What’s the hardest part about learning a new language? Staying motivated to actually learn it. Everyone’s reasons for studying a language are different — for work, for love, for travel, for family — but we can all find role models who inspire us to work hard and make our multilingual goals a reality. We’ve written a lot about famous people who speak other languages: bilingual celebrities, athletes, politicians and more. Now we’re compiling them all in one place, so no matter who you look up to most, you’ll be able to read their story and get inspired by their success.
Choose a category of bilingual celebrities below and click the link to see our list of big names in that field who speak other languages.
Bilingual Celebrities By Category
Movie Stars
They may shine on the big screen, but did you know many of them also have a love of languages? From Natalie Portman to Will Smith, you’re sure to find someone to root for in this list of multilingual movie stars.
Musicians
Step aside, math, because music is the true universal language. And it turns out, some of our favorite musicians are quite the language learners. Celine Dion, Andrea Bocelli and even Lady Gaga can show off their vocal skills in other languages. Check out the full list of musicians who sing in other languages.
Athletes
Next up, we have a group of stars who always have their eye on the ball. These athletes who speak another language give new meaning to the phrase “work hard, play hard.” Whether you’re a fan of Serena Williams or Tim Tebow, this list of bilingual athletes is sure to get you motivated.
Politicians
We love to hate them, but some politicians are pretty accomplished — especially the ones who speak more than one language. Did you know Thomas Jefferson was fluent in Spanish, Mitt Romney speaks French and Barack Obama knows some Indonesian? Learn more about multilingual politicians here and multilingual U.S. presidents throughout history here.
Business Leaders
Last, but certainly not least, are the leaders of the business world who are fluent in English corporate speak and in other languages! From the former CEO of PepsiCo Indra Nooyi to Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, these tech leaders who speak another language and multilingual Fortune 500 CEOs create inspiration inside and outside of the boardroom.