Elementary
- B1: Intermediate
- B2: Upper-Intermediate
- C1: Advanced
- C2: Proficient/Mastery