By Mahak Yadav
Video: The 24 Hour Challenge to FIND YOUR DREAM Language Career
Choosing a path after Class 12 is one of the first big career decisions students make. In this Modlingua webinar, interns Shubhangi Agarwal and Mahak Yadav, mentored by Prof. S. Jayalakshmi and Modlingua founder Dr Ravi Kumar, explain why languages deserve a place on every student's list.
Languages support every field
Dr Ravi Kumar opens with his own journey after school and makes a simple point: languages matter in engineering, management, media and almost every other stream. Mahak adds that the main requirements are interest, creativity and commitment. Mastering a language takes steady effort, but it rewards that effort with flexibility: you can work full-time or part-time, in an office or as a freelancer.
Courses and study options
Many Indian universities offer bachelor's, master's, M.Phil and PhD programmes in foreign languages, along with certificate, diploma and advanced diploma courses. Full-time programmes often include literature, history and media skills. Combining a language with economics, political science, media or journalism can give students an edge. Universities such as DU, JNU and Goa University also offer exchange programmes, and public university fees are low, with scholarships available.
Where the jobs are
Translation is only one option. Shubhangi lists tourism, public relations, embassies, media houses, the entertainment industry and international organisations. IT and outsourcing companies such as Accenture, Amazon, Tech Mahindra, TCS, Infosys and Wipro hire language professionals, and publishers need writers and editors. Prof. Jayalakshmi notes that speaking a client's language builds trust and makes business easier. She also points to specialised paths: legal and medical translation, interpretation and subtitling.
A flexible, long-term career
Pay grows with experience and specialisation. Prof. Jayalakshmi highlights one more strength: because language work can be done freelance and from home, it helps many professionals, especially women, avoid career breaks and keep a healthy work-life balance.
Students and working professionals who want to build language skills can explore Modlingua's foreign language training. As Dr Ravi Kumar says in closing, nothing is impossible with enough "josh", or passion.
