Today I'm going to talk about a question that I've been getting quite a lot recently,

今天，我要來說說關於我最近的問題

and that is "What kind of job can I do with my foreign language skills?"

那就是「我可以用我的外語技能做些什麼樣的工作呢？」

or "What kind of job should I do if I'm interested in foreign languages?"

或「如果我對外語有興趣的話，我應該做什麼樣的工作呢？」

Now, this is a question that I respect because I've witnessed a lot of people

現在，這是我所關切的問題，因為我已經目睹過很多人

investing years of their life into studying a language, kind of with the

投入他們多年的光陰在學習一個語言，有點像是

assumption that it would naturally improve their career or give them new

假定他們能很自然的對他們的工作有所助益，或是能給他們新的

opportunities, but without having a plan for how they would use that language,

（工作）機會，但並未有任何他們將如何使用這個語言的計畫，

they didn't really benefit from it and ended up being quite frustrated.

他們並未真的去評估它，就結束在一個相當坎坷的情況。

So young people who are asking this question

所以，當有年輕人問了這個問題

early on, I think you are thinking about things the right way. But the answer to

在稍早的時候，我會認為你正在對的道路上思考事情。但關於這問題的答案

this question depends on just how you imagine your life in the future and how

會依據你對未來生活的想像以及

far you really want to go with your language study. Now, some jobs are

你想要把你的語言學習帶到多遠的地方。現在，有些工作是

specifically language-related; other jobs are not specifically-language related,

特別與語言相關的；其他的工作則未必跟語言這麼有關係，

but a foreign language could be an asset; and for other jobs, it's not really

但一門外語仍舊是有價值的東西，且對於其他工作，它不是

necessary at all, but it might be useful for your overall lifestyle. I'm going to

那麼的必要，但它可能對你的生活方式很有用。我將會去

talk about those three types of situations. So first up are jobs that are

談談（關於生活方式的）三種情況。首先是跟語言有關連的工作。

specifically language-related. For these jobs, you need to have some expertise in

這些工作，你需要在語言上有所專精；

the language; you need to have a deep understanding of the language.

你需要對這個語言有很深的了解。

So, the first kind of job is to teach a language. Here in Japan, I know a lot of

所以，第一種工作是去教一門語言。在日本這裡，我知道有很多

people who teach English; I also know people who teach other languages, like

人在教英文，我也知道有人在教其他的語言，像是

French or Spanish.

法文或西班牙文。

Now, even if you don't have a lot of qualifications, there are some

現在，即使如果你沒有很多資格，還有一些

opportunities to teach your language, especially if it's a major global

機會可以去教你的語言，特別是，如果這是主要的全球化

language, and especially if it's English. But the more qualifications you have,

語言，尤其它又是英文。但你有越多的資格

then, of course, the better opportunities you get and the higher pay you can get,

那，當然，你可以有比較好的機會並得到較高的薪水。

the better positions you can find. Now, if you want to study a foreign language

找到較好的職位。現在，如果你想學習一門外語

that's not your native language and then teach that language, then you're looking

不是你的母語，並且教授這門外語，那你就是在找

at a situation where you really need to get some expertise; you really need to

一個真的需要有些專業的情況，你大概需要有一些資格

get qualifications. You should get a master's degree or maybe a PhD or

你要取得碩士或是博士學位，或者是

qualifications that show that you know that language very well at an academic

可以顯示出你對此語言的掌握有大學程度的資格

level, at a deep level, not just a conversational level. That's if you're

有一定的程度，而不只是對話的程度。

going to teach a language that's not your native language. Now, another type of

如果你打算要去教授一門不是你母語的外語時。現在，其他語言類別的工作

job that is language-specific is becoming a translator or an interpreter. Now,

就是成為一位譯者＆口譯員。現在

the difference between those, just to clarify, a translator is somebody who

我們來釐清一下這兩者的差異，譯者翻譯文本，

translates texts; they translate written materials from one language to another;

他們將文本翻譯成其他語言，

but an interpreter is somebody who translates speech; they translate the

但是口譯員，則是翻譯演講，他們翻譯現場人們所說的話，

things people are saying live, in real time, as they are speaking. Now, being a

在真實的時間中，就如同他們在說話一般。現在，作為一位

translator or interpreter requires you to have a very deep understanding of

譯者或是口議員，會要求你對此語言有很深的理解，

that language, because there's really no room for error or misunderstanding. You

因為他們真的沒有犯錯跟誤解的空間。

have to translate, sometimes, very important information, and mistakes could

有時，你必須要翻譯很重要的資訊，過失會

be a big problem, so you need to have very good, almost native-level skills,

是一個很大的問題，所以你必須有很好的，近乎於母語程度的技巧。

especially if you're interpreting in real time, but also, you need to learn the skills of

