Career in Foreign Language

What: With Indian companies emerging as global players and Indian market being eyed by multinational companies, it becomes essential that there is no dearth of professionals who can overcome language barriers and facilitate smooth communication for proper business transactions. Foreign language experts with a good understanding of cultures are in great demand in the corporate world. 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 organisations. Moreover, language skills are essential attribute in most professions and help in the advancement of career. Skills in foreign languages like French, German, Russian, Chinese and more recently Japanese, Spanish and Korean are in great demand. Opportunities start from tour operators, online content writers, technical translators or decoders, interpreters and translators. Interpreters need a thorough knowledge of the language because they have to transfer spoken statements from one language to another, whereas translators have to translate written documents, which need excellent writing skills in languages. With the globalisation of Indian economy, multinationals coming to India and more and more companies going for joint ventures abroad have opened up job scenario for those proficient in foreign languages.

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.

How: Academic qualifications in foreign languages help in pursuing careers in the areas of tourism, entertainment, public relations and mass communication, international organisations, embassies, diplomatic service, publishing, interpretation and translation etc. Language skill is found to be useful in some professions like Hotel Industry, Travel and Tourism. Industry etc. Expertise in language is necessary for the jobs of Interpreters,

Translators and Language Teaching. There are three types of courses to pursue for a career in foreign languages, i.e. certificate courses, diploma courses and degree courses. Some institutes offer both basic and advanced level courses such as postgraduate and PhD, some of those extending up to five-six years. The eligibility for certificate and degree courses is 10+2. In most of the places, eligibility for the diploma course is the certificate course in that language.

Where: Job prospects vary from secretarial, executive and public relation assignments as for translation and interpretation jobs. Translators are employed with industries, publishing houses, research and government organisations such as the ministry of external affairs (MEA) and embassies etc. Other job opportunities for a language specialist are travel and tourism sector, hotel industry, exhibitions and fairs, airline offices, export agencies, radio stations, trade organisations and teaching. For pursuing a career in teaching, a teacher should be a graduate in that foreign language and must have a teaching degree.

Institutions: (see below)