Career Opportunities for Language and Literature Majors

A Language and Literature degree can open doors to a variety of career paths, including these:

• Graduate or Professional School
  Language and Literature is good preparation for students to continue their studies in law school, Library Science, graduate work in English or Foreign Languages and education, business management, public administration, ministry or government.
• Education
  Language and Literature prepares teachers to teach middle school and high school. Graduates sometimes specialize in English as a Second Language and teach overseas.
• Publishing or Writing
  Language and Literature majors go on to work as freelance writers, technical writers, editors, and publishers for magazines, publishing companies, web-based publishing, in large and small companies.
• Business
  Career sites such as Monster Jobs regularly list jobs with descriptions that say "bachelor’s degree in English, Communication, or related field." Management, human resources, corporate publications, public relations, and customer service jobs require strong reading, writing, and speaking skills. Language and Literature majors are well suited for these jobs.
• Non-profit Organizations
  Language and Literature majors often have a heart for service and their values match those of non-profit organizations. They work as directors, grant writers, publicists, and more.
• Internships
  Students are encouraged to identify their area of interest and choose a minor or supporting courses to target their area of interest. Internships are available for students who are interested in any of these areas.

ACU students can help clarify their goals by consulting the career library in the ACU Career Center or by taking a career inventory test at ACU's Testing and University Assessment Center.

Other Resources

"Applying to College? Make Sure You Have Options to Study Languages" (external link) by Stacie Nevadomski Berdan, International Careers Expert & Author, 'GO GLOBAL!' and 'Get Ahead By Going Abroad'

The following comes from Vista's Higher Language blog that accompanies the FLSP 111 textbook:

"Knowing a foreign language can many times help doctors, nurses, social workers, hotel managers, journalists, businesspeople, pilots, flight attendants, and many other kinds of professionals do their jobs well. Second language study enhances career opportunities. The National Research council states that knowledge of a foreign language facilitates travel, enhances career opportunities, and enables one to learn more about different peoples and cultures.

In a survey of 581 alumni of The American Graduate School of International Management the majority of the respondents stated they had gained a competitive advantage from their knowledge of foreign languages and other cultures. They said that not only was language study often a critical factor in hiring decisions and in enhancing their career paths, it also provided personal fulfillment, mental discipline, and cultural enlightenment."