9 Excellent Career Ideas For Foreign Language Learners

A famous playwright George Bernard Shaw once said, “Happy is the man who can make a living by his hobby.”This saying stands vindicated even after ages and also strikes a chord with almost all minds.

Hobby is a means of obtaining happiness and putting the spare time to best possible use, for activities that are inherently creative and are aimed at granting a feeling of relaxation to one’s mind.There has been abundant research and hardcore scientific facts been furnished till date to underline the exceedingly positive effects that hobbies have on a person’s mental health,confidence and his productivity.But though one is informed about all of its benefits and even when it grants immense satisfaction when pursued, one is unable to carve out time and energy from excruciating schedules and overwhelming work obligations in today’s day and age.

But, what if one converts his favorite pastime into a full-fledged business or a job that also presents a hefty salary? What can be more pleasurable than pursuing a job that stems from inherent interests and passion! It is impossible to overstate the job satisfaction, freedom he would experience by devoting most of his time to the hobby and his mind would be flooded with creative ideas. He would never be exhausted by his work however tough or time consuming it may be.

All hobbies, though, are surely not monetizable. There are only some which are valuable as a business idea and thus, attract major employments too.

A GRATIFYING HOBBY AND ALSO A SPRINGBOARD FOR A DREAM JOB-

One of such hobbies which fits the bill and also, illuminates the creative facet of an individual is learning multiple foreign languages.Language is the most vital tool for communication.Every human being is born without the understanding of any languages, but he learns it within a short span; because it is the sole medium for expression.But in today’s era, knowing several languages has become more than just “important” with the world coming closer and people from all over the globe crossing paths.It renders multiple benefits and advantages in the long run.

THE PRESSING NEED FOR MULTIPLE FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN TODAY’S ERA-

The corporate world is changing rapidly today and with the era of globalization kicking in, more and more enterprises are looking to expand their businesses overseas with international clients.And thus, they are scouting for professionals who can interact seamlessly with their counterparts in international markets.The employers definitely look for an individual who has a sense of that particular foreign culture along with a strong lingual basis.These advanced lingual skills are extremely valuable in marketing, sales or any supply chain management jobs.Also,many opportunities in finance,hospitality,import export,design,health,social work,tourism,international trade,journalism,education are grabbed by candidates who are mostly found to be multilingual.

Although English is widely referred to as an universal language, a significant percentage of the world population does not relate to English as their first language.In-fact, according to 2013 American community survey, 20.8% respondents recorded that they spoke a language other than English.Also, now, with the developing economies attracting companies like Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Korea, students who study a new language have a competitive edge over others.

When an employee has a firm grasp on the required foreign language, he can freely communicate with all international clients and thus can understand their psychology and work ethic very well, thus facilitating work relations and eventually leading to remarkable progress of the organization and also to the employee being conferred with special recognition or promotions.

MARKETING SECTOR-

Knowing the client’s local language is crucial to find success in foreign markets.Diverse customers cannot be served well if the language barrier is evident.Companies also prefer to resort to the local language off potential customers to launch effective marketing campaigns, demanding well trained, multifaceted marketing personnel and thus creating many employment opportunities.

FOR THE EMPLOYERS-

As an employer, knowing multiple foreign languages will help in retaining the staff for longer duration, improve services for consumers and thus, in turn increase the revenue of the organization.For instance, if any employee whose language is not the same as others in the organization might feel ostracized and thus financials and morale of the organization are both left affected, due to lack of rapport. Thus, providing language training as per requirements proves to be of utmost importance for professional growth of employees and thus the company, in return.

HEALTHCARE-

In the arena of healthcare, language skills prove an asset, especially with advancements like telemedicine being seen today.Whether one aspires to travel abroad or to focus on the immediate community, he is never too far from an encounter with a patient who speaks another language. Speaking in the patient’s language promotes deep connection, decreases liability and thus ensures perfect results for a skilled professional.

TEACHING-

Also, with the advent of technology and a fundamental change in which people perceive online education, teaching always is the noble and good option for those who love interacting with students.Online platforms open the door much wider and do not limit interactions geographically.If one can teach a less common language, a huge user base heads his way easily.Traditional teaching jobs in schools, colleges or language coaching institutes also pay well and are a stable option.

