Foreign language is vital, not just to communicate

Rajarshi Chatterjee is paid to travel the world. His passion for the Japanese language took him to several countries across the globe. But in 1997, when he learned Japanese in Kolkata, little did he imagine his language job as a freelance interpreter would fund his travel adventures too.

Jaya Choudhury, the lead faculty of Spanish at Sister Nivedita University (SNU), Kolkata, has another story to tell. Even 10 years ago, Choudhury said the teaching options in foreign languages in the city were limited. “Today, almost all private universities and schools have included foreign language in their curriculum. The opportunities have doubled,” she said.

Of course, learning a language boosts memory, increases cultural awareness, helps in multitasking, enhances decision-making skills, makes us more relevant and competitive, and opens up travel opportunities. But then, as the world becomes more globalised and integrated, learning a foreign language also adds to the resume and helps us with better career choices.

Learning a foreign language

Languages are a means of communication. With the Indian diaspora being at the forefront of some of the leading companies in the world, today the language barrier has been shattered. As India emerges as a major global economic player, it is important to know multiple languages to equip ourselves. Just relying on the native language isn’t enough if you want your career to soar high.

“Today, education is not only degree-oriented. Students are more inclined towards practical knowledge also. Given an increase in job opportunities in a foreign language, there’s a demand among Indian students to learn multiple languages,” said Choudhury, who received the West Bengal Bangla Akademi’s Leela Roy Memorial Award for her contribution to Bengali literature through translations. She has translated as many as 18 books from Spanish to Bengali.

“A new language opens doors that are quite lucrative career-wise. In the case of the French language for example, we have had a teaching assistant programme running for many years wherein fresh graduates can gain a year of work experience in teaching English in French schools right after college, provided they obtain a B1 level. The French Embassy has also invested in a portal francealumni.fr that is used by French companies based in India to hire French-educated or French-speaking job seekers. These are opportunities that would not be available to someone who doesn’t speak French,” said Nicolas Facino, director of Alliance française du Bengale.

Opportunities galore

Imagine you hold an MBA degree and work for a renowned MNC. But having a foreign language on your resume will increase your chances to prosper and get you more points in your appraisal. Also, with globalisation, people, companies, and economies are more interconnected than ever before. Today, many companies seek additional talents apart from your core area of expertise.

Earlier, we saw foreign language learners mostly find jobs as translators and interpreters. Today, with companies expanding business overseas and dealing with international clients, the job market for a foreign language specialist has increased manifold.

In fact, many firms like Samsung, Infosys, Amazon, TCS, IBM, Fujitsu Technology, HCL, and Accenture have started evaluating employees based on their foreign language expertise.

“A career in academia has always been an option. But some career options exist today that weren’t there 20 years ago. Tourism is another high-paying sector where there is a dearth of foreign language specialists. This could be as tour guides, marketing, and hotel concierge. But by far the biggest employer has been the likes of Amazon and TCS, looking for French-speaking workers to handle clients based in France or Francophone regions. The domains they serve are across the board, from banking to engineering,” said Facino of Alliance française du Bengale.

The School of Languages — Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture teaches nearly 19 languages, including 14 foreign and five indigenous to India. From Ancient Greek, Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Portuguese, Persian, and Russian to Spanish, the institute has also introduced Tibetan in this session. Next session onwards, Bali will also be taught.

“From MNCs, the hotel industry, IT sector to the medical and education sector, the jobs for foreign language experts have escalated over the years. Foreign language specialists translate Spanish medical documents into English too. Also, universities and schools have several international exchange programmes, which will help students if they know the foreign language,” said Shri Krishna Mandal of the School of Languages.

Choudhury said in the last 10 years, the demand for foreign languages has increased by at least 25 per cent in Kolkata. “English is the most popular language, and now we see how the people of Latin American countries are also interested in learning the language. So, if you know Spanish and English well, you can join the workforce in these countries to teach them English. But remember, a mere certificate in a foreign language is not enough. Dedication is the key,” she said.

Chatterjee said during Covid-19, online tourism gave a lot of opportunities to interpreters. “Today, companies are looking to hire a multi-skilled workforce. So, there’s a demand for foreign language experts in tourism, academia, content writing, and international business,” he said.

Sharmili Shah, principal, Orchids The International School, Newtown, Kolkata, highlights how knowing a foreign language can make a job seeker more competitive in the employment market, especially if the language is in high demand in their field of work. “This is particularly true for jobs in industries like tourism, hospitality, international trade, diplomacy and international relations, teaching, research and media,” she said.

Languages in demand

French, Spanish, German, Mandarin, Japanese and now Korean seem to be very much in demand these days among Indians.

“South Korea is becoming popular as a higher study destination for students. So, we have seen a spike in learning the Korean language of late. French, Spanish and German have always been the hot favourites. But now, we are also noticing a trend to study Japanese,” said Mondal of the School of Languages, RKM Institute of Culture. Choudhury also echoed similar views and said how the popularity of K-dramas and BTS increased the demand for Korean among Indian students.

Chatterjee said with Germany attracting a chunk of Indian students, the demand to learn the language is pretty high. “From engineering, law and social sciences to mathematics, Germany provides a lot of benefits to Indian students and hence the demand,” he added.

Facino informed how the tuition fees are heavily subsidised for students who speak French. In fact, more than 500 scholarships are on offer for Indian students departing for France. “As an example, an engineering course at a private university in France should be in the bracket of Rs 6-8 lakh per annum. The same in a public university that teaches in French is capped at just Rs 2 lakh for bachelor’s degrees and sometimes is even free. French speakers are also preferred for scholarships,” said the director of Alliance française du Bengale.

Foreign language in schools

Today, not only several universities and academies are offering courses to learn a foreign language in six to 12 months, many renowned varsities in India have on offer full-time courses in a foreign language. So, one not only learns how to communicate in a foreign language but also receives a professional degree. Several schools in India and Kolkata are also making foreign languages a part of the curriculum.

“At Orchids The International School, Newtown, we offer French classes to students from grade 5, an optional subject that we highly recommend children go for. Foreign language learning is not mandatory in Indian schools and is offered as an elective subject in most institutes. Commonly taught foreign languages in Indian schools include French, German, Spanish and Chinese, with some schools also offering Japanese and Russian,” said the school principal.

Rumjhumi Biswas, principal of Swarnim International School, Kolkata, informed us how the institute is planning to introduce French and German from class VI onwards. “It not only increases the number of people a student can communicate with but also opens up more job opportunities, improving life and career. It also helps students to be more confident and allows studying abroad, opening their minds to the whole wide world. In this era of interconnectedness, learning languages can help