Job prospects vary from secretarial, executive and public relation assignments
as well 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. Companies
such as HP, Oracle, Samsung, Hyundai, LG, Thomson, GE, Aventis, Moulinex
etc are employing language experts. Other job opportunities for a language
specialist are travel and tourism sector, hotel industry, exhibitions
and fairs, airline offices, export agencies, radio stations, trade organizations
and teaching. For pursuing a career in teaching, a teacher should be a
graduate in that foreign language and must have a teaching degree.
Nature of Work
Opportunities for regular employment are few ,attaining professional qualification
in foreign languages, one can work in the following areas.
TEACHING: The most common of all the available career options in foreign
language is teaching. language. As a teacher, a person get enough opportunities
to increase the skills. As far as teaching jobs are concerned, many institutions
are offering courses in foreign languages and so jobs exists at all levels.
Those reluctant to engage themselves in a full-time profession, can take
private tuition as well.
INTERPRETERS AND TRANSLATORS: Interpreters and translators both need
to have a good command over two or more languages. Interpreters job relates
to interpreting spoken words of one language into another, therefore needs
to have not only good command over the language but have excellent verbal
communication skills.
The job of an interpreter can be of different types. Sometimes they
are engaged in simultaneous interpretation, which is used for meetings,
conferences, speeches etc. Here the interpreters sits in a sound proof
room and listens to speeches and almost spontaneously interprets it in
the target language into a microphone. The other type of interpreting
are consecutive interpreting and liaison interpreting. Consecutive interpreting
goes on during formal speeches where the speaker halts for a while when
the interpreter interprets the spoken statements to the audience. Liaison
interpreting is to facilitate conversation between to people knowing different
languages. Interpreters accompany business groups and official delegations
on overseas trips and are in great demand for technical translation.
Translation work can be related to a variety of fields like technical,
scientific literary or business. Translators work on books, scripts, articles
and translate them into specified languages. Apart from having linguistic
skills, a translator must possess adequate knowledge in the area of the
work so as to maintain the style and essence of the original text.
FREELANCING: Often, after pursuing courses in foreign languages, people
like to work as freelancers. These people get work in translation bureaus,
research organisations, international organisations like UNO, FAO, foreign
companies, Reserve Bank of India, publishing houses etc. Expertise in
foreign language coupled with other additional qualifications in areas
like management, tourism, hospitality industry, airlines can be even fruitful
and better the chances for employment opportunities.
