Foreign Language as an Career Option

Learning another language is exciting as well as challenging at the same time. You don’t only learn a language but you also learn the culture of that specific region. In India only there are many schools that are teaching students different languages. There are plethora of private institution and online classes to teach aspirants foreign language. There is been a question about what career option to choose after 12th.

Well, is learning foreign language so important?

With the knowledge of government service, social work, journalism, public relations, the travel industry, library service, philosophy, telecommunications and many others. The world is now a global village and MNCs today work in multi-cultural space. Professionals visit and often stay in different countries for months, even years. Knowledge and proficiency in foreign languages can be of immense benefit for them, as it will help in better communication, a better understanding of cultures and in turn better business. Top MNCs like Accenture, Evalueserve, Wipro, Fiserv, TCS, Tech Mahindra. Infosys. Kuliza and Scabbard hire polyglots in large numbers. The scope for foreign language experts are numerous and include job positions in multinational companies and corporate giants. Language skills are now acknowledged as essential for advancement in career.

Which language to learn?

Top 4 foreign languages with the most speakers (Natives and Non-Natives) are Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, and French.I have not considered Hindi and English since both are official languages of the Government of India. There is no national language, as declared by the Constitution of India.

German and Japanese are also popular in India since Germany and Japan’s economy are highly developed and offer lots of career possibilities in India and abroad.Over the last few years, the demand for Portuguese, Italian, Korean, and Russian is also growing in India for multiple reasons.

Yet, one of the most prevailed and trending languages are given below:

FRENCH

French is the most popular foreign language to learn in India.

Since French is the part of most School and College curriculum, More than 1 lakh students are studying French in Delhi / NCR only. Add other Indian cities, and the number will be staggering high.

French is also one of the best foreign languages to learn for jobs in corporate sectors in India.

Many multinational companies use French as their working language in a wide range of industries (fashion, education, banking and finance, export and import, traveling, retailing, education, automotive, luxury goods, aeronautics, etc.).

GERMAN

Even though German is not widely spoken, such as French, Spanish, Arabic, or Chinese.

It is still the second most popular foreign language in India after French.

The most spoken mother tongue in Europe. It is the official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and more.

Germany is an economic powerhouse. And the ability to speak German offers plenty of job opportunities in many big German companies such as Volkswagen, BASF, Daimler, BMW, Bosch, Siemens, etc. German is a top choice in the field of Science, Engineering, Automobile, etc.

The German language is part of an academic curriculum in more than 500 Schools and Colleges in India, including more than 250 Kendriya Vidyalayas alone.

“First Move advantage” — Like French, the German Government initiated to promote German in India several decades back. In 1957, the first “Max Mueller Bhavan” was inaugurated in Kolkata. The first German lessons in India were imparted in Pune and Mumbai in 1914 (more than a century back).

Germany’s universities have an excellent international reputation and among the best in the world. Thanks to a wide array of scholarships, proficiency in German plays a vital role if you’re planning to go to Germany or Austria for higher studies.

SPANISH

With 20 Spanish-speaking countries, It is one of the most widely spoken languages globally.

The Spanish language is the third most popular foreign language to learn after French and German.

There are multiple reasons to learn Spanish.

Numerous career paths like Travel and Tourism, journalism, foreign service, international business, jobs in BPO, translation, interpretation, language teaching, for which proficiency in spoken and written Spanish can be a valuable asset.

There is a growing business relationship between India and Hispanic countries, especially South and Central America. Besides, in the USA, it is the second most spoken language.

The popularity of Spanish Football, Music, and Movies are a few more reasons people opt for Spanish courses in India.

JAPANESE

Demand for the Japanese language is high due to growing India-Japan relations and Japanese companies expanding Indian operations.

Japan is synonymous with high quality and technologically advanced products.

Japanese is the most popular choice among East Asian languages in India.

Since Japanese has a reputation for being difficult to learn, thus, there is less competition for job positions with Japanese-speaking applicants.

If you’re looking for a foreign language that is highly paid in India, then Japanese is the language that gets you paid the most in India and abroad.

The career Scope of Japanese is astonishing if you accomplish a high level of proficiency like JLPT N2.

MANDARIAN CHINESE

More than a billion people speak Mandarin Chinese in the world.

The 21st century belongs to China, and knowing the Chinese language will allow you to compete effectively in the global economy of the future.

China has become an enormous market, and International businesses and companies are looking for people who can talk in Chinese and operate successfully in China’s cultural context.

Since very few people speak Chinese in India, proficiency in Chinese may give you an edge when competing for a vital position in any firm.

Beyond above mentioned five most popular foreign languages in India, the following five other useful foreign languages are Portuguese, Russian, Italian, Arabic, and Korean

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