5 Tips To Enhance Your Journey As A Language Major

By Angel Allen on August 12, 2016

 

So you have decided to be a language major. Congratulations! Perhaps you chose Spanish, French, or Mandarin. Your family and peers are amazed, saying “That’s cool” and “Wow, a language? That will be great when job searching.”

All of these comments are great until you settle down into your Junior year of college like me, and you’re wondering What did I do? Why did I choose to be a language major, I’ll never make a career (actual thoughts)!

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Well, fear no more my fellow language majors! I am here to tell you of my experience as a current French major (International Business minor). I am going to give you five tips on taking your journey further as a language major, improving your resume so you are more marketable, and of course, graduating with high proficiency or fluency in your chosen language.

1. Study abroad!!

This one is pretty obvious. Studying abroad not only offers you the opportunity to utilize the skills you learned in class, but it also looks good on the resume! Take advantage of your school’s study abroad programs; some universities may have programs specifically for language majors.

I can say, from experience, that the two ideas that held me back from studying abroad were the price and the idea that it would add on to the time that I have to be in school. Those two ideas were just that: ideas! I ended up sending off letters describing my trip to family members, and received enough funds from those letters to study in France. As for those extra credit hours, I completed enough abroad to graduate a whole semester early!

Find study abroad opportunities on Uloop, or http://www.ef.edu/, studyabroad.com, or ceastudyabroad.com.

2. Internships, internships, internships!!

It’s hard out there for a language major. Employers see “Spanish Major” and they are impressed, but they still want to see more! Because I am a French major with a minor in international business, I took my internship search on the business side.

Despite my lack of business classes after my sophomore year, I still was able to land an internship at Enterprise Rent-A-Car. If you don’t have a minor, don’t fear! Think of some way you’d like to apply your language, and go job hunting with that in mind.

3. Join a language club or international group.

This opportunity depends on your campus. At my university, we have a ton of international students from various countries, so we have a very involved international group. Joining a group can introduce you to people who speak your language, and you may find a conversation partner. If your school lacks international power, no worries; almost every college or university has a language honor society chapter or club.

4. Study …

Yuck! Are you serious? Yes. It really is not enough to go to class three times a week. You won’t gain that level of proficiency that you so greatly imagined your freshman year. I’ve realized that, despite the throbbing headache after a French overhaul in class, I still needed to do more.

My advice to you: study when you least feel like it, when your mind is telling you “Je ne peux plus!” It will get your mind in the habit of better receiving a language at its laziest, and at its most active!

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5. Make monthly visits to your academic advisor or department chair.

I am quite lucky to have my academic advisor also be the head of the Modern Language Department on my campus. To be honest, I make weekly visits because she’s come to be the person with the best advice about enhancing the language major experience, and broadening your options when you leave. Many of these tips I learned from her! Remember that these people are professionals in their field, and you need recommendation letters, don’t you … and a job, don’t you?

We are the strong! When most people scare away from the Humanities and Social Sciences department, we say “Heck yeah, bring it on!”

Don’t feel defeated by your own choice; take advantage of every opportunity, and enjoy every moment. Inspire yourself so you can inspire others!

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