The learning of Spanish, particularly for the rapidly multiplying number of young people signing up with India’s outward looking information technology companies, makes eminent good sense

With suddenly liberated Indian corporates scouting for business opportunities as far afield as Latin America, a new Spanish el dorado has sprung up, as salsaing to the Spanish language could be a hot career option for those with a penchant for languages. Certainly the global influence and reach of the Spanish language can’t be disregarded. Currently there are 400 million people spread across three continents and 24 countries for whom Espanol (Spanish) is the major lingua franca. Moreover Spanish is the second official language of the US with more than one-third of the American people being Spanish speaking Latinos.

Against this backdrop the teaching and learning of Spanish particularly for the rapidly multiplying number of young people signing up with India’s outward looking ICT (information communication technology) companies, makes eminent good sense. With the Philippines, a former Spanish colony also attracting outsourced business in direct competition with India, knowledge of Spanish gives Indians an edge especially in the high-potential Latin American market. With major corporates in the pharma, automobile, engineering, railway, garment and ICT industries in India knocking on the doors of Latam countries, learning the world’s fastest spreading language could lead to numerous fast-track careers.

Most universities in the country offer diploma, degree or certificate study programmes in foreign languages. The admission eligibility conditions differ but most degree courses are open to graduates in any discipline. The duration of study programmes varies from a minimum of six months for certificate courses onwards. At the JNU (Jawaharlal Nehru University) School of Languages, Delhi, a five-year integrated MA programme in several foreign languages, including Spanish is offered to Plus Two school leavers. Admission is on the basis of an objective type entrance test. The applicants’ English proficiency and general knowledge are tested. Students completing the three-year BA (Hons) programme in Spanish automatically become eligible for the two-year MA programme. This is the most highly rated Spanish study programme available in India.

However students have other options. CIEFL (Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages), Hyderabad offers MA (correspondence-cum-attendance) courses in several languages (including Spanish) to diploma or degree holders in these languages. Among other institutions offering Spanish learning programmes are Instituto Hispania, the Spanish counter-part of the Alliance Francaise and Max Mueller.

To meet the increasing demand for Spanish literate professionals, Instituto Hispania, an associated centre of the Instituto Cervantes, Spain, opened its doors in Delhi in 1997. In 2002, the institute started Spanish classes in Mumbai and recently, has spread its operations to Bangalore. The institute conducts full-time, part-time, day, evening and weekend classes for basic and intermediate certificate, diploma intermedio-levels 1 and 2, diploma superior level-1 and finally diploma superior level-2, which is equivalent to a graduate degree. The institute also conducts special summer intensive programmes for college and school students.

Moreover to meet the needs of the booming IT and BPO (business process outsourcing) industries, the institute has introduced full-time career and academic oriented Spanish literacy programmes. In these export-oriented industries employees with graduate level Spanish are paid between Rs.15,000-35,000 per month, while their counterparts with graduate level English proficiency receive a mere Rs.7,000-15,000,  indicative of the demand-supply equation.

Spanish language proficiency can open doors to numerous careers in teaching, interpreting, translating in the IT/ BPO industries, call centres, consulates and opportunities in tourism and mass communications. “When I started learning Spanish in 2003, I realised soon enough that this language opened doors to a whole new world of opportunities. India’s foreign trade with Spain is rising and a growing number of Spanish people are coming here for business, trade fairs and expositions. As a result the demand for translators and interpreters has sky-rocketed. Moreover there are openings in call centres and BPO companies, dealing with Spanish-speaking Latin American and European companies which pay very well. Yet another rewarding option is teaching Spanish,” says Padma Karani, who’s teaching Spanish at the Instituto Hispania, Mumbai while reading for the diploma superior in the language.

A commerce graduate of Bombay University, Karani acquired a postgraduate diploma in tourism management from the Garware Institute in Bombay. Following a short stint with Singapore Airlines, she worked for five years with World Network Services (a British Airways subsidiary). In January 2003, she started learning Spanish at the Instituto Hispania, and has completed six levels prompting the institute to induct her into the faculty in the salary grade of Rs.20,000-25,000.

According to Karani, during the past four-five years in particular, Spanish has become popular in India. This is evidenced by the rapid expansion of the operations of Instituto Hispania which is likely to open in other cities including Pune and from May the international level DELE exams will be held in Delhi. These exams are conducted by the Instituto Cervantes, one of the most reputed language training institutes worldwide. 

“A growing number of students going abroad, particularly to the US are becoming aware that it’s a great asset to be Spanish literate,” says Karani adding that tourism is another industry which will soon require thousands of Spanish literate professionals, as Latam tourists seem to have latterly discovered India.

Indra Gidwani (Mumbai)

Also read: 5 Tips for learning a foreign language