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Introduction to the Foreign Languages
A career in foreign language is quite appealing in terms of achieving the intrinsic passion to understand the culture and people of a foreign region. It also helps you to earn an attractive salary. Learning one foreign language besides English includes crucial value to your international career prospects.
With many Indian companies rising as international players in business and the Indian market getting enticed by multinational companies that means market requires the professionals who can beat language barriers and provide fluent communication for a proper business and its expansion.
Having the capacity to speak foreign languages shows that you are inspired and driven by the passion to learn new things and open to accepting new challenges and you can also work effectively in a multicultural environment.
When you study any foreign language, you unfold the custom and culture of that language. It enables you to be more liberal and admiring of other people’s actions and impressions. Your new foreign language will give you the advantage of seeing the world from a different point of view.
What are the different foreign languages to study?
While thinking about learning a foreign language many students come across the question “Which foreign language should I study?” the answer to this question can be get by knowing about different languages as below.
Mandarin Chinese:
China is one of the biggest economies and an ever-growing country. After English Mandarin is the most spoken language with more than 1,000 million speakers. Although, it is one of the most arduous languages to study because of its complicated writing system and the confusing harmonic nature of the words. Despite the Chinese mainland, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan also offer excellent job opportunities for Mandarin speakers.
Spanish:
Talking about the Spanish language, this language isn’t confined to only Spain this language is spread to Latin America and some European regions. Spanish is known to be one of the easiest languages that can be learnt. By studying this language you can explore a whole new culture of music, travelling and cuisine.
Arabic:
The Arabic language is spoken by over 350 million public and Arabic language is one of the top 10 most spoken languages across the world. Arabic is an indigenous language in 26 countries of which most of the famous middle east countries like Dubai, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait. By learning Arabic you will be a step ahead of getting a job opportunity in this country.
Russian:
Russian is the largest indigenous language in Europe and Russian language is spoken by more than 270 million people in the world. Russia is a technologically progressive country in science and research.So having a Russian language proficiency can give you excellent job opportunities in the area Russian language is dominant.
Portuguese:
Portuguese language is one of the Latin languages and is closely associated with the modern Spanish language. This language is also one of the world’s top 10 most spoken languages.
German:
German language is the first language of several European countries, making this language commercially valuable. Numerous business affairs are done in the German language. And for this reason, the opportunity and scope of the German language as a career in India or abroad is tremendous. Several German companies are operating in and out of India and are always searching for people with good German language skills.
French:
The french language is used as a second communication language in more than 25 countries which includes France, Belgium, Canada and Switzerland. This language is also frequently used in South America. By learning the french language you will open new opportunities in your career.
Japanese:
If you study the Japanese language in India and are adept in this language, then you can immigrate to Japan and can explore many jobs that match your skills. Japan is a developed country and economy and presently, this nation is dealing with a population decline. so you can learn the Japanese language and open the gates to an overseas job opportunity.
Italian:
The Italian language is considered one of the most beautiful languages. Italian writers and poets have shaped the vocabulary of this language for centuries. The Italian language is also known as the universal language of western classical music. There is immense scope in art and the cultural field of Europe if you learn the Italian language.
Korean:
More than 50 million people have the Korean language as their native language. The Korean language is believed to be one of the oldest languages on the earth. The Korean language also has a similarity with the Indian Tamil language. In terms of grammar, this language is related to the Japanese language. South Korea is one of the most technologically advanced countries and is home to many giant companies like Samsung, Hyundai, LG, Kia Motors, KB Financial Group etc. By gaining knowledge of the Korean Language, you will put feathers in the cap of your international career.
Importance of Foreign Languages
Learning any foreign language will give you innumerable benefits in your professional career. A person having expertise in Foreign languages with a good knowledge of cultures is in excellent demand in the international corporate world.
If you have the question, Why choose a career in a foreign language? , then you are at the right place to find out the answer.
Learning a new language uncovers a hurdle of communication between two different communities. This new skill will let you communicate with people having different cultures in the other part of the world. At the same time, learning a new language will make your voyage flashbacks of these countries more fascinating when you get to encounter a new country by knowing its local language.
Knowing a foreign language projects your profile high from your competitors.
What are the benefits of a career in foreign language?
