Overview
Multilingual communication is of growing importance as the globalization of markets has created a highly mobile workforce. Anyone with language skills may play a vital role, as these skills are increasingly important, and often essential in the workplace. Not only can languages help to secure the most interesting and well-paid job opportunities, they can also be your passport to working abroad.
Learning foreign languages may be one way of giving full rein a flair for languages or it may lead to the rendering of certain specialized services that are highly challenging and remunerative. Those who know foreign languages can utilise their skills in a huge range or opportunities from interpreting to international marketing and social service to language teaching and translating.
Nature of Work
An aptitude for languages and academic training in foreign languages opens up opportunities for well-paid assignments in the tourism industry, in public relations, mass communication entertainment or in private entrepreneurship. Planning a career in which you can use your skills in foreign languages includes work in teaching, translating and interpreting which require an academic bent of mind. However, language specialists also find a lot of use for their skills in industry and commerce. Industries and businesses with strong international interests require professionals with knowledge of the language of the land. In these cases, knowledge of foreign languages is a preferred value addition to another professional qualification. Working with diplomatic missions is also a typical work area for foreign language experts.
Teachers should be able to anticipate problems a new learner may face and understand how to mitigate those.
Translators transfer the meaning of written material such as correspondence, contracts, instructions, technical data, cataloger, sales literature, political documents and books from tone language to another. One has to be able to understand the subject matter and be able to translate clearly and lucidly keeping in mind the idiomatic use of the original writing. The theme, mood, intention, etc., of the original text should be faithfully reproduced without any bias or opinion from the translator. Expertise necessarily comes with experience but the knowledge and proficiency dare the starting points in the field.
Interpreters enable individuals who do not speak each other languages to overcome the communications gap by conveying spoken messages – interviews, speeches, debates or political or commercial negotiations, in one or both of the languages.
Work Environment
Teaching may be taken up in one of the institutes which offer foreign language courses or in a school which offers a foreign language course as an extra in the curriculum, in a college or university or at home in private classes. A thorough academic background in foreign language/s is absolutely vital. Translators may work as freelancers, or with government departments on an ad hoc or permanent basis depending upon their requirements, or with agencies that handle different types of translating work. One’s educational background may generally regulate the types of subject matter one is trusted to handle. Industrial firm, research organization, international organizations, government departments, translating agencies would provide openings for translators.
Interpreters are employed by international agencies, for example, the United Nations and its agencies etc. by diplomatic missions, trade delegations, hotels, tourist resorts, travel agencies, and government departments. Freelancing is also a viable alternative with the right professional contacts.
Physical and Psychological Requirements
For a career using foreign languages; interest in people; an agile mind; and awareness of social and cultural backgrounds of foreign countries which helps in the appreciation of the nuances of foreign languages for effectiveness in all types of work.
Translators have to be meticulous and should be able to concentrate for long period. They should also be able to get along with people especially for assignments of a technical nature.
Interpreters at international conferences need physical stamina, a cool temperament and should preferably equip themselves with the background of the assignment they are to cover.
Teaching languages requires proficiency, patience and the ability to communicate with different age groups. While different jobs require special attributes, a career in foreign languages or as a linguist requires a good general academic background, interest in national and international events, a quick and flexible mind, interest in the culture and society of one’s own country, the ability to take responsibility and to work to adapt oneself to new people and different situations, interact easily with other people, a cool and calm temperament.
Specialsations
Interpreting can take different forms – social and technical (industrial).
Social interpreting is akin to a mission in diplomacy. You establish easy communication between people speaking different languages by interpreting to the other party the words spoken by one party. This requires equal proficiency in both the languages being spoken. One has to simultaneously relay the meaning of the words, phrases and sentences spoken automatically. First class language skills, a razor sharp mind, quick reactions, good memory, stamina, a cool head, a wide knowledge of public affairs, technical and scientific subjects is required. Technical or industrial interpretation is required to smoothen the passage for transfer of technology or for technical consultations. Conference interpreters have to be proficient in more than one foreign language while being proficient in the languages spoken in one’s native country.
Translators with specialist knowledge with its own terminology are be able to take on specilised / technical translations. Many translators have pursued other careers or trained in another professional field before they became translators in the same subject areas.
Study / Training
The first step towards acquiring proficiency in a foreign language or foreign languages is to have the interest and desire to do so. One should also be fluent in one’s native language, and the language in which one has studied. The ability and willingness to work hard, so important for acquiring proficiency in any field, is equally important for learning foreign languages. Since the opportunities to try out your new skills in foreign languages would be necessarily limited one has to make use of every opportunity to practice and become perfect. Learning any language involves various stages and one has to be patient as well as diligent as you learn to listen, speak, read and then write.
All the major universities in the country offer degree/diploma programmes in foreign languages. Many also offer postgraduate courses in foreign languages. Universities offer certificate, diploma, or degree courses in foreign languages. Eligibility conditions differ from university to university.
