A method for negotiating a common language on a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network, the method comprising: allowing a plurality of users to connect to the VoIP network, each of the plurality of users having at least one of a plurality of VoIP compatible transmitting/receiving devices; configuring each of the plurality of VoIP compatible transmitting/receiving devices with a list of a plurality of languages, each of the plurality of languages having a priority level associated therewith; allowing automatic selection of the common language between two or more of the plurality of users on a joint VoIP call by performing a language handshake; computing a maximum selection score via a language handshake algorithm provided by the language handshake; maximizing a sum of priority levels; minimizing a sum of priority differences; and selecting the common language that provides a largest sum of the priority levels and a lowest sum of the priority differences.