Enhance Creativity:
One of the instant benefits of learning a new language is that it motivates creativity in the scholar. The assignments in the learning foreign language program go beyond learning the vocabulary, grammar, and other elements of these languages.
This process stimulates the students to learn, understand, and imbibe their culture and tradition.It facilitates the learner to get involved in a new language by watching a movie, listening to music, and reading books written in that language.
Increase your Job Opportunities
In today’s world, people have expanded the reach of their work to other countries and regions. The internet and new technology have connected the world like never before.
Multinational companies from developed nations are always looking to expand their reach to new regions.
And for this reason, organizations are always in search of such skilled people who can speak and understand one or more foreign languages other than English.
As a language specialist, you can become a fit for various positions which are available in multinational companies that require interaction with clients and business partners.
You Become More Appropriate and Competitive in a Contesting World
The world is get connected by various means, and in the era of the internet, this connection is becoming stronger day by day. For winning your endeavour in this globally competitive world, you should adept the special talent and becoming bilingual is a very good skill which gives you a competitive advantage over other people who speaks only one language.
Bilingual is not a good skill but it become necessary in the current era. Being bilingual is no longer a good-to-have skill but a necessity.Learning a foreign language is an achievement in itself which boost your confidence to a higher level.
Acquiring comprehension in a foreign language will allow you to stay suitable in the hyper-connect world and competitive business.
Uncover Travel Opportunities
Gaining knowledge of a foreign language will not only help in your professional career but also will help you to find it easier and more comfortable to travel to that part of the globe.
For example, if you study Spanish as one of the foreign languages then,
You will find it faster and easier to visit and settle in Spain, Mexico, Cuba, El Salvador, Chile and many other European countries as well as in the USA where Spanish is a widely spoken language.
The best part of this is that you will not find it difficult when you go to any of these countries to secure a job or to make business deals.
Your knowledge of this language will facilitate you to travel and meet new people from different communities and cultures, increasing the excitement of your life.
What are the Job Opportunities and Scope after learning foreign languages?
Appropriate proficiency is more essential than an academic qualification in foreign languages which opens up a broad door for a career in crucial sectors.
Some of the sectors where foreign language proficiency plays a vital role are tourism, embassies, mass communication, journalism, public relations, entertainment, publishing, arts, interpretation and translation, NGOs and international corporations.
India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. This will expand trade with many countries in Europe, Africa, Latin America, and Asia in the following years.Many Indian companies are now becoming more aggressive in expanding their business outside the country.
In several of these new marketplaces where English may not be the prime language of conversion, therefore knowing a local language can boost the business dramatically.
These companies want to enhance their business. The only way is to employ a workforce with comprehension of the foreign language.This clarifies the constant rise in requirements for employees with foreign language knowledge by Indian companies.
Below are some job profiles where you can seek job opportunities in a foreign language.
Translator or Interpreter
If you have knowledge of any foreign language and have a certification, you can apply for a job as a translator or interpreter in a company that seeks such expert persons.
Numerous job opportunities are created day by day for foreign language translators and interpreters in India. Performing as an interpreter or a translator in a Multinational organisation can be very lucrative and rewarding and with experience, your value in this field will be increasing.
Some of the industries where foreign language translators and interpreters are required are as follows.
Travel Industry
Many people throughout the world have started international travelling. Frequent air services, simpler visa norms, low-cost accommodation options, and several travelling sites make it easier for people to consider foreign vacations.
Almost all travel agents today ensure that their content is made available in local languages, especially details like particulars of the package, accommodation choice and narration etc.
Entertainment Industry
The entertainment industry is increasing in an unprecedented way because of the reach of the internet. Whether it be movies, music, TV shows, animated films or web series. This industry needs an immense amount of audio-visual content that needs to be translated into another language so that it can reach a wide global audience.
TV shows have the biggest challenge as there are new episodes every day and translation of these shows has to be done within a day.
Financial Services Industry
With enterprises going worldwide, it means there will be more international financial transactions. These enterprises require the transfer of the huge amount of money across the world. This type of financial transaction requires documentation, contracts, adherence to local and international regulations and laws etc.
Here, the role of the translator comes into action. If you have made a good reputation in doing such deals. You will flourish in this sector very soon.
