Dr. Shantanu Shandilya is an Assistant Professor of French in the Department of Languages at Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore (Tamil Nadu).
In this era of globalization, the desire to learn new languages is increasingly visible among people. The expanding global market has made learning foreign languages a necessity rather than just an option. In India as well, there is a growing interest in foreign languages. Indian youth are especially focusing on learning French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Russian, and other international languages.
Schools and universities are making continuous efforts to promote the teaching and learning of foreign languages. At the school level, foreign languages are gaining recognition as a third-language option, providing students with new academic opportunities. At the university level, these languages are offered at undergraduate, postgraduate, and even doctoral (PhD) levels.
Foreign languages also play an important role in career-oriented education. In multinational companies, young professionals are securing attractive salary packages as language translators, anti-money laundering experts, interpreters, and in other specialized roles.
Leading educational institutions in India such as Banaras Hindu University (Varanasi), Jawaharlal Nehru University (New Delhi), University of Delhi, the English and Foreign Languages University (Hyderabad), and Aligarh Muslim University (Aligarh) offer undergraduate and postgraduate programs in foreign languages through the CUET (Common University Entrance Test) examination.
