Encouraging more students to study a foreign language and go on Erasmus are part of a new government strategy.
The Higher Education Minister says it will help graduates on a personal level and boost their career prospects.
It is also part of the aim to make our education system the best in Europe over the next decade.
Kate Quinn, Head of the School of Languages at NUI Galway, supports the move.
She said: "The benefits of learning a language are enormous.
"It allows people to move more confidently in the world and it opens up so many possibilities in terms of employment but also on a personal level."