Two people ask this question and they are worried about opposite things. One speaks only English and assumes international trade is closed to them because they never learned a second language. The other speaks two or three languages fluently and is anxious that their English is not polished enough for a Canadian office.
Both concerns come from the same misunderstanding about what the job involves. Trade work is not conversation across a language barrier. It is documentation, and documentation is far more standardised than most people expect.
Trade Runs on Standardised Documents
A shipment generates a fairly predictable set of paperwork: a commercial invoice, a packing list, a bill of lading or air waybill, a certificate of origin, customs declarations, insurance documents, and often a letter of credit. These documents have fixed fields and expected formats, and the same terminology travels with them everywhere.
That terminology is deliberately international. Incoterms are published in a standard set of three letter codes. Harmonized System codes classify goods numerically across countries. A freight forwarder in Vancouver and one in Rotterdam are reading the same fields on the same document types.
English is also widely used as the working language of international shipping and commerce, which is why a Canadian coordinator can email a carrier in Singapore and a supplier in Poland without switching languages. The precision comes from the terminology, not from eloquence.
If You Only Speak English
The field is not closed to you, and the assumption that it is keeps capable people out of it. Entry level trade and logistics roles in Canada commonly list no second language requirement. They ask for accuracy, attention to detail, comfort with documentation and systems, and the ability to follow a shipment and chase what is missing.
What will hold you back is not monolingualism. It is not knowing the vocabulary of the field, which is a training problem rather than a language problem. Learning what a certificate of origin does, why an Incoterm changes who pays for what, and how a customs entry is built matters far more than a second language.
Where a Second Language Genuinely Helps
It would be misleading to say a second language never matters. Supplier relationship roles in particular markets are the clearest example. If a company sources heavily from one region, someone who can phone a factory contact in their own language resolves problems faster and builds trust that email does not. The same applies to customer facing roles serving a particular community or region.
So a second language is an asset that opens certain doors rather than a requirement for entry. It is a reason to mention your languages on your resume, not a reason to stay out of the field if you have none.
If English Is Your Second Language
Now the other version of the question. Newcomers often have real trade experience from another country and worry that their English will disqualify them. It is worth being specific about what the work demands.
It demands precise written English, on documents where a wrong description or quantity has consequences at a border. It demands short, clear emails that a stranger in another time zone can act on without a follow up question. It demands comfort on the phone with carriers, brokers and clients, including the ability to say you did not catch something and ask again. And it demands accurate reading of contracts and regulations.
Notice what is not on that list. Nobody needs an accent free voice, an extensive vocabulary, or the ability to make small talk effortlessly. Written accuracy and telephone confidence are the two things worth working on, and both improve with practice much faster than general fluency does.
The English Brighton Asks For
Brighton College sets defined English admission routes rather than leaving it vague, which is useful if you are trying to work out where you stand. Applicants can meet the requirement through schooling in English, or through a standardised test including IELTS 5.5 or equivalent, TOEFL iBT 46, CAEL 40, CELPIP or PTE 43. The Duolingo English Test is accepted at 95, and a Languages Canada pathway is available. Qualifying mature domestic students can use Accuplacer.
Alongside that, admission requires a high school diploma or mature student status at 19 or older, and legal eligibility to study in Canada. The admissions page sets out the full requirements.
Building the Written English the Job Needs
If written accuracy is the concern, it is solvable. Brighton’s writing and learning centre is there for exactly this, and free instructor office hours plus paid peer tutoring are available too. Working on documents from your own field is far more effective than general English study, because you learn the vocabulary you will actually use.
Trade programs help here in a way that is easy to miss: they are taught in the language of the industry. Brighton’s International Trade and Freight Forwarding Certificate runs 26 weeks with a 4 week practicum, the International Trade Certificate runs 16 weeks, and a longer diploma option runs 42 weeks with a 6 week practicum. Working through documentation, terminology and case work in class builds the exact written English the job requires.
So, Do You Need a Second Language?
For most roles, no. What you need is command of the terminology, accuracy in documents, and clear professional communication in English. A second language is a genuine advantage in specific supplier facing and regionally focused positions, and it is worth putting on your resume, but it is not the gate people imagine it to be.
Unsure whether your English meets the entry requirement? Ask below. The requirement is defined rather than a matter of opinion, so you can get a clear answer instead of a guess.
