coastwatch Mumbai, Friday, October 12, 2007. DNA Time to learn a foreign tongue.

Knowing various languages is lucrative and could also lead you to your dream career.

Westcoast Correspondent

There is much more to foreign languages, than interpreting and translating. Dubbing, providing subtitles for films, doing voiceovers and of course, teaching in prominent foreign languages can pay you more than 50,000 per month. The demand of professionals speaking foreign languages in sectors like the corporate sector or the hotel industry is only growing.

Spanish

“There is always a requirement of Spanish translators and interpreters who co-ordinate and make things easy for those who belong to the corporate world, and don’t know the language. Freelance translators are needed by multi-national companies on a regular basis, even for housewives, learning Spanish is a good deal, as you can work from home,” says Dinesh Govindani, Spanish tutor.

He has been teaching the language for seventeen years. His students include nine-year-olds to sixty five-year olds. He listed out other fields where Spanish holds great importance. They are the hotel industry, shipping industry, navy and the film industry (subtitles, voice over, dubbing).

Chinese

Prashant Gangar, proprietor, Global Education Institute believes that Chinese is significant for
those who deal in import and export. He says, “Chinese manufactured items, be it gift items or
electronics are exported to India. People in this particular sector can do better business if they
can speak and understand Mandarin, a Chinese dialect.” He also maintains that to be able to
communicate properly can make you more approachable and preferable to other clients.

Russian

“Students, especially medical students who find it difficult to get a seat in Indian medical colleges, can easily get placed in medial institutes in Russia as the Russian MBBS degree is equivalent to that of India,” explains Gangar. He also adds that biomedical students who speak Russian can study in Russia.

German

German language has been mandatory for all those who belong to the aviation industry. “A tourist guide is a great option available for all those who can converse in German. Tourism in European countries is a lucrative career prospect, and Indians who speak German are always a step ahead,” says Gangar.

Japanese and French

Gangar also adds, “Learning languages like Japanese and French will fetch you creamy jobs in multi-national companies. Software engineers who are fluent in French and Japanese have better career prospects.”

Places to learn foreign languages

• Academia De Esponol, Andheri (W) for Spanish
• German by Maxmeuller at Sathe College Vile Parle
• Global Education Institute, JP Road, Andheri (W). The institute teaches French, Spanish, Russian
• Portuguese, Japanese, Arabic, Italian and German.
• Bright Institute, Borivli (E). The institute teaches all the languages mentioned above.