尤其當你是在現場，並且，你也需要學習

translation or interpreting. Those are separate skills that you need to learn

關於翻譯跟口譯的技巧。他們是你需要去分別學習的不同技巧

on top of knowing the language. So, for these jobs that are specifically

很瞭解這麼語言。所以，對於這些特別跟

language-related, there's really no room for language dabblers. You really need

語言相關的工作，真的沒有空間給語言玩家（業餘的語言學者）。你真的需要

to have a comprehensive understanding of that language, and you have to be able to

對此語言有廣泛的認識，你也要能

show that you can use that language at almost a native level. Next up are jobs

展現出你能近乎母語人士一般的使用該語言。接下來回到

that are not specifically language related; they are basically focused on

跟語言沒有那麼相關的工作，只專注於

another skill that you need, but the language is an additional asset.

其他你需要的技能，語言只是一項附加價值。

The first kind of job is one that requires some technical expertise, but having a

第一類的工作，要求具有專業的技術，但是

language on top of that will give you some extra opportunities; so an example

除此之外還有語言技能，可以給你額外的機會；有個例子

that I've heard is from an engineer. His company sells some sort of machines to

我從工程師那邊聽來的。他的公司賣一些機器給

companies around the world, and they send this engineer to those companies so he

不同國家的公司，他們賣給那些公司引擎，因此他

can teach people how to use those machines in their factories. So, he learns

教導人們怎麼使用他們工廠的機器。所以，他學習

foreign languages so that he can do that. I believe this guy in particular

外語以便他可以做這個（教學）。我相信這個人特別

was working in Indonesia, so he learned Indonesian to be able to teach those

是在印度工作，所以他學印度文，以求能夠用他們的母語教導他們。

people in their native language. Another example career is business with a

另外一個範例職業是專注在當地的商業活動，

regional focus; for example, maybe you get a commerce degree, or you get a Masters

舉例，或許你有商業學位，或者你有商業碩士資格，

of Business Administration, an MBA, but also you have some language skills, and maybe

MBA，但同時也有一些語言技巧，且或許

you work for a company that does business in that region or does business

你工作的公司在當地有一些商業活動或者是跟當地的公司有生意往來。

with companies in that region. Another example career is the foreign service --

另一個範例職業是外國服務－－

being a diplomat, being someone who works at your country's embassies abroad. When

當外交官，在你們國家的駐外大使館工作。當

you work in the foreign service, I think that often involves some kind of

你位外國工作，我想他通常會包含有一些語言的訓練

language training before you are sent abroad, but knowing some languages in

在你被送出國之前，在你申請這份工作之前，如果先有一些語言程度

advance before you apply is probably a big asset. Another example is being a

可能會是個不錯的條件。其他的例子則是作為一名

tour guide. Now, a tour guide's main focus is not the language; it's the history and it's the

導遊。現在，導遊主要需注意的不是語言，而是歷史以及

anthropology and all of those sorts of things, but having in language that they

人類學以及所有相關的東西，但有語言能力，他們

can explain things in, that will help them have other opportunities, so maybe

就可以用這個語言解釋，可以幫助他們有其他的機會，或許

you might specialize in tourists from Japan. You learn Japanese; you can be a

你可能特別可以帶日本團。你學日文，你就可以作為

tour guide for Japanese tourists. Depending on where you live,

日本觀光客的導遊。依據你所居住的地方，

another option might be to do some other job in the tourism industry or open a

在這觀光產業做這份工作，可能會有其他的要求項目，在觀光產業中成立一門

business in the tourism industry. If you live on Bali Island in Indonesia, then you

生意。如果你住在印尼的峇里島，那你

would be crazy not to learn English and Japanese and maybe some other languages

會因為沒有學英文、日文或者是其他主要遊客的語言而瘋掉。

that are common amongst tourists. Another career is being a cabin attendant. Now, their

