Some background first:
My parents being the typical Asian parents that they were, always wanted me to go into medicine (any field). For reasons other than my schooling (I had a decent GPA) they broke off relations with me before I was able to finish my schooling, rendering me financially incapable of finishing college. So…years later, now that I have some money, I want to go back to school.
My question is, I want a career that has to do with languages. I’ve always had an affection for languages, and a tremendous ability to pick up new ones quickly. Just to demonstrate, I have taken classes in Russian, Japanese, Latin. I can speak Hindi and read Spanish slowly, although not really understand it because it is spoken so quickly. I also understand Punjabi & Urdu, which are both dialects of India/Pakistan. I used to be able to read/write Punjabi and I’m sure I could pick it up again.
What careers are there for this ability? Like everyone else, I’d like to be paid to do what I love. Any thoughts? Of course I’m going to check out career centers etc., but I thought I’d get some Doper’s thoughts.
Well, you could always teach any of those languages.
You could also be an interpreter (like in courts or hospitals) or a translator.
You could do cultural training, if you know the culture around those languages. (This would be for companies about to work with another culture, or for people planning to move to X country who need to know the customs, etc).
I have a degree in linguistics, which is basically the study of language on the whole (how we learn it, how we process it, how we use it) and one of my perfect linguist jobs that I will never get is researching brand names, etc to make sure that the names are suitable in other languages. (ie The Chevy NOVA did not sell well in Latin America; if you see it as NO VA, you would understand why). Companies naming a new brand like to see what the significance of a word mean in an international sense.
That’s just off the top of my head. I am sure other Dopers will have some great suggestions.
Gawd, I know this all too well.
Other than the straight academic path, if you can master at least one of the languages above, you could be set as an interpreter for just about any large corporation or government organization - State Department, FBI, there are a slew of them. You could also consider teaching English in other countries.
And good for you for wanting to go back and finish your schooling.
Translators (written word) and interpreters (spoken word) are generally expected to write or speak the language/s flawlessly. It is more an emphasis on focus on a specific language, rather than broad knowledge of several. These folks, American Translators Association, http://www.atanet.org/ have good information about the field. www.eberkana.com is focused on training for English/Spanish translation, and their site also has some good info on the field.
One field I might suggest is immigration law, perhaps at the paralegal level if law school is too much commitment at this point. Or mobility services for an international company that sends employees on international assignments.
An academic career that focused on comparative literature or linguistics could be a lot of fun. Or a university position working with international students. I met someone who did that for a local university and she seemed to get a lot out of the position.
Best of luck to you in whatever you pursue!