Is a Language Degree Worth It? (In-Depth Guide)
The Benefits of Earning a Language Degree
Pursuing a specialized degree in a foreign language can equip students with a unique blend of cultural knowledge, communication abilities, and analytical skills.
Here are some of the top advantages:
Opening Career Doors
A language degree can expand job prospects across a variety of fields.
Proficiency in languages is an asset in business, government, non-profit, and tourism sectors, especially for positions involving communication across borders or cultures.
Multilingual candidates can bring specialized value to roles in:
- International business
- Global marketing
- Import and export
- Travel and hospitality
- Translation and interpretation
- Foreign correspondence and content creation
- Immigration and customs services
- International aid and development
- National security and intelligence
- Law enforcement
- Education at all levels
Language skills combined with another field of study can also enhance opportunities.
For example, majoring in business and Spanish or computer science and Mandarin can enable graduates to apply their expertise globally.
Developing Specialized Communication Skills
More than just learning vocabulary and grammar rules, language majors develop versatile communication abilities. Coursework emphasizes:
- Reading comprehension of complex texts
- Writing research papers and reports
- Public speaking and presentations
- Facilitating dialogue through questioning and listening
- Conveying ideas across cultures
- Deciphering meaning from context
These skills allow graduates to communicate clearly with diverse groups and untangle complex information – talents valued across fields.
Immersing in Culture
Language degrees provide profound cultural exposure.
Rather than just memorizing facts about a region, students immerse themselves in fiction and nonfiction from the culture, study real-ia and art, and apply their growing knowledge through projects and discussions.
This contextual learning brings the language to life.
Cultural familiarity facilitates building connections and trust with international clients, partners, or stakeholders. It also helps avoid misunderstandings in global interactions.
Feeding Passion for Languages
For some students, the intrinsic rewards of language learning outweigh practical career considerations.
Majoring in a beloved language simply fuels their intellectual curiosity and personal interests.
Advanced language coursework allows passionate students to:
- Geek out over nuances in meaning and translation
- Nerd out over linguistic analysis
- The evolution of language families
- Regional dialectical differences
- Debate philosophical ideas through influential thinkers and writers
- Discuss social issues through the lens of another culture’s values
- Expand communication abilities to better connect with friends or family in a home culture
Following genuine interests often leads to a more meaningful college experience.
Drawbacks of a Language Degree
While languages open doors, a specialized degree also comes with tradeoffs. Consider these potential downsides before committing:
Narrow Focus
Unlike broader humanities or social science programs, language majors concentrate intensely on a single language and culture.
This narrow focus can limit flexibility if interests evolve.
Students who later want to change direction could find themselves starting over with few credits to transfer into a new major.
And spending years becoming an expert in one region may leave graduates underqualified for roles requiring wider expertise.
Limited Local Job Prospects
In today’s globalized economy, language skills clearly provide an edge. But outside of major metropolitan areas, jobs requiring foreign language proficiency remain relatively scarce.
Graduates from small college towns or rural regions often struggle locating local positions to leverage their abilities.
Without the ability or desire to relocate, many linguists end up in jobs unrelated to their major.
Lower Earning Potential
While languages open doors within certain fields, the typical earning potential for language-focused roles is moderately lower than other college majors.
Students primarily motivated by salary may want to consider more lucrative degree options.
According to PayScale data, median early career pay for common language-related positions is:
- Translator: $47,000
- Interpreter: $44,000
- Foreign Language Teacher: $48,000
- Writer: $39,000
- International Aid Worker: $41,000
Compare this to median earnings for other popular majors:
- Nursing: $59,000
- Computer Science: $72,000
- Accounting: $51,000
- Mechanical Engineering: $61,000
Of course, higher pay is achievable with advanced degrees, specialized skills, and greater experience.
But realistic salary expectations are important when weighing major options.
Key Considerations for Prospective Majors
Deciding whether to commit to a language degree requires careful self-reflection on motivations and goals. Here are key considerations:
Why Do You Want to Study This Language?
