"For some posts, a lack of fluency in the local language will limit the credibility of the post holder, " it said.

BBC: UK Politics

Fluency in the language of Shakespeare is regarded as a sign of modernity, sophistication and power.

ECONOMIST: English is dangerously dominant

The language is tonal, and fluency requires mastering thousands of characters.

WSJ: To Improve Kids' Chinese, Some Parents Move to Asia

For all her cultural fluency, there was one language Lagarde did not speak: that of French politics.

FORBES: Magazine Article

His fluency in the French language may stand him in good stead in the corridors of Brussels although his command of English is said to be less sure.

BBC: Profile: Greek Pasok leader Evangelos Venizelos

If you are one of the few that develops this subject matter expertise you will have achieved fluency in a new language and everyone in the business world you encounter will immediately recognize this.

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