Broadly, the eligibility criteria for the various levels are as follows
BA
Eligibility : Plus Two MA
Eligibility : BA
with 50% Diploma Course
Eligibility : Plus Two / Graduation Certificate Course
Eligibility : Secondary School / Plus Two or as indicated
Training is also available at specialized foreign language training institutes.
Eligible requirements for admission depend on the nature and duration of the course offered. It is advisable to enquire personally about the nature of the course, its durations, eligibility criteria and the languages (foreign) taught.
Foreign language courses include poetry, drama, fiction, prose, linguistics, phonetics, history of the language, and methodology of teaching. Language courses aim at developing competence and proficiency in spoken and written languages. Learning is made interesting and effective with the use of audio/video cassettes, overhead projectors, etc. The aim is to make learning as interesting as possible. The quality of foreign language courses should be judged from the point of view of exposure, faculty, teaching aids, practice and evaluation strategy adopted. Simply learning a foreign language or foreign languages is not enough. One should also keep in touch with the use of the language by reading and writing regularly. Establishing and maintaining communication with native speakers of foreign languages is helpful to understand and appreciate the finer nuances of the language that help to strengthen one’s command of it. Foreign language courses may be technically perfect, but they should also be supplemented by a lot of conversational practice.
Good dictionaries in the language (both general and technical) as well as dictionaries giving meanings of the words of a foreign language in English or any other foreign language are very useful. Establishing oneself in a freelance career using skill in foreign languages requires academic qualifications, dedicated hard work, keeping your eyes and ears open, enterprises, establishment and reinforcement of the right contacts.
Placement Prospects
Languages skills on their own may not automatically lead to interesting well-paid jobs. But there are many industries and professions with global reach which require or give preference to personnel who are not only trained to handle the technical or professional work but are also proficient in one or more foreign language/s. Some of these industries are : banking, insurance, shipping, aviation, travel and tourism, media, and telecommunications. In these industries, marketing as well as technical and secretarial staff can be better performers with language skills. At higher levels the level of profeiciency is not so important but at the same time language skills in general terms are important.
Languages open up vital sources of business information and also enable the indigenous companies to provide information to potential markets and customers abroad. Exporting companies require such language skills from the initial offer in their sales literature to subsequent correspondence, telephone calls and negotiations leading to an agreement, which is then confirmed in a contract. Throughout the process a company cannot afford to rely on the hired linguist so those who are involved in international business should aim to develop foreign language skills.
For positions of receptionists, telephone operators and secretaries in companies with international presence and interaction, preference would be given to candidates with additional language skills.
Hotels, tour operators, travel agents, airlines, embassies, also require some employees with foreign language skills to be useful for foreign customer/business interaction.
In the global marketplace professionals such as lawyers, architects, accountants, scientists, librarians, engineers, medical personnel, and public service workers would also need to build up skills in foreign languages related to countries or nations with which they are required to conduct business. Diplomatic staff find it useful to pick up foreign languages during their stints to various countries.
Foreign correspondents in a news agency are better off having proficiency in the local language of the country they report from. This allows them to imbibe the local flavour of the foreign environment and report more authenitically by better interaction with the local population. Being able to speak the interviewees language while conducting interviews with foreign personalities eminent in fields that are of importance to our country would be an asset.
International organizations like UN and its agencies prefer professionals with multi-lingual skills.
Setting up an agency providing language services such as translating, interpreting, teaching and training is challenging, interesting and lucrative. One has to handle it right, locate in a city with good potential for business (major commercial/diplomatic centres) and offer efficient, reliable service. Tourist centres and commercial centres of the country offer the maximum number of opportunities to those proficient in foreign languages. Each career requires a different approach and you should be prepared to make the proper adjustments for it. The most lucrative opening in teaching foreign languages is in the area of private tuition where an hour’s tuition may fetch Rs.300 per hour quite easily. Remunaration for translations may work out between Rs.350 to Rs.1000 per page or even upward of that depending upon the nature, importance, urgency and intricacy of the matter to be translated. For interpreting assignments remuneration could depend upon various factors such as delicacy, intricacy, urgency, nature and extent of specialization involved. Interpreters may be paid upward of Rs.500 per hour. Monetary rewards in the profession of a linguist may be quite high but it depends on the quality of work involved, its importance, urgency and the type of service rendered.
Career Progression
The right type of training, enterprise, initiative and being known in the right circles governs success in this field. Freelancers have a lot of freedom in functioning and can earn a good income from short. The right type of training, enterprise, initiative and being known in the right circles governs success in this field. Freelancers have a lot of freedom in functioning and can earn a good income from short-term assignments. If they have able to do justice to one assignment, word will go round and help them in getting more business. Advancement in teaching may lead to senior position in the department or in the university. Successful assignments fetch more work for interpreters and translators. After due recognition they may head divisions in their companies. Freelance linguists may set up their own agency by employing other foreign language specialists as they get work in increasing volumes and more variety.
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