“I lost my job!” my friend, Rahul’s words came in as a jolt to me.
“How did this happen? I remember you had mentioned ‘All is Well’ on the job front when we met over a year ago? I couldn’t control my anxiety.
Rahul shrugged his shoulders and said, “Well my company got acquired by a French Organization six months ago. We all were ecstatic because mergers and acquisitions usually mean pay rises and all the perks that come along for working with an international brand.”
“Then what went wrong?” I could not hold myself.
Rahul continued, “During the euphoria of the transition, I missed out on the message that all managers above a particular grade needed to have some working knowledge of French. Some of my peers immediately took a beginner’s course at one of the Best Foreign Language Learning Centres in Pune and I did not. When the management asked me about it I had nothing to show. They simply cleared my dues and asked me to leave once I completed my notice period.”
I could only sympathize with my friend Rahul. But no amount of sympathy was going to be of any help to him.
Friends, in today’s world we often hear people losing their jobs because of layoffs. And besides the ‘so-called’ reason for a slowdown in the markets for various reasons, one of the main reasons could be the inability of upgrading one’s skills.
When we think of upgrading skills, we often think about an IT course to stay abreast of the latest trends in technology. But do we even consider Foreign Language as a skill to upgrade oneself in?
We all know that technology is erasing the geographical boundaries of the world very fast. If we want the people to come closer and collaborate on a daily basis, there is no other mean than to learn a common international language to interact in.
Which foreign language to learn? Who teaches them? Who can learn? These are the common questions that pop up in everybody’s minds.
I did some research and the results can be of some help.
The five foreign languages that are in demand right now:
To my surprise, our giant neighbours – China are ruling the roost here too. If there is a foreign language to learn for a better future, it would make sense to learn Mandarin. We all know the clout that China has over the world markets.
Japan has always been ahead in the electronic revolution. Learning Japanese can be the next best thing one can do.
Travel on any road and you will find a variety of German cars speeding by. Be it Mercedes Benz, BMW or a Volkswagen, the German precision in automobile engineering can never be underestimated. Believe me; taking a German language course can never be out of vogue.
We largely follow Spain for their football clubs but do we even know that Spanish is spoken in major continents of the world. Learning Spanish actually makes sense if we are open to working in any other non-English speaking country.
Let’s go Dutch, maybe the common thing in today’s TTMM college world. But to my surprise the next foreign language which is coming up in a big way is Dutch. Joining Dutch-speaking classes would make absolute sense for anyone who intends to carve a niche career for oneself.
Who teaches Foreign Language courses in Pune?
A simple Google search for Foreign Language courses in Pune can open up the world of information for you.
Look out for institutes who have successfully trained more than say, 50,000 students and professionals. Institutes who focus on developing skills that aide personal and professional development is the one to choose from. More so, if they have catered to different age groups, and varied educational/ professional backgrounds, it’s all the more better. Training institutes who use a creative and interactive learning methodology can help one learn quicker. The role of expert advisers, experienced faculty and a learning-focused environment can never be discounted.
Who can learn Foreign Languages?
Students can take up a foreign language to develop cognitive skills. Besides there are other complementing benefits as it broadens ones thinking horizons. Learning a new language boosts mental flexibility and brain power. It improves performance in other academic areas as well. It also opens up vistas for higher studies at reputed overseas educational institutes.
Professionals can have better career opportunities with MNC’s both in India and abroad. They can seek lucrative salaries, bonuses and can also look at learning a foreign language as a second source of income opportunity. It also enhances one’s prospects of better promotions and higher-level positions. We see a lot of openings for foreign language translators, interpreters, and trainers, as well. Besides full-time employment one can also consider part-time and own business possibilities.
So friends, instead of doing a run of the mill course, taking up a foreign language would make a world of difference to you and your academics and career.
One need not actually wait for a situation like my friend Rahul to upgrade one’s skills, be it even learning a foreign language.