Foreign language studies have been popular for years, which is best demonstrated by the number of applicants vying for a place each year. Is it really a good choice, taking into account the AI, automation of tasks and increasingly better translation solutions offered by the big tech?
These figures don’t lie, and each year universities send out waves of newly graduated philologists. Young people making their first major life decisions don’t have it any easier than a few years ago. In today’s article, we will look more closely into foreign language studies – and perhaps help you make this difficult choice!
Popular languages, exotic languages: which foreign language studies are worth it?
The task is easier if we are completely sure that we are interested in language studies. There remains the question of the choice of a particular language, which involves many diverse factors. What opportunities do certain languages offer us? Is the chosen major available only at one university that would require you to move across the country? Which subjects do you need to pass on the school-leaving exam, and what are the point thresholds?
Languages such as English, German, Russian, Italian or French certainly open the most doors and work to our advantage during the recruitment process at international companies. Work opportunities are not limited to companies; many philologists choose the translation path and an equally impressive number discovers their teaching talents. Popular languages mean much greater competition in the job market. Nevertheless, it’s also a brilliant chance to diversify your career path and potentially take up an alternative profession.
The more unusual the language, the more competitive a candidate you are in the job market. Baltic or Scandinavian studies are chosen mainly by those with a keen interest in, or some conection to, the culture of the region, but it is also popular with students hoping to earn a high salary after graduation. Proven knowledge of languages such as Finnish, Japanese or Hindi is a significant advantage during the recruitment, bigger chance of business travels and, should we decide to pursue the career of a sworn translator – much higher official rates for translations completed.
What is it like studying a language?
Don’t fall for comments stating that language studies are simply an advanced language course. This major involves an in-depth analysis of not only the language itself, but also the cultural aspect connected to it. Be prepared for many hours of phonetic exercises to tame unruly sounds, as well as extensive integrated skills exams that are surprisingly similar to… the school-leaving exam. Have you ever heard that at university each exam session is like the school-leaving exam? When it comes to language studies, it’s simply one of many exams in the summer finals. But in this case, systematic work pays off, so it’s worth not putting off cramming until the last minute.
During the course, you will delve into the literature of the area of the particular language, and your knowledge in terms of the country’s history will at some point match the one of your homeland. You’ll know grammars like the back of your hand – and the plural form is not a mistake here, as you may be working during practical, descriptive, contrastive and historical grammar classes during your adventure with language studies. And yet these are just the basics!
The students who advance further, however, will have more space to pursue their own interests. Students specialising in teaching will enhance their knowledge in the area of developmental psychology, education and teaching methodology. They will also have a chance to put their skills to test during an internship at school, which often makes it possible to confront their own vision of working at an educational facility with reality. A specialisation in translation, on the other hand, is a chance to work on specialist texts, glimpse into the diversity of legal systems and difficulties in translation arising out of it, and also make first attempts at literary translation.
Career opportunities after studying languages
The advantage of studying languages is surely the diversity of opportunities offered by a diploma in this field. Corporate jobs are the most popular choice, but a knack for learning languages often equals an easier acquisition of programming languages, which also offers an opportunity to work in the IT industry. Do you prefer working with people? There’s a bunch of diverse options here too, from being a tutor, working at a language school to online lessons and growing your own business. You can specialise in courses for business clients or teaching kids – the opportunities are unlimited.
The profession of a translator is still highly popular (you can read our article about how to become one: Zawód tłumacz ), including the profession of a sworn translator, even though here you have to pass a demanding exam to obtain necessary credentials.
One course, many opportunities. Widen your horizons with language studies!
Language studies are demanding, and some challenges (particularly those connected with the amount of required reading) can be perceived as breakneck; however, this does not change the fact that no simplified language course will allow us to gain such a detailed knowledge about a given language, culture and history of its area. Many career paths, possibilities of personal growth, and, just in case, even finding an alternative job opportunity – these are the perspectives that await those with a degree in modern languages. And there’s still academia!
If you are still wondering whether it’s worth it… the (significant) part of the Alingua team that holds a degree in various languages thinks that it very much is!
