Benjamin Henderson

Diplomat, U.S. Foreign Agricultural Service

Being able to speak Chinese was particularly beneficial when applying to graduate school for international affairs and again when applying for the Foreign Service. Chinese and Arabic are consistently the top two critical languages sought after by the U.S. government. There is every indication that Chinese will remain a key language over the next decade. Knowing the language often opens opportunities for signing bonuses, fellowships, pay incentives, and application priority. 

While I am not actively using my Chinese at the moment, studying it in high school led me to living and working in the PRC and later in Taiwan. As a diplomat, foreign language proficiency is a critical component to effective negotiations, managing embassy staff, and understanding local culture. There is also a high likelihood that I will use Chinese again later in my career since most U.S. diplomats are assigned to the PRC at some point in their career.