Translation and Journalism

Benefits of a Second Language in Journalism

Journalism

As you are likely aware, are many different types of journalism, which is the act of collecting and presenting news to a public audience. These types include print, such as you would find in magazines and newspapers, television, and internet. Each of these different types of journalism reaches out to different people in many places, who likely speak a variety of languages. This means that knowing a second language will help a journalist to reach out to their wide audience. However, not only is knowing a second language useful in creating content in said language, it is used for a variety of other things in journalism.

Languages and Journalism

As a journalist, knowing a second language can help with more than creating content in that language. It can help you with jobs related to functioning in that language. Jobs that would require you to function in another language might include conducting interviews (in both foreign countries and with minorities in your own city) and investigations. It’s hard to go to Russia to investigate something and expect that everyone there will speak English. Knowing a second language will also help you to understand cultural context, which will better your presentation of the information you gather. It will also help you to listen and understand court trials so that you can get the best information possible. Another benefit is that you’ll know the nuances of specialized lingo in the language you learn. This can help with scientific, legal, medical, and political terminology.

Languages to Know

There are many languages used around the globe, but when it comes to journalism some of these languages are better to know than others. One such language is Arabic, which will help you with news related to the Middle East, CIA investigations, world affairs, and military operations. Another great language to know is Chinese – specifically Mandarin. Chinese is good for journalism related to business, technