- Increased Value as Human Bridges
- Despite the capabilities of LLMs, nuanced cultural and contextual understanding remains a human strength.
- English-proficient individuals will be key intermediaries in localising AI-generated content, ensuring it’s culturally and contextually appropriate.
- Enhanced Career Mobility
- As global companies increasingly adopt AI tools, English remains the lingua franca of tech, business, and science.
- English-proficient individuals will retain an advantage in accessing international remote work, higher education, research collaborations, and AI training jobs.
- Leadership in Prompt Engineering & AI Literacy
- Knowing English allows better engagement with LLMs, most of which are primarily trained and optimised in English.
- This gives a leg up in prompt engineering, AI content curation, and interface design, areas expected to grow in demand.
- Role in AI Education & Localisation
- There’s a growing need to educate others in how to use AI tools. English-proficient individuals can create educational content, translate interfaces, and teach prompt literacy in native languages.
- Access to Cutting-Edge Knowledge
- Most advanced research, documentation, and open-source projects are still published in English.
- English fluency ensures early and fuller access to knowledge before it’s translated or adapted.
Challenges & Changes Ahead
- Reduced Exclusivity
- LLMs are increasingly multilingual and capable of real-time translation. This means English proficiency may lose its exclusivity as a “career edge.”
- Jobs that once required English may open up to non-English speakers assisted by LLMs.
- Commodification of Language Tasks
- LLMs can now perform high-quality translation, editing, and summarisation, diminishing job security in language-specific roles (e.g., translation, ESL tutoring, subtitling).
- Shift from Language Skill to Domain Expertise
- In a world where AI can bridge language gaps, domain knowledge becomes more important than language proficiency alone.
- English speakers must pair language skills with technical, analytical, or creative expertise to remain competitive.
Strategic Recommendations
Upskill Beyond English: Combine English with AI, data literacy, or a niche domain (e.g., law, healthcare, education).
Localise and Lead: Use your language skills to guide AI adaptation in your culture or region.
Stay Updated: Follow developments in multilingual AI to understand where English remains dominant and where it’s being overtaken.
Build a Personal Brand: English-proficient individuals can share knowledge, build thought leadership, and teach others how to use LLMs effectively.
At the end of the day
Being English-proficient in a non-native country is still a major asset, but its value is shifting. The key is to leverage this skill in combination with AI literacy and domain expertise. In the near future, people who can teach, localise, and ethically apply LLMs across languages and cultures will be indispensable.
