If you have a flair for languages then the world is your oyster as knowledge of languages can be useful in virtually any industry and will also open up work opportunities abroad. Expert language skills are required for careers in translating, interpreting or teaching languages, and are also necessary if you intend to work in some areas of the travel industry ? as a tour guide or travel rep for example.

Though at first sight careers centred around languages may seem very similar, there are key differences between working as a translator, interpreter, linguist or teacher. Translators change written material from one language to another and, though verbal fluency is not always necessary, a strong understanding of the written version of the source language and its culture and history are important for accurate translation.

Translators often have very versatile and varied careers and can work on everything from academic texts, literature and legal documents to brochures, product manuals and subtitles. Whereas translators work with the written word, so interpreters work with the spoken word. They are often employed at international conferences or to facilitate meetings between small groups of people. In some settings, interpreters may need to work interpreting simultaneously, which is a high stress though very well paid job, but more often they work consecutively, interpreting the language after the person has finished speaking.

To work as a linguist, it is more important to have a sound understanding of the mechanics of language than to have expert foreign language skills as linguists focus on the nature, context and characteristics of language. There are a variety of specialisations within linguistics including semantics, sociolinguistics, and phonetics, but linguists tend to work in organisations such as educational and research institutions and global high tech companies.

Translators and interpreters are often self-employed or work for agencies, though some large organisations, such as the United Nations, employ in-house and staff translators and interpreters. Working hours tend to depend on the needs of clients or employers and, though some translators may be able to work flexible hours from home, simultaneous interpreters may have intensive and high-stress periods of work.