Good future in LEARNING JAPANESE

Improved trade relations between Japan and India have created a plethora of career options for those fluent in this language

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In this newly emergent global economy where cross-border networking and business alliances are becoming commonplace, and globe trotting for business and pleasure has become routine, there are excellent job opportunities for qualified multilingual professionals, including executives and managers. Therefore, a growing number of students are taking to learning foreign languages.

One foreign language gaining rapid popularity within student and professional communities is Japanese. Improved trade relations between Japan and India, multiplying Indo-Japanese joint ventures, and an upsurge in Japanese foreign direct investment (FDI) during the past few years — particularly in the automotive vehicles sector — have generated persistent demand for qualified translators as also for workers and professionals with a working knowledge of Japanese. Moreover, confronted with a manpower shortage, Japanese corporates are on the lookout for professionals to staff their offices and factories in Japan as well.

Most top-rung universities in the country offer diploma, degree, and/or certificate study programmes in foreign languages. The duration of courses varies from six months to four years. For instance, Mumbai University offers a certificate course and a four-year degree programme in Japanese, so do Delhi and several other major universities. The Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages, Hyderabad, offers a Master's (correspondence-cum-attendance) programme in Japanese and other languages for diploma and degree holders.