Many people love learning languages or would like to learn a language and
use their language skills in a job. In today’s global economy the demand for
language skills continues to grow as governments, businesses and
organisations build relationships with foreign interests.
Learning a language is beneficial in employment for two
reasons; 1) it offers those in established careers the chance to progress
either through gaining promotions or international travel and experience,
and 2) it opens doors to new careers and employment opportunities.
This article will look at the range of jobs learning a
language can offer.
International Organisations
International organisations such as the United Nations,
World Trade Organisation, the Red Cross, and Amnesty International will
always need people with language skills for a range of functions from
administrative work to management. Most will need a cross section of
language skills plus many speakers in the main international languages such
as English, French, Spanish and Arabic.
The Foreign Service
National governments demand huge numbers of foreign language
speakers for their Foreign Service departments. Working for the Foreign
Service could mean living and working abroad in an embassy, liaising with
counterparts in other countries, listening to intelligence reports in
foreign languages and translating them and conducting research in foreign
languages.
The Foreign Service is usually a challenge to get into;
however, it is well known that language skills help bolster applicants’
profiles.
Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Industries
Speaking a foreign language makes you a good candidate for
positions within the tourism and hospitality industries.
Many companies send staff to man local offices abroad, which
means speakers of the native languages are required. In addition, the
international nature of such companies usually means they have a global
presence and that staff with language skills are critical to their day to
day operations and future expansion.
Even at home, where hotels, leisure complexes, restaurants
receive large numbers of foreign visitors, speakers of foreign languages are
needed to offer good customer service.
Translation & Interpreting
Once language skills have reached a good level, translating
and interpreting become an option.
Translators deal with written materials and typically
translate texts from a source language into their own native language.
Translators usually need qualifications or accreditation, but once this is
achieved it is easy to register with a number of translation agencies that
pass on work to freelancers. After some time many translators become
specialised in certain fields such as software, law or social sciences.
Similarly, interpreters, who deal with spoken language, also
need qualifications and most importantly experience. Interpreters can also
register with agencies that use them for interpreting projects. Interpreters
work in two ways: 1) Simultaneous - the interpreter translates in real time
such as in conferences. 2) Consecutive – the interpreter listens to a
section of speech, waits for the speaker to pause, then translates such as
in business meetings.
Teaching
Many speakers of foreign languages go into teaching.
Teaching not only offers the chance to pass on knowledge of a language, but
also to constantly practice it.
Teachers can work at a variety of different institutions
such as private language schools, government schools or adult education
colleges. Languages are taught to a range of age groups from kindergarten to
adults. Once teachers have developed their skills they may also gain more
qualifications and/or specialise in areas such as Business French or Spanish
and law.
The above examples of jobs are but a few of the
possibilities available to speakers of foreign languages. The variety points
to the fact that learning a language opens up many doors in relation to
employment and careers development. So if you would like to advance in your
career or considering a new line of work, why not consider learning a
language?
Neil Payne runs Kwintessential, a cross cultural
communication consultancy. Visit the site at:
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/cultural-services/intercultural-training.html
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