There are plenty of good reasons to learn a foreign language in India.
Of all the people I’ve surveyed, met, taught, and listened to over fifteen years, a career is the most decisive factor in people choosing to study a new language.
Introduction
Languages are central to communication across all aspects of human endeavor, including the social, economic, and political spheres.
With modern-day Indians emerging as global players in the socio-economic landscape, it has become necessary for every individual to be well-equipped.
Maintaining parity with the rest of the world’s multinational and international players is mission-critical. One can accomplish this through the rudiments of communication, which lie in the invaluable process of using multiple languages.
Gone are the days of relying on one’s native language to communicate with people, especially in business dealings.
The rapid advancement of technology has made the world a global village. Now, more than ever, the language barrier must be broken.
To remain competitive and enhance your career opportunities and job prospects, you must communicate effectively to facilitate unimpeded business connections.
This is where learning a new language has become a growing trend in India, offering career opportunities in foreign languages.
Why is Learning Foreign Languages Important in India?
People don’t jump on the bandwagon of learning foreign languages in India for the fun of it.
There has been a steady increase in business interrelationships, accelerating globally at an unprecedented rate. Indian companies and entrepreneurs operating in the country are no different.
Companies such as Amazon, Infosys, Samsung, TCS, HCL, LG, L&T, IBM, Genpact, Fujitsu Technology, Accenture, and Geometric Ltd., among others, are now evaluating employees based on their language proficiency.
Significant incentives for learning additional foreign languages include on-site opportunities and increased job openings across various industries.
It also increases the salary level relative to that of regular graduates and the ease of doing business with counterparts and other stakeholders abroad.
If you want to earn extra cash from your peers, learn a foreign language.
For instance, IBM recently published a LinkedIn advertisement stating, “A core developer is needed, with proficiency in French.”
Imagine if a renowned tech giant like IBM made a foreign language a prerequisite for an equally important job.
It speaks volumes about the importance of learning foreign languages. That is why so many Indians are taking foreign language classes these days.
Following the rise of globalization, knowing only the mother tongue is no longer sufficient.
Your engineering degree or MBA may no longer earn as much cash as a foreign language, especially Mandarin, German, Russian, Japanese, Spanish, or French.
The entire business environment is driven by a substantial demand for foreign-language experts, translators, trainers, and software developers.
You must recognize the importance of learning a foreign language to compete effectively and increase your chances of achieving your career goals.
The Career Mindset
There are several benefits to learning foreign languages. However, the career scope is the most inspiring reason why so many students are interested in it.
We identified two main categories of language learners. These are;
1. People learn a foreign language because it offers them a better career opportunity to gain employment.
2. People start studying a language because of personal reasons. It includes migration to other countries, hobbies, travel, peer-group influence, and access to music, movies, and literature in different languages.
At some point, they decided it was a good idea to use what they had learned to start a career or further the objectives of an existing profession.
These two reasons can be referred to as “extrinsic and intrinsic” inspirations for foreign language learning.
Approximately 200 Chinese firms operate in India alone, and approximately 5,000 Japanese firms do so as well.
More than 2,00,000 people with proficiency in various languages are required for employment opportunities in India.
Furthermore, the demand for bilingual credibility has been increasing, with rates exceeding 20% each year.
Career in Foreign Languages
There are many foreign languages you can learn. However, there are many factors to consider when choosing the right language to learn.
The five most popular foreign languages for study in India are Mandarin Chinese, French, German, Spanish, and Japanese.
These languages are considered among the most sought after for career prospects, employment opportunities, and immigration.
However, other foreign languages in India are attracting increasing attention from individuals in India and abroad.
These are Russian, Dutch, Portuguese, Arabic, Italian, Persian, Korean, and others.
Job Opportunities After Learning Foreign Languages
Academic qualifications and adequate proficiency in foreign languages are key to opening a large-scale door to a career in vital sectors.
It includes tourism, diplomatic services, embassies, journalism, mass communication, public relations, entertainment, arts, publishing, interpretation and translation, and federal and international organizations.
It also enables collaboration with multinational corporations (MNCs) and specialized government agencies.
India is the third fastest-growing economy in the world.
India’s high expectations will expand the business and bilateral trade links with many countries in Europe, Africa, Latin America, and Asia in the coming years.
A process that is already in full swing today.
Amid the global economic slowdown, the country seeks to diversify away from reliance on traditional markets, such as the USA and Europe.
Thousands of Indian firms are becoming more proactive—re-strategizing their business outlook across all sectors.
Most Indian businesses are now seeking new business opportunities in Manufacturing, IT, KPO, BPO, Pharmaceuticals, hospitality, Healthcare, Education, media, and BFSI.
