Earlier, teaching was the traditional choice of language graduates, but things have undergone a sea change and a wide variety of lucrative careers is available.

To become a General Translator you should have excellent writing skills and a strong vocabulary in at least two languages. This profession poses various challenges because different languages generally do not have same syntactical pattern and many words and phases do not have equivalents in other languages.

In recent years the need to translate reports, contracts and various business documents for MNCs set up in India has grown many folds. This kind of translation is Technical Translation. The corporate houses approach various translation centres for this purpose.

The job of interpretation involves a lot of trust because it is the interpreter only who knows the crux of the conversation which is going on. Further, the interpreter must possess very high proficiency over the language concerned because unlike the translator he does not enjoy the facility of a dictionary. The work has to be done on the instant. A good awareness of the current developments and the familiarity with new technical terms would definitely help them in being more successful. Generally, interpreters find job as tourist guides. After specialisation they can also work at international seminars and meetings.

When recorded audio reports are translated into text format, the process is known as transcription. With more and more professionals relying on skilled transcriptionists, it has become a very fast growing industry. The most popular job of medical transcriptionist, requires a knowledge of medical terms and familiarity with the American accent is essential.

Teaching is the most traditional choice of a language graduate and still is very popular. Various schools, colleges and specialised language institutions provide different avenues to the graduates. After acquiring experience you can also prepare teaching materials like books and CDs. Teaching can also be done on a freelance basis. Proficiency in at least two languages and possession of excellent communication skills is a must to become a successful language teacher. He/She should also be able to work under pressure. And with time the deemand for language teachers is ever increasing.

Apart from the aforementioned options, people with a knowledge of a foreign language can find jobs as airhostess and flight stewards. For all those executives and students who wish to travel to the non - English speaking countries for either work or further studies, the knowledge of a relevant foreign language is a must. It can also prove beneficial to those businessmen who intend to expand their business.

There are only a few institutes which insist on completion of Plus Two, otherwise, most of them do not have any eligibility criteria for admission.

Remuneration in this field depends upon the employer, skills and experience. The nature of job also makes a difference. For example, a translator can expect to earn between Rs.150 to Rs. 300 per page for Indian languages, between Rs. 300 to Rs. 500 for popular foreign languages such as French and German, and upto Rs. 750 per page for Japanese or Arabic.
People wishing to make a career in this field must have the aptitude to grasp the use of language. They need to have adaptability, good people's skill and an attitude for reaching out. It takes time to gain proficiency in language hence patience and perseverance is required.

Employment Opportunities:

Language specialist can find ample opportunities in Travel and Tourism industry,
Mass Communication, Embassy and Diplomatic services, Public Relations Assignments.
UNO also appoints Interpreters and Translators in Six official languages for which an Entrance
Exam is conducted.
Translators are employed by Industries, government departments, international organisatons and research organisations.
Language Teaching is also an area where language specialists can find a good job opportunity.
Language specialists can also work as free lancers.

Courses Offered:

A 3 year Bachelors degree course in foreign language.
A 5 year Integrated Masters course in foreign language.
Various Diploma/Certificate courses.

Languages: Japanese, Italian, German, Russian, Chinese, Spanish, Persian, Arabic and French.

Where To Study:

School of Languages - Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages (CIEFL) - Hyderbad
Benaras Hindu University - Varanasi
University of Delhi - New Delhi
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Jawaharlal Nehru Academy of Languages - New Delhi
Alliance Francasie - 15 branches across the country.
Max Mueller Bhavan- major metros.
Indo - Italian Chamber of Commerce - Mumbai
Japanese Information and Cultural Centre - New Delhi
International Institute of Tamil Sciences - Chennai
Eastern Regional Languages Centre - Bhubaneswar
Ram Krishna Mission - Kolkata
Urdu Training and Research Centre - Lucknow
Western Regional Language Centre - Pune.