INTERPRETATION-

If an individual is not quite into teaching, he can also look at another job where he needs to “bridge the languages.” He needs to facilitate communication between two parties who do not know each other’s languages. Interpreters, commonly present at pageants, courts,UN are expected to convert a language they hear immediately to a target language.

TRANSLATION-

Countless organizations are in search of translators for all sorts of reasons.Apart from literary translators appointed for rendering a piece of literature understandable to a target audience,many other specialized translators are constantly in demand in hospitals,universities,immigration etc.Employment of translators is projected to grow 17% over next ten years,much faster than average.

TOURISM INDUSTRY-

Foreign language repertoire can land one up in the lucrative job of tour guides.The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India grants licenses to linguistic guides on a regional basis after achieving fluency in any one foreign language.Prospects of job in the tourism industry are vast, especially if a person wishes to travel widely while also reaping big from it and thus, the job is very thrilling.

STABLE GOVERNMENT JOBS-

If one is in pursuit of a stable government job with good pay scales, the foreign services might just fit the bill.They can be stationed anywhere all over the world and thus, knowing widely spoken languages like Arabic, French, Mandarin, Spanish would set one apart from others.The world of espionage also presents some jobs for language experts with positions in STEM, analysis, support departments and more, with quite lucrative salaries.

RESEARCH-

If one has a scientific temperament, is into research and also has a passion for languages, he can make it big in the research sector. Large amounts of manuscripts lie unexplored and not recorded in today’s languages.If one has lingual skills; he would be able to make a great contribution to scientific documentation.

Also, fields like journalism, creative writing, and blogging offer remunerative opportunities to excel for a linguaphile.

VARIOUS COURSES OFFERED BY VARIED INSTITUTES-

The best thing is that these languages which furnish these many cognitive,cultural advantages and also opportunities of well-paid jobs in almost all major sectors could be learnt by sitting right at home.Online courses available today range from beginner courses to conversational courses to comprehensive ones which leave an individual fluent and proficient in that particular language,thus helping a student to dip his toes in the pool and decide the level of advancements he wants to achieve in that language.

There are many institutes that offer comprehensive language training,in many popular languages like German,French,Italian,Spanish,Chinese,Arabic etc.For instance,Goethe institute has a global reach and promotes knowledge of German language.In terms of formal education,many universities all over India provide certificate,diploma and degree courses in various languages.For example,Delhi University offers certificate,diploma and advanced diploma courses in German,French,Spanish and Italian languages.Also,the School of Asian Studies in Delhi University offers Diploma and Advanced diploma courses in Chinese,Japanese,Sanskrit,Urdu and Persian.

The system of learning these languages as a foreign language is very well designed with various levels differentiated according to syllabi that the student must be proficient in, if he has obtained certification for passing that level. In German language, for instance, levels from A1 to C2 are demarcated. For obtaining formal qualification, exams are conducted at the end of each level for all languages which test all required skills like reading, writing, speaking, listening etc.

BOOKS AND OTHER RESOURCES-

A great deal of textbooks written by highly trained native speakers and experienced teachers are available on various digital platforms.These textbooks explain all concepts of the language with the help of intriguing chapters, variety of exercises, supported by extra worksheets, videos, audio recordings and other online resources.For German language, books like “Komm mit”,”Deutsch Aktuell” prove extremely useful to give a solid basis of the language.

Some websites too help in a massive way to understand confusing concepts, find worksheets and practice all skills like speaking, reading and writing. Online sites open up the door for interactions with native speakers. Online material will prove a great supplement to the learning occurring in the classrooms.

Apart from these, several YouTube channels, apps of dictionaries in that language to English or any other regional language or vice versa, various newspapers in that language, various conversational aids along with movies or documentaries in that language would expose oneself to all aspects of that language, increase one’s vocabulary and enhance his conversational skills.

Thus,with countless resources at hand,one can surely be fluent and proficient at a foreign language,and thus can earn a dream job which offers attractive salaries,thrilling experiences,creative satisfaction of acquiring several skills in multiple languages,opportunities to frequently travel abroad,all packing up into a crackling career plan.

Pursuing a hobby is extremely gratifying, but making a remarkable career out of it with handsome pay cheques sounds much better. After all, merging passions with profession make a perfect recipe for success!