For me, there’s nothing sexier than a man who can speak more than one language. In fact, the more languages they can speak, the sexier they are. Sadly, I can only speak two, but I'm working on number three. And according to the results of a survey by dating app PlentyOfFish, people who can speak multiple languages are more desirable than those who don’t. As someone who travels quite a bit and tends to find herself in the bed, er, I mean arms of foreigners, I can attest to this fact being absolutely true tenfold.
PlentyOfFish looked at over 50 million sent messages in January 2017 and surveyed 325 single Americans to come up with the results. And, by far, bilinguals are more desirable, especially to Americans. But this isn’t the first time a study revealed that Americans have a thing for bilinguals.
In August 2016, language-learning app Babbel, found that Americans just can’t get enough of bilinguals. In their study, 71 percent of Americans said that someone who could speak multiple languages was sexier than those who could only speak one. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that the United States is one of the least multilingual countries in the world, with only 13.8 percent of us being able to speak more than one language, coming in third place behind the UK and Canada.
So if you’re bilingual and put that in your dating profile, you may get more messages than those who are not. Here are nine findings from PlentyOfFish’s research.
1Men Are More Into Bilinguals Than Women
According to the survey, 75 percent of men are more likely to message someone who is bilingual. Women, on the other hand, although still in the majority, are 63 percent more likely to reach out and get a conversation started with someone who has the fact that they can speak multiple languages in their profile.
2Almost Half Of Americans "Automatically" Find Bilinguals Sexier
When the stats were broken down to focus on Americans, as a whole, it was found that 43 percent of them "automatically" find someone sexier simply because they do have another language under their belt. Seriously; that's all it takes for that 43 percent.
3But Over A Third Of Americans Are Picky When It Comes To What That Second Language Is
Honestly, since Americans are so far down on the totem poll in regards to how many of us are bilingual, let alone multilingual, I don't think we're in any position to be picky about such a topic. However, the survey by PlenyOfFish found that 35 percent of Americans find those who speak more than one language sexy — but it depends on the language. Really, America?
4Men Who Can Speak German Get The Most Messages
Apparently, when it comes to bilingual men, if they list German for one of their languages, then they're more likely to receive messages than men who speak other languages. Rounding out the top three, in who gets messaged most, are men who speak Swedish and Dutch, respectively.
Men who speak Russian get the least amount of messages.
5Women Who Can Speak Dutch Are Messaged The Most
So what language is most desirable? The survey found that bilingual women who speak Dutch get the most messages. Coming in second and third place, respectively, are women who speak Arabic and Swedish.
Women who speak Italian get the least amount of messages — I am beyond shocked with this one. Italian is a gorgeously romantic language that rolls off the tongue like a fine chianti!
6Bilinguals Tend To Be More Open
According to PlentyOfFish's data scientist, Michael McDermott, singles who have a second language listed on their profile are more open and forthcoming about themselves than those who only speak one language.
"These traits are vital to creating a connection, and eventually forming positive long lasting relationships," McDermott said in the press release. "Thus, the people who are willing to put more effort into conversations are also the people who are also getting the most out of them."
7Bilinguals Communicate Better
In my relationships with foreign men whose first language was different from mine, I realized just how important it was to put in a real effort to communicate clearly with one another. McDermott confirmed that this is definitely a plus when you're in a relationship with someone who speaks multiple languages.
"There is some research to suggest that having a second language or being bilingual can have a positive impact on communication skills," said McDermott. "And could lead singles to be more involved in deeper conversations." From personal experience, yes, this very true.
8Being Bilingual Is Sign Of Higher Education
For many, intelligence is a very important quality in a partner, even if you don't technically identify as sapiosexual. If one can speak multiple languages, it's a sign of higher education, as well as being more worldly — another factor that, for many, is desirable.
9Those Who Are Bilingual Tend To Put More Effort Into Their Dating Profiles
In addition to the fact that these people can speak more than one language, according to McDermott, they also tend to be "more meticulous about crafting an accurate and enticing picture of themselves." In other words, the more details, the better your chances.
"Past research tells us that the time and effort someone spends on their profile is a strong indicator of their chance of forming a successful relationship on our site," says McDermott.
While it might help you in the online dating world, there are so many reasons to learn another language besides trying to find a partner. For starters, it makes you more interesting, it makes you smarter. If you raise your kids to be bilingual they'll be more empathetic to others, and more than anything, it's fun to explore other languages and cultures. Get out there and immerse yourself in the beautiful diversity that the world has to offer.
