{"id":16037,"date":"2020-06-01T10:43:04","date_gmt":"2020-06-01T14:43:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.pimsleur.com\/?p=16037"},"modified":"2025-11-20T15:28:21","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T20:28:21","slug":"careers-in-languages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/blog\/careers-in-languages\/","title":{"rendered":"Dream Jobs for People with Language Skills"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Best Careers for Language Learners<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We all have our reasons\nfor studying a language. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe you want to travel the world or to understand arts and literature. Perhaps you have family reasons for picking up the study books. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having a reason to learn\nis fantastic and will help you stay disciplined in your study. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But have you considered one of the largest benefits of languages: the job opportunities that your second language opens to you? It\u2019s impressive how languages can benefit your career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s <\/strong>explore…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most Popular Careers in Languages<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Foreign Language Teacher<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Teaching languages is more than giving high school classes. From one-to-one Spanish tutoring to training adults in Russian business language, there are so many ways to enter the education sector. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right now, language\nteachers are in short supply. The United States, UK, Canada, and Ireland are\njust some of the locations desperate for secondary school language teachers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teaching is a\nworthwhile and rewarding career. Whether you\u2019re teaching kids or adults,\nwatching your students\u2019 knowledge grow, helping them to solve problems, and\nultimately reach their goals makes teaching one of the most feel-good careers\naround.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To become a high\nschool teacher, you\u2019ll normally need a bachelor\u2019s degree in a foreign language\nor linguistics. Other organizations will vary in their requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Translator<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If standing in front\nof a class every day leaves you in a cold panic, translation might be for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Translators are\nmasters at conveying the written word. Unlike interpreters, who work with\nspoken language only, the focus of a translator is to recreate a source text in\nanother language, matching it in conventions, style, and tone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While this is easy\nwith technical texts, some translations (for example in the fields of\nliterature or marketing) require a lot of cultural awareness to strike the same\nchord with the audience in the target language.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some translators choose to specialize in a certain industry, which can be anything from traditional fields like medical and legal translations to more modern niches such as computer games. Whatever your specialism, you will need to have a solid grasp of your second language and the culture of the countries where it is spoken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most translators are\nself-employed, meaning it\u2019s an ideal career if you dream of working from home,\nalthough there are agencies who employ translators also. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To work as a freelance\ntranslator you don\u2019t need any formal qualifications, but becoming certified by\nthe relevant professional body in your country (such as the ATA in the United\nStates) will give you an advantage when looking for work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interpreter<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We all see interpreters\nregularly in the media: interpreting at press conferences, translating interviews\non the news, or in large, multi-national institutions such as the United\nNations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like translators,\ninterpreters relay messages between speakers of two languages, but the\ndifference is they work with speech, instead of text.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many different\nsituations that need interpreters. They may be needed at a global conference,\nor an executive might require an interpreter to accompany them on a business\ntrip overseas. Interpreters also work in public service locations such as\ncourtrooms, immigration facilities, hospitals, police stations, and doctor\u2019s\nsurgeries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interpreters use their\ntechnical skills to listen to, translate and then relay the original message to\nthe recipient, bridging a language gap to enable two people to communicate with\neach other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To work as an\ninterpreter, you\u2019ll often need a bachelor\u2019s degree in languages or interpreting,\nor at least two years of experience through volunteering. Many governments\noffer diplomas in public service interpreting, to certify your abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Careers in Languages<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Outside of teaching, translating, and interpreting, there are a whole host of careers that you can explore if you speak another language. Here are just some of them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sales<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We live in a global economy, where doing business with companies the world over is widespread. Attending sales meetings with clients overseas is much easier if you know how to speak your client\u2019s language! Not to mention, you\u2019ll probably find it much easier to build relationships with your clients with your enhanced, bilingual communication skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tourism<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Multilingual people are in high demand in the tourism industry because they help employers connect with a wider range of customers. There are a variety of jobs available, from hospitality, to tour guide, to flight attendant\u2026 What\u2019s more, working in tourism is a great way to meet people from all over the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Journalism<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Language skills are in high demand among journalists. In a globalized world, we are more connected with other nations, meaning people with language skills are needed to research, interview, and write about news from every background. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benefits of Knowing a Second Language in Your Existing Job<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Experiencing how\nlanguages can benefit your career doesn\u2019t have to mean a completely new job. Learning\na second language can do wonders for the \u2018soft skills\u2019 that employers covet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next time you\u2019re\nlooking for promotion, why not consider the below list of skills you gain by\nspeaking two languages?<\/p>\n\n\n\n