LEARNING a new language comes with many known benefits — but for some, the biggest motivator is the attractive pay that can come with it.
A Malaysian woman, known as @asoshiation on X, recently went viral after sharing how her ability to speak and understand Korean landed her a well-paying job, despite only having SPM-level education.
In her post dated April 14, she revealed that she had worked remotely with a Korean team based in Penang, earning a monthly salary of RM8,300 after tax.
The job, which involved watching and filtering Korean videos, was fully work-from-home.
What stood out was her minimal formal qualifications — no diploma or degree — but her fluency in Korean, including reading and typing, secured her the role.
In the comments, she further broke down her earnings, explaining that her high take-home pay was made up of several allowances: language allowance, work-from-home allowance, well-being allowance, shift allowance, and even KPI bonuses.
“So, go ahead and learn a foreign language,” she encouraged fellow Malaysians.
Still, she emphasised that higher education remains important, and mentioned that she is now saving up to pursue a university degree for a more formal academic foundation.
Her story resonated with many, sparking discussions on the value of multilingualism in today’s job market.
“Learning a foreign language isn’t just about gaining a new skill. It makes your brain more flexible, helps you adapt easily, and allows you to grasp new information faster — all traits employers value. The more languages you know, the wider your world becomes,” commented @BroNorman_.
Another user, @Shadowhisperer_, shared a personal experience: “Correct, sis. I was once involved in a translation job early in my Engineering studies. Due to health issues, I had to turn down an offer to study in Germany. At first, I regretted learning German. But in the end, it proved useful — I got plenty of job interviews afterward.”
