Scope of Spanish Language as a Career

Ámbito de la lengua española como una carrera -

A career in a foreign language is always a glamourous profession, especially for those who have a flair for languages. With the globalization of Indian economy, lots of multinationals companies are coming to India and they are going for joint ventures abroad and, as a result, new vistas of jobs have opened up in foreign languages.

Now a day’s various multinational corporate bodies require candidates possessing sound language skills in Spanish, especially in India.

• Spanish is spoken by 400 million people worldwide.

• It is the official language in 21 countries and is the third most spoken language in the world after English and Mandarin.

• The Spanish-speaking population is one of the fastest growing segments in the world today, comprising of a huge community that shares products, services, and culture, and at the same time offering individuals, institutions, and businesses a unique opportunity for growth!

• The biggest attraction that pulls people to learn Spanish in India is the excellent job opportunities it provides in the ever growing BPO sector.

• Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world and it covers a huge geographic area of the globe.

• It has an important position in Europe as it is spoken in Spain.

• It is also the second most important language of US where the biggest number of BPO customers come from.

• Knowledge of Spanish gives one access to many diverse cultures, one of the greatest literary works of all times. Don Quixote and 100 years of Solitude to name just a few.

• Spanish Music and Cinema also are great attractions to learn this romance language.

While coming to the job scenario, there is a high demand of translators and interpreters because of the constantly growing commercial relationship between India and Spanish speaking countries especially Spain and Latin American countries like Venezuela, Argentina, Colombia, Peru etc.

From TCS to Satyam to Indian Companies who have opened development centers or acquired companies all across Latin America. India also has Spanish companies setting up businesses in India including Inditex Textile Company, Agroalimen. While India's trade with Latin America had increased by 45% in 2008 while India's exports increased by 40%. India's exports to Latin America have increased by nearly 6 times in the past 10 years.

There are several Institutes where one can learn Spanish.

• Delhi University (www.du.ac.in)

•Jawaharlal Nehru University (www.jnu.ac.in)

•Jamia Milia Islamia (www.jmi.nic.in)

•English and Foreign Languages University (www.efluniversity.ac.in)

•Doon University (doonuniversity.ac.in)

Delhi University offers part-time courses in Spanish. Other diploma and advanced diploma courses are available at

• Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan, New Delhi (www.bvbdelhi.org)

• The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Kolkata (www.sriramakrishna.org/lngintro.php)

However, the best place to learn Spanish from in India right now will be undoubtedly Instituto Cervantes, the official Spanish Cultural Center, located in New Delhi.

This institute was started by the government of Spain to spread Spanish Language and Culture around the world and has branches in more than 100 countries.

But Instituto Cervantes’s fees are higher than all other institutes. Another option is to learn Spanish by taking home tuitions from someone qualified and then to get an internationally recognized certificate give the DELE exams conducted by the Instituto Cervantes, twice a year. DELEs are like TOEFL or IELTS for the Spanish Language.

Spanish language experts do a variety of roles depending upon their skills and experience in the Industry. Here are some of the professions students can look for:

• Diplomatic Service Professional

• Foreign Language Trainer

• Translator for MNCs and Government Organizations

• Research Associate

• Interpreter

• Tourist Guide

• Air Hostess or Flight Steward

• Attendant at hotels

• Freelance Writer, Translator, Interpreter

• Public Relation Officer

Things to remember while learning the Spanish Language

• A passion to learn the Spanish language is must as it helps to know the language in a fulsome manner,

• Readymade sentences do not help in long term, so learn the language from scratch and construct your own sentences. There would be a problem at the beginning, but the effort would pay in the end.

• A learning aptitude and zeal to excel are must to build up proficiency in the spoken aspect of the language.

• If the active interaction is possible, use it to maximize the language skills. No one can speak better than native speaker so try to talk with them to enhance spoken skills,

• What various MNCs and KPOs look for in candidates is their fluency and clarity in the language, so gain them over time.

pranab.saikia@girnarsoft.com