A flair for languages is a must

Q I have just appeared for the Plus Two board exams. I studied humanities in classes XI and XII and plan to do my graduation in English. My aim in life is to become an interpreter. How do I go about it? What are the kinds of jobs that I can get? Will my degree in English be of any importance in the long run?

Monami Chatterjee

via email

Interpreters are professionals who usually have a thorough knowledge of more than one language. Their job is to translate one language into another verbally, as it is being spoken. Since there is no time to cross-check, it is important that a person who wants to work as an interpreter is not just familiar with a language but also the nuances with which it is spoken. As we well know, the meaning of a sentence often changes with the tone of voice adopted.

A related profession is that of a translator who converts a document in one language into another. In both professions, accuracy, speed, attention to detail and cultural knowledge are major assets. Apart from language and related technical skills, it is also useful to have networking and people skills because interpreters and translators are often required to work with different people and need to build a rapport quickly. Some other traits that will stand you in good stead in this profession are curiosity and flexibility of mind.

The most important requirement is, however, a flair for languages. If you have it, definitely consider a career in the fields of interpretation and translation. Many professionals in this field learn more than two languages to widen the scope of jobs they can get. If you already have a good command over an international language, consider doing a bachelor's programme in it. You could also join any bachelor's course and do certificate courses in the language of your choice. For instance, both Calcutta University and Pune University offer certificate courses in various languages including Mandarin and Korean. Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi has a department for language, literature and culture studies and offers courses in a very large range of languages, including bachelor's degrees in some of them.

Depending on the language you wish to study, you could consider contacting Goethe-Insitut ( https://www. goethe.de) for German, Alliance Francaise (http://www. afindia.org) for French, India China Chamber of Commerce and Industry ( http://www. indiachina chamber.com) for Mandarin and Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture (http://sri ramakrishna.org/school-of-languages) for a wide range of offerings.

Once you have an adequate level of competency in a language, you could consider doing a specific course in translation or interpretation to develop that expertise. If you are unsure of which language to begin with, you could explore videos on the YouTube that teach foreign languages. Getting a flavour of the languages you are considering will definitely help you decide on the specific one you would like to pursue in the long term.