While many of these new markets can boast essential consumption patterns, English may not be the primary language of transition and conversion in these markets.
Thus, knowing a local language in non-English-speaking countries is becoming an indispensable factor for Indian firms seeking to do business abroad.
These firms need to improve their business. The only way to do so is to hire personnel who are fluent in the foreign language relevant to their business interests.
This explains the sustained rise in demand for employees with foreign-language credentials among Indian companies. This applies to overseas trading and to non-Indian businesses operating in the country.
Below are additional pros of learning foreign languages.
1. Become a Translator, Interpreter, or Teacher
With your knowledge of a foreign language, you can work as a translator or interpreter for a company or as an independent freelancer as a language expert.
There are many opportunities for translators and interpreters in India today, owing to the increasing presence of foreign firms and the outsourcing of large-scale projects to Indian companies by their European and American counterparts.
Acting as an interpreter or a translator can be very lucrative, depending on how experienced you are. You can also work for media houses, tourist centers, sports clubs, or international companies.
The career options of translator and interpreter are popular among students pursuing language courses, owing to numerous job opportunities.
There are also career opportunities for editors, proofreaders, content writers, teachers, lecturers, and corporate language trainers.
The possibilities are just infinite.
2. Work for the Immigration / Customs Services
It is one area in which you can flourish handsomely with your knowledge of a foreign language.
Language Jobs in embassies or Government agencies, such as immigration and customs departments, will find your resume attractive given your foreign language skills.
Imagine you qualify as a Spanish specialist. The government seeks personnel to fill various positions in the nation’s embassies.
It can be in any Spanish-speaking territory, like Latin America and Spain itself. As a result, your resume will receive priority, among others, ahead of others who don’t have such a qualification.
Moreover, if you decide to travel or conduct business in countries such as Spain or Latin America, your knowledge of Spanish would open doors of opportunity.
It will also equip you with equal negotiation and communication skills when dealing with business partners and prospects.
3. Jobs in MNC, KPO, BPO, & IT
ITES (Information Technology Enabled Services), the offshoring industry, and Outsourcing have created numerous job opportunities, thereby facilitating the study of foreign languages in India.
Adding it to your CV is a surefire way to get a decent job in BPO and MNC.
Jobs could involve speaking skills, information collection, document preparation in the relevant language, voice-based employment, training, and transactions. Other work includes data processing, migration processes, quality management, and email support services.
Indian companies have strong expertise in providing a range of BPO and KPO services across multiple verticals.
Multilingual call center services are provided to multiple offshore companies across the financial, telecommunications, medical, insurance, and banking sectors.
Today, there is a high demand for foreign-language experts in Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, and other parts of the country.
The minimum salary range for 0-2 years of experience or Freshers is 3.5 to 6 lakhs per annum.
A foreign language expert’s salary is generally 25% to 40% higher than that of their English-speaking counterparts.
4. Hospitality, Travel & Tourism
There is never a time when people don’t move.
There is always an exodus of people from different nations to other countries, especially during the holidays and winter.
Millions of people visit India as tourists every year. However, most of them do not speak English or understand Hindi.
Attraction centers, shopping malls, and 3-, 4-, and 5-star hotels and suites require staff who can communicate fluently with the thousands of visitors who patronize these establishments.
With your language skills, you might be the customer service staff they need.
Your multilingual credentials can get you hired just about anywhere that has to do with clients and foreign-origin customers.
There are numerous career options in Tourism for language learners.
5. Reap big from the Import & Export Sector
The world has become increasingly interconnected due to the digitization of the global economy.
These have created significant opportunities for businesses engaged in various forms of import and export.
The majority of large corporations in India now prefer to hire individuals who can speak additional languages beyond their native language.
For example, your knowledge of Chinese will open up career opportunities to export goods or services from India to China. You will also deal with companies in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mongolia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand.
These are the places where the language is spoken as a first or second language.
Employers who conduct business with these countries will consider your Mandarin expertise a major plus.
On the other hand, you might decide to go solo by doing business with corporations in the places mentioned above — acting as their rep here in India.
It is a win-win for you, anytime, anywhere.
Final Thought
The career scope of foreign languages is on the rise. The trend will continue until the “alien takeover” is complete (pardon my pun).
Now that you know what career reasons and benefits await you in the corporate world.
Why don’t you start a class in one of the languages mentioned in this article?
Don’t forget. You can’t lose out on knowing one or more foreign languages; you will always win.
LanguageNext offers a wide range of French and Spanish at our foreign language institute in Noida.