別的工作則是當隨行人員。現在，他們

main focus is on safety training, on emergency response and that kind of

主要專注在安全上的訓練，緊急處理及其他相關的東西，

thing, but knowing a language, that's an additional asset; probably, they need to

但如果懂個語言，可以有額外的資產，或許，大部分的情況會需要

know English in most cases, but they also need to know the language of the country

知道英文，知道他們所要工作地點的語言，

they're working in or of the destination that they often fly to. Maybe

或是他們即將飛往地方的語言。或許

they don't need to know it fluently, but knowing some of that language will help

他們不需要很流利，但是如果知道一些的話，可以幫助他們

them deal with the passengers on the plane; so if you live in Los Angeles and

在飛機上處理乘客，所以，如果你住在洛杉磯且

you often fly to Asia, then knowing Japanese or Korean or Mandarin or

常飛往亞洲，那知道一些日文、韓文、中文或

another language like that would probably be a big asset. Now all of these

其他之類的語言，可能會是個有利的資產。現在，所有

jobs I just talked about, they're focused on another important skill, so they're

我所談論過的工作，他們都專注在其他重要的技巧，所以他們

not focused on language, so you don't need a specific language qualification

沒有專注在語言，大部分的情況，你也就不需要具有特別的語言資格

in most cases, but you need to be able to demonstrate that you can use that

但你需要能夠去展現你可以在工作中使用這些語言。

language on the job. that's the most important thing. The third type of job I

這是最重要的。第三種我想要提的工作

want to mention is one that doesn't really have any language requirement, but

是一個不需要真的具有任何語言要求

learning that language would be useful for your off-time and for your overall

但學了一門語言的話，對你的整個人生的空閒是很有用的。

lifestyle. So let's say that you live in Singapore, and your company does business

當我們說你住在新加坡，而你的公司使用英文，

in English, then you don't have to learn any other language; people in Singapore

那你你就不必要去學任何其他的語言，在新加坡大家

speak English, but nearby is Malaysia and Indonesia; so let's say you want to

說英文，但鄰近的是馬來西亞跟印尼，假設說你想要

travel there on your off time. learning Malay or learning Indonesian would be very

在你閒暇時去這些地方旅行，學馬來語或者是印尼話，

useful in that situation, so think about the kind of lifestyle that you want to

在這種情況會很有用，試著想想，想要這樣的生活，

have, and think about how languages fit in with that. Let's say that you want to

想想怎樣的語言會適合。讓我們來說說，如果你

live the corporate expat lifestyle in some place like Hong Kong. Then, you can

住在有組織的生活風格的地方，像是香港。那，當你在取得商業學位時，你可以

study Cantonese while you get your finance degree, or you get your MBA or

學廣東話，或者是取得MBA等之類的。

whatever. If you want to be a programmer, and you can program from your laptop

如果你想當程式設計師，你可以世界各地由你的電腦設計程式

anywhere in the world, then think about what country you would like to live in, and

那可以想想，你會想要住在哪個國家，

learn the language of that country. If you're an avid traveler, and you love the

學那個國家的語言。如果你是個重度旅者，你愛極了

idea of living in different countries all the time, then you can learn how to

一直待在不同國家的點子，那你可以學習如何在網路上做生意，

do businesses on the Internet, and you can learn the language of whatever

你就可以學

countries that you want to spend an extended period of time in. Or if you want

你將要當一段時間的國家的語言。或者，如果你想要

to learn a foreign language, and you want to someday reach an expert level and be

學一門外語，且有天想要到專精的程度，並有能力

able to teach that language, then plan ahead for that; maybe go for your master's

去教授這門語言，那就先計畫吧！或許是去拿到碩士

degree or PhD. Try to really get a deep understanding and overall knowledge of

或博士文憑。嘗試去深入了解以及得到關於此語言的全面知識。

that language. So these are just my thoughts on it, based on things that I

這只是我的觀點，建基於我所知的

know and things that I've heard, but a lot of the viewers have different

以及我所聽到的，但是這麼多觀點都有不同的

perspectives. Some of you probably have jobs that involve foreign languages, so

視野。你們當中有些人，可能已經投入在關乎這些外文的工作中，所以

we want to know what you think. If you have any other ideas or any questions

想知道你怎麼想的。如果你有其他的想法跟問題

about this topic,

關於這個主題，

leave them down below. Thank you for watching, and have a nice day.

在下面留言。謝謝你的收看，祝你有美好的一天。