Gaming Industry
Many games became huge hits around the world like Assassins Creed, Pokemon Go, Dragon Ball Z etc. These Games require translation into the native local language of another country so that they could reach many other gamers. Hence Langauge translators are also required by the Gaming industry.
Immigration Services
Immigration Service is the area where you can thrive elegantly with your knowledge and comprehension of a foreign language.
In the Government embassy, Foreign Language Jobs are always available in various departments.
There are at least 10 culture centres affiliated with different embassies in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Pune, Chennai, and other parts of India, offering various jobs related to the foreign language. There are more than 500 language instructors who work in the only cultural department of the foreign embassy in India.
Import Export Sector
The planet has become smaller and smaller due to its global economic culture. These have unlocked tremendous opportunities in businesses involving the import and export of various goods and services.
Most of the more significant conglomerates in India now favour hiring people who can speak foreign languages other than their indigenous language.
For example, If you speak the Mandarin language then you may get hired by a company which is doing the import-export business in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mongolia, Malaysia, Thailand etc,
At the same time, you might prefer to go single-handedly by doing business with organizations in these places as their delegate in India.
It is a win-win situation for you at any time and in any location.
Teaching and Education Sector
As there is numerous career benefit of learning foreign languages, the number of students will increase in learning the foreign language. This itself is creating an emerging sector where one can set a strong foot in the early stage. You can set up your own institute online or online to give education in foreign languages.
Salary and earnings in a career in foreign language.
Before Globalisation learning a new foreign language was considered a hobby or a pastime. But now this hobby can offer you ample financial gains with career progression.
Before entering this sector many people questioned How much money we make after learning a certain foreign language? The answer to this question is simple, after learning a foreign language this depends on which sector you work in. But as of now, the demand for the workforce in this sector is very high as compared to the supply created by the education institute. For this reason, experts in foreign languages earn a handsome amount as compared to other professionals besides they don’t have to work hard even.
The foreign language industry in India and many other places in the world are economically promising.
As we have already specified the foreign language salary scale depends on the work and organization where you will work.
For example, If you get engaged in working with MNCs for the Marketing or PR Department Then, your compensation can start from Rs 40,000 per month as a fresher and it may go up to beyond Rs. 70,000 per month within two years of experience and your performance. Foreign language skilled salary is normally 25% to 50% higher than their English-speaking fellows.
One may have a question “How much money I can make in the Import-Export industry as a linguist?” So the answer is here.
With an amalgamation of your language proficiency and marketing expertise, you can become a multinational sales representative negotiating deals and agreements between international businesses.
In addition, you’ll have plenty of possibilities to travel abroad.
In India, full-time teachers and instructors and any foreign language private educational institutes can earn Rs 40,000 per month on average.
As lecturers in Government Universities, the salary package for a professor starts from Rs 70,000 to Rs 120,000 per month. Furthermore, these language experts are also hired as visiting or guest faculty in various colleges and universities where they can be paid up to Rs 2000 per hour.
The home tutor or corporate trainers usually charge according to their education and experience. But they can also earn Rs 1000 per hour easily.
A certified foreign language expert with excellent knowledge can without doubt charge more amount as compared to other.
Some amazing high-paying foreign languages job
Online Language Tutor/ Foreign Language Trainer
As an online tutor or trainer you can work from anywhere around the world. The good part of it is the broadness of the market. Your client can be anywhere in the world. If you create an online digital course about a foreign language, you can sell it throughout the world and earn handsome money.
Children’s Book Writer
The most famous children’s books have been scripted in the western country which makes them confined to only a certain section of children around the world. Expressing these famous books to various other languages in the world can make you good money.
Blogger
After learning any foreign language you can write a blog in this newly learned foreign language. When a reader reads a blog in their native language it creates authenticity for them which is very advisable to the blogger.
Tour Guide
In recent times, the travelling sector is developing massively. A tour guide who effortlessly speaks foreign languages is highly wanted by the travelling industry in multiple countries. It is one of the most considerable jobs to be a tour guide with big names like Virgin voyages, Thomas cook, SOTC, Veena world and Kesri etc. They get lucrative payments with the bonus of travelling free to many places.
Liaison / Relationship Officer
In international companies where language is not believed as a boundary for making trade and business deals, the liaison/relationship officers from both parties perform an important role to end the language obstacle and make successful deals of information exchange, scheduling meetings, managing agreements etc. If you can complete 10 successful deals you will surely make a name in this industry and earn a good amount of money per deal.
