The importance of a foreign language can be best realised by studying one. The feeling of accomplishment you get on learning a foreign language, the enrichment that the language brings in you, can be felt only by experience. There are many reasons why one should learn a foreign language. Learning a language of another country helps one understand its culture. Language becomes a peephole to look at the nation?s culture, its traditions and history. A multilingual person can act as a bridge between two distinct cultures. Globalisation has made foreign language a necessity, especially in business.
For understanding a business of a particular country, understanding the culture and language of that country is also very important, as linguistic barriers can become a hurdle in smooth functioning of business. Many fields such as the travel industry, communications, advertising, education and engineering have sectors dealing with foreign language study. Having better employment opportunities and greater chances of excelling in business suggest the importance of foreign language study. Intelligence gathering in another country is greatly hindered if the country?s language is not understood properly. Also, foreign languages are indispensable for strengthening the security network of the country.
Indian context
India is the second-largest generator of manpower in the world. Providing knowledge on business strategies is not the only focus for various management disciplines, but learning about appropriate psychology of a particular business partner is also very important. With the globalisation of Indian economy,MNCs to India and more companies going for joint ventures abroad, the job scenario for those proficient in foreign languages has opened up. Academic qualifications in foreign languages help in pursuing careers in the area of management.
Students? perception
Today, there is a need for the employable Indian population to be proficient in a couple of foreign languages, as the country is emerging as a significant economic player on the international stage. Since developed countries are taking interest in doing business with India, companies are seeking multilingual or bilingual professionals who can cater to international clients. There are many Indian companies whose sole service is to cater to foreign language experts across the globe. Proficiency in English is an added advantage for Indians who may teach foreign languages in other nations. Since it is a global communication tool, it is also observed that in most countries where people are still learning English, translation from their native language to English is a skill that serves as a propitious economic avenue. Surveys and analysis have led education think-tanks and intellectuals to espouse the inclusion of foreign languages in the management school syllabus. On the premise that intelligence and knowledge rule today?s world, foreign languages can play a seminal role in the qualitative improvement of the work force.
Other career options in the education sector that call for foreign language proficiency are teaching, translation and interpretation. Loads of research work, journals and documents need immediate translation into English to facilitate knowledge liquidity in the Indian market. Proficiency in foreign languages will not only enrich communication at the international level, but will make the exchange result-oriented and effective. Therefore, building a future workforce that is fluent in a foreign language, is vital to assisting India?s emerging status on several international fronts.