Foreign Language Careers

“You can buy in any language, but if you want to sell you better speak the language of your customer.”

CAREERS UTILIZING FOREIGN LANGUAGES

The demand for personnel with language skills is apparent in many different types and places of work.

BUSINESS, INDUSTRY & COMMERCE

The types of companies needing management and sales personnel with foreign language skills cover the whole spectrum of the business world. In their operations, they find that foreign language proficiency is an enormous advantage, both in the United States and in their overseas offices. International advertising is a highly specialized activity; its prime purpose, of course, is to promote the sale of American products overseas.

1. There is a trend toward the expansion of business operations beyond the borders of the United States even by firms of moderate size.

2. There is a clear indication that business firms often attempt to reach market segments made up of people in the United States with specific cultural background that may include language differences.

3. There is recognition on the part of business firms that effective communication is an essential element of good operational supervision and management. Language differences between workers and supervisors pose a problem when the work force is drawn from an environment characterized by pluralistic cultural backgrounds.

BANKING & FINANCIAL POSITIONS

As international business and industry expand, international banking and financial activity naturally follows. Today one fourth of all new direct investment goes abroad.

TECHNICAL & ENGINEERING POSITIONS

Companies with overseas plants that manufacture machinery and equipment used abroad are likely to need technical and engineering personnel with foreign language proficiency.

SECRETARIAL & CLERICAL POSITIONS

In the business world, the range of languages and fields is so vast that some employment agencies maintain permanent advertisements for bilingual secretaries and typists. The bilingual secretary positions have been described as a “rare commodity.”

GOVERNMENT & INTERNATIONAL

The Federal Government is the largest employer of Americans with foreign language skills, both in this country and abroad. The following U.S. Government departments and agencies require personnel with language skills.

Department of State

The U.S. Department of State employs more than 15,000 Americans in its 300 diplomatic and consular offices around the world. Overseas, they have extensive contact with foreigners, interpreting U.S. foreign policy, protecting the interests of Americans abroad, processing visas, and carrying on intelligence work. The other agencies requiring at least one foreign language from most of the employees are: Agency for International Development (AID); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS); U.S. Customs Services; United States Information Agency (USIA); and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).

National Security Agency; Library of Congress

Library of Congress personnel utilize foreign languages in a wide range of activities: acquisition, cataloging and classification, reference and research. The Library uses over 450 languages in connection with its more than 19 million books and pamphlets, the majority of which are in non-English languages.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

In areas where large numbers of citizens do not speak English local governments need employees with foreign language skills.

INTERNATIONAL - UNITED NATIONS

The UN is the largest employer of language specialists - translators, editors, interpreters - in this country. Its purpose is to maintain international peace and security, to develop friendly relations among nations, and to achieve international cooperation in solving economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems.

TEACHING

Approximately 100,000 people in this country work in the field of foreign language teaching in Jr. & Sr. High Schools, in colleges and universities, elementary schools and in commercial and government-operated language schools.

TRANSLATORS and INTERPRETERS

Interpreting deals with oral communication. The greatest demand is in Spanish. At present, interpreters for the Federal courts are certified after passing an extremely rigorous examination in English and Spanish.

The translator is required to produce clear, accurate, and well-written renderings of foreign language texts, from general reports and speeches to literary works and highly technical subject matter. Many translators specialize in one profession like business, religion, education, law, engineering or public services.

MEDIA

Journalism -- The knowledge of foreign languages is an important asset to employment in journalism. A significant number of newspapers have indicated that foreign language skills are needed in the profession because they enhance a reporter's effectiveness.

Radio & Television -- There are over 300 radio stations throughout the U.S. that broadcast programs in foreign languages -- French, German, Italian, Spanish and many others. Some stations producing language education programs. Language skills are needed by the program writers and announcers at most radio or television stations.

Film -- Film production is one of the most international of the arts in which technical skill and artistic talent transcend national boundaries. Writers, performers, executives and technicians may need a foreign language in order to have a thorough knowledge of their subject, to communicate with the people being filmed, and with each other, to prepare scripts, or simply to get along in the foreign country where they are working.

Publishing -- Positions as editor, editorial assistant, copywriter, proofreader, technical writer, salesperson, and secretarial worker are available in the field of publishing. Foreign language skills are useful for the staffs of many publishing houses, especially those that market their books abroad, or publish translations and foreign language textbooks.

TRAVEL & TOURISM

Transportation Companies

Airlines, railroads, bus and ship lines need bilingual personnel to serve foreign passengers or other ethnic groups within the United States.

Hotels, Motels and Convention Centers

Hotels and convention centers are now hiring desk clerks, telephone operators, information staff administrators, hosts and hostesses who can provide better service to visitors from abroad and enhance their employer's reputation by knowing a foreign language.

Tourism

As the influx of foreign visitors to America continues, guided excursion tours will require personnel with language skills. Many such excursions and tours are now being sold as part of package arrangements for tourists from abroad. There is a need not only for bilingual guides on sightseeing excursions in cities and to tourist attractions.

SERVICES

Health Professions

Health professionals of all kinds are finding more and more that a knowledge of certain foreign languages is urgently needed in dealing with patients, especially in metropolitan areas where there are many ethnic minorities -- people who are unable to speak English well enough to describe their symptoms or understand medical instructions. Many hospitals in the U.S. have hired bilingual personnel and/or freelance consultants to serve as interpreters and translators.

Social Work

Social Workers assist individuals, families, groups and communities when dealing with problems such as poverty, unemployment, poor housing or illness. In cities where there are concentrations of minority groups and immigrants, social workers come into contact with many people who do not speak English.

Library Science

The librarian may use foreign language skills in a variety of ways including book selection, classifying and cataloging, serving users who speak other languages, and working abroad in U.S. Government libraries, centers, and schools or those operated by other organizations.

Service Organizations

Many social service organizations need people with foreign language ability, both in this country and abroad. The Red Cross, and other charitable and service organizations sometimes need bilingual workers and volunteers to work with other ethnic groups.

Law & Law Enforcement

Over 650,000 Americans work as lawyers; knowledge of a foreign language can be a direct, practical asset to the lawyer who works with members of the ethnic minority and immigrant groups. In law enforcement, police officers investigate crimes, and a knowledge of foreign language skills would be an extremely important advantage. Other police protection occupations include sheriffs, state police officers and state highway patrol officers.

Fire Fighters

Can you imagine fire fighters who can not understand what somebody in a house in fire is telling them or who can not tell a speaker of another language where to go and what to do in an emergency situation?

Volunteer Agencies

The over 5,000 Peace Corps volunteers serving in 60 countries throughout the world must know or be trained in the language of the country where they are assigned.

The VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) program responds to needs identified by communities in the United States. Knowledge of Spanish, French or Indian languages is needed for projects involving those ethnic groups.

Remember: “You can buy in any language, but if you want to sell you better speak the language of your customer." UNKNOWN