Be specific when asking yourself:
- Will fluency provide personal benefits like communicating with family abroad or enjoying media in that language?
- Does the culture intrinsically interest you?
- Do you hope to live abroad and need to prepare?
- Are you pursuing job opportunities in that region or industry?
Your reasons will determine if potential rewards outweigh the demands of this intensive major.
What is Your Post-Grad Plan?
Map backwards from your ideal career to inform your degree choice:
- Do you have clear professional goals that rely on fluency? Like teaching English abroad, translation services, international business, etc.
- Would you be satisfied teaching languages or using skills outside traditional career paths?
- Are you combining language skills with another field like healthcare, law, tech, etc?
If no obvious career path, explore options before deciding.
What is Your Motivation Level?
A language degree requires tremendous sustained effort. Consider honestly if you have the drive and stamina. Ask yourself:
- Are you deeply passionate? The intrinsic joy of learning fuels motivation when coursework gets grueling.
- Do you enjoy the meticulous study required to master grammar rules, grow vocabulary, and refine pronunciation over years?
- Are you committed even without a clear career payoff guaranteed? Pursing interests for their own sake leads to rich experiences.
Without sufficient motivation, the workload can quickly burn students out.
Can You Afford Potential Risks?
A specialized degree like languages comes with unique risks to weigh:
- Can you afford added years of schooling if you switch majors late?
- Would you have the ability to relocate for scarce local jobs after graduation?
- Does average pay match your cost of living and lifestyle expectations?
- Do other personal obligations allow you to immerse fully?
Carefully consider these realities in your decision process.
Tips for Succeeding as a Language Major
If after thorough self-assessment a language degree seems a good fit, here are tips to maximize the experience:
Start Early
The best way to reach fluency is starting language requirements your first year rather than putting them off.
Waiting adds pressure to cram in later years.
Seek Immersion Experiences
Look for ways to practice the language outside class through foreign media, social events, clubs, or community groups.
Seek study abroad opportunities to unlock huge growth being surrounded by your new language.
Double Major or Minor
Pairing language skills with another major or minor can expand options.
Pursue broader fields like business, marketing, healthcare, or education that your language degree can enhance.
Build Soft Skills
Develop adaptability, work ethic, collaboration abilities, writing competence and other soft skills. These complementary strengths allow you to apply language expertise across diverse roles.
Plan Strategically
Meet early with academic advisors to map out a strategic course plan balancing language requirements with general education and electives.
Careful planning prevents overloading terms or delaying graduation.
FAQs on Language Degrees
Still deciding if a language major fits your academic and career aspirations? Here are answers to common questions:
What jobs can you get with a language degree?
Typical jobs for language bachelor’s degree holders include:
- Bilingual customer service representative
- Foreign language teacher
- Interpreter or translator
- International student advisor
- Multilingual administrative assistant
- Museum curator
- Peace Corps volunteer
- Technical writer or editor
- Travel agent or guide
- User experience researcher
Graduates often boost options by gaining specialized skills in another field like law, healthcare, or technology.
Is it worth it to double major in a language?
Pursing a double major combines deeper language expertise with versatility from another field. This can maximize appeal for employers.
But the dual workload also raises risks of overwhelm, delaying graduation, and reduced fluency in both majors compared to specializing.
Consider if you can fully commit.
Alternatively, minoring in a language avoids overloading while still developing solid skills to support another major.
What can you do with a languages degree besides teaching?
While education roles like teaching ESL abroad or at private language schools are a common path, language majors have many other options including:
- Business jobs needing international communication or cultural expertise like sales, marketing, consulting or trade coordination.
- Creative fields like writing, translating, interpreting, designing multilingual products or analyzing international data.
- Government and nonprofit roles in immigration services, foreign aid, intelligence, diplomacy, or cultural exchange programs.
- Niche opportunities like medical interpreting, global event planning or language technology development.
Just be strategic in gaining any specialized abilities needed to apply language skills wider.
