By Durdana Bhat

 Foreign-Language-Books

The scope of foreign languages as career is stupendous and candidates willing to explore it have multitude of job opportunities in various multinational companies and multilateral organizations. Moreover, language skills are essential attribute in most professions and help in the advancement of career.

There are various options to learn foreign languages. Whereas several students start learning a foreign language in their schools, numerous others choose the course after their 10+2 and go for graduation courses that are offered by various institutes, colleges and universities. Then there are some certificate courses and diploma courses which take less time and duration and are available in a condensed form – candidates who have done 10+2 are eligible for such courses. Those who are interested in higher education in foreign languages can opt for post-graduation and PhD which is being offered at selected universities in India.

Is it the Right Career for Me?

If you have a deep interest in knowing the way of life, language and culture of other people, learning a foreign language is an extraordinary career option. Career in a foreign language is not only attractive in terms of fulfilling the innate passion to know culture and people but also earns you handsome salary. Knowing one foreign language alongside English adds significant value to career prospects. However, be ready to put in a lot of effort as learning a language is a painstaking task and requires high levels of concentration and a lot of hard work.

What would it Cost Me?

Whereas fee for foreign language courses in central universities such as University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University is minimal, Max Mueller Bhavan or Inlingua charge considerable fees from students. The fee depends upon the language and the number of learners. Whereas learning Korean, Japanese and Chinese is tough; these are available at only few centres in India and are available at a high cost. Arabic and Persian are available at most of the national universities and that too at very low fees. Alliance Française offers courses in French language and the whole course lasting for five year can cost anywhere between Rs 3-4 lacs.  Institute Of Foreign Languages, University of Kashmir, Sgr offer Diploma in French and German Language. They are in process of planning to introduce more courses including Spanish and Portuguese.

Funding/Scholarship

Jawaharlal Nehru University offers attractive scholarships for students studying foreign languages. The university has excellent student exchange program with various universities and foreign language students receive option to study in foreign universities for certain period during their study in JNU. University of Delhi too offers certain scholarships based on merit and performance in university exams. Similarly, governments of South Korea and Japan offer students of Korean and Japanese a number of scholarships. Max Mueller Bhavan offers two scholarships at its centres in India to the two best students of advanced level learning. They are offered a chance to visit Germany and observe the society and people to learn the language with first hand interaction.

Job Prospects

Academic qualification and proficiency in foreign languages opens the gate for career in sectors such as tourism, embassies, diplomatic service, entertainment, public relations and mass communication, international organisations, publishing, interpretation and translation, etc. Additionally, various multinational corporate bodies require candidates possessing excellent language skills in French, German, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Korean, Portuguese, etc. Some new avenues such as online content writers, technical translators or decoders too have come up in a big way.

International organisations such as the United Nations Organization (UNO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and various Indian national organisations such as Ministry of External Affairs, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), etc too require professionals who have specialisation in foreign languages.

Pay Packet

Foreign language professionals earn attractive remuneration depending upon the work and the organization. Professionals working for PR or Marketing Department of any MNC can earn Rs 30,000 – 50,000 per month. Teachers can earn any salary in the range of Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 a month.  Translators on the other hand receive Rs 250 to Rs 500 per page; compensation depends a lot upon the proficiency in the language. Similarly, an interpreter who is paid on an hourly basis can earn Rs 2000 to Rs 4000 per hour, again depending upon his calibre and work experience.

Demand and Supply

Despite huge demand for foreign language professionals there is not much information available for aspirants. As a result few professionals come out from foreign language institutes which ultimately results in a dearth of trained foreign language experts. India requires a huge number of foreign language experts, particularly in Chinese, Japanese and Korean languages. Whereas India possesses millions of English language experts, it faces shortage of people who know French, German and Portuguese. One important reason for shortage of trained foreign language professionals is lack of infrastructural set up in institutes and universities. Also, there are not many institutes which offer quality training in any foreign language.

Different Roles, Different Names

Foreign language experts don a variety of roles depending upon their skills and experience as well as the job. Here are some of the professions you can look for: Diplomatic Service Professional, Foreign Language Trainer, Translator for MNCs and Government Organizations, Research Associate, Interpreter, Tourist Guide, Air Hostess or Flight Steward, Attendant at hotels, Freelance Writer, Translator, Interpreter and Public Relation Officer.

1 COMMENT

  1. Actually, one doesn’t need to go to the college any more. There are several options for learning language online for free (like Livemocha) or with professional trainers (like iRikai)! Benefits of internet 🙂

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