Field Researcher/Archaeologist
An archaeologist’s role is to translate ancient text into the comprehensive language of archaeological findings. Hence, if you are fluent in some old language like greek or Mandarin language while being equally interested in archaeology and history, then this is the ideal job for you where you can make your shows like Josh Gates and earn hefty money.
Freelancing:
You can also work as a freelancer after learning a foreign language. You can register yourself at fiver or Upwork and other freelancing websites where you can create your gigs and attract online work contracts. After completing 20 to 30 successful gigs you can easily earn Rs 500/ hour from your home.
How to make a career in Foreign Language?
- Step 1 :
To make a career in Foreign Language you have to complete your 12th (10+2) HSC from a recognised board.
Step2 :
You must appear in the CUET entrance exam to be admitted to colleges where the foreign language is part of the graduation subject.
Step 3 :
After completing your graduation you can start your freelancing work or can find foreign language jobs. You can also prepare for the UPSC exam where you can choose for Indian Foreign Service.
Step 4 :
You can also go for a Master’s in a Particular Foreign Language and then for a PhD in that Foreign Language. If you have good grades you can easily fetch international scholarships for your study in a foreign language.
Besides this, you can also have the option to do the diploma in a particular language after which you can able to understand and speak that foreign language.
Scholarships for making career in foreign language.
There are lots of scholarships available to pursue a career in foreign languages. Some of them are as follows:
- Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi offers scholarships as well as conducts a student exchange program for students studying foreign languages at Jawaharlal Nehru University. To taking admitted to this university you will have to appear CUET entrance exam.
- Delhi University also offers scholarships and fellowships in Foreign languages. For admission, the CUET entrance exam must appear by candidates.
- The government of South Korea offers scholarships to Indian students to learn the Korean language and other courses in South Korea. You can find out the details of this scholarship on the Indian Embassy website in South Korea.
- The government of Japan offers scholarships to Indian students studying the Japanese Language in Japan. Japanise Government offers scholarships to 12 students per year. Details of this scholarship can be found on the embassy website.
- Max Mueller Bhavan in New Delhi also offers scholarships to students of German languages. Max Mueller Bhavan is also a provider of the german language job opportunity in various organisations.****
- Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD) Scholarship supports learners across the globe to study the German language and culture at language institutes in Germany. This is the world’s largest scholarship of its kind. Scholarship in Masters in the German Language is also available in DAAD scholarship. One should look for this opportunity if one wants to pursue the German Language.
- Ibn Battuta Arabic Scholarships‘ objective is to reward students to study the Arabic language as well as encourage the study of Arabic as a foreign language. Expected students may apply to either one of the semester programs or else to one of the winter and summer programs offered at the Qalam wa Lawh centre in Rabat Morocco.
- Annually, the French Embassy in India as well as French companies award scholarships to more than 500 deserving young Indian students who wish to pursue their higher education in the French language and other fields. Indian candidates with remarkable academic records have several funding options for their studies in France.
- University of Warwick in the United Kingdom offers scholarships for MA in French and Francophone, MA in German Studies, MA in Hispanic Studies, and MA in Italian Studies. This scholarship is available for full-time study at Warwick University UK only.
Where to make a career in foreign languages?
Best colleges to learn a foreign language in India
Jawaharlal Nehru University Delhi.
At Jawaharlal Nehru University you have plenty of options for foreign languages to learn. They offered a Graduation course in BA(Hons.) in various languages such as Pashto, Persian, Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, French, German and Spanish. You will get the top lecturers in this university.
Delhi University
Delhi University is another prestigious university in India where you can get a Graduate BA (Hons.) degree in French, German, Arabic, Italian, Persian and Spanish. Delhi University is Internationally acclaimed for the highest academic standards.
Jamia Milia Islamia
Jamia Milia Islamia is the Central University situated in Delhi. NAAC has credited this university with A++ Grade. This University offers various Foreign Language Programmes which are as follows:
Undergraduate Programmes
- B.A.(H) French
- B.A.(H) Turkish Language & Literature
- B.A.(H) Korean Language
Advanced Diploma Programmes
- Advanced Diploma in French (part-time)
- Advanced Diploma in Turkish (Part-time)
Diploma Programmes
- Diploma in Chinese Language (Part-time)
- Intensive Diploma in Chinese Language
- Diploma in Korean Language
- Diploma in Uzbek
- Diploma in Turkish (Part-time)
- Diploma in French (part-time)
Certificate Programmes
- Certificate in Chinese Language (Part-time)
- Certificate in the Korean Language
- Certificate in Uzbek
- Certificate in Turkish (Part-time)
- Certificate in French (part-time)
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is one of the oldest institutes in India where foreign language teaching was started. In 1917 the Department of Foreign was started at the University of Calcutta by teaching Tibetan, Chinese, German and Dutch languages. Then in 1919 French and Japanese languages were added. Later in 1924, Portuguese and in 1929 Italian and in 1939 Polish Language was added to the University. But at the time of the Second world war, some of the foreign languages had to be withdrawn.
These University has some visiting faculty from abroad and has some international collaborations with International Institutes like the National University of South Korea. Embassy of Spain and Akdemia Razvitiya, Russia. At present 9 Foreign languages are taught at the University of Calcutta. These are as follows.
Certificate Course
- Arabic
- Chinese
- French
- German
- Korean
- Persian
- Russian
- Spanish
- Tibetan
- Diploma Course
- Arabic
- Chinese
- French
- German
- Persian
- Russian
- Spanish
- Tibetan
B.A Hons in Russian
M.A in Russian
PhD in Russian
The English and Foreign Language University Hyderabad
The English and Foreign Language University is one of the best Foreign Language institutes in India because it is dedicated to English and Foreign Language studies. This University had the status of the Deemed University since 1973 and in 2006 This university was given the status of Central University. This University is dedicated to the study of English and foreign languages which are Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Turkish, Korean and Persian.
This University is the only one of its kind in the whole of South Asia. The English and Foreign Language University has been specially set up to conduct advanced research and training in areas of Literature, Linguistics, Teacher Education and Cultural Studies. This University has 3 Campuses which are situated in Hyderabad, Shillong and Lucknow.
The University offers Graduate, Post Graduate and Research Programmes as well as Diploma and Degrees through Distance mode.
An online resource to learn a foreign language
Nowadays you can learn a new language at your own place online. Many resources are available to learn a foreign language such as podcasts, Youtube channels, online courses etc.
Youtube is one of the best ways to learn a foreign language for free. There are some apps also which can help you to learn a foreign language effectively. Some of them are as follows.
- Arabic for Beginners: This is a Youtube channel for those who want to learn the Arabic language for free.
- Live Lingua: This is a website specially designed to learn the Spanish language where you can get a native language tutor to teach the Spanish language.
- Babbel: This is an app-based learning solution where you can learn Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Turkish, Dutch, Swedish, Polish, Norwegian, Indonesian and Danish.
- Duolingo: Duolingo is also an app-based learning solution. This is designed to learn language via playing games. The speciality of the Duolingo app is you can learn about 40 different foreign languages and lessons are available in 25 languages including Hindi and Bengali.
Conclusion
After reading this article you have come to know that there are so many foreign languages where you can make your career. In the age of globalisation, there are a lot of opportunities and scopes in a career in foreign language. A career in a foreign language is not only limited to the travel and tourism industry but has expanded to other sectors like the entertainment industry, foreign trades, Education sector, Research sector etc.
If you become fluent in a foreign language you are opening a new door in your career. Hence, you must think about making a career in foreign language.
FAQ's
Although, All foreign languages are best for a career. Before learning any one foreign language if you do some research it will help you a lot. Like if your company is working in the eastern globe then the Chinese, Japanese or Korean languages will help you to grow.
If you want to work in Europe or south America then all the Latin languages will help you to grow your career in a foreign language.
After the 12th you must appear for the CUET exam. Then through the counselling round take admission to the college of your choice where foreign language courses are available for B.A (Hons) in a foreign language.
Read our blog on career in foreign language.
As per the study if you are good in the English language then Spanish & Portuguese languages are the easiest to learn.
After English, Spanish is a widely spoken language. Even in USA Spanish is the second official language. So, Spanish does have the scope in future but that doesn’t mean that other foreign languages do not have a scope. Every foreign language has a scope in its region. The Latin languages have scope because the speakers of these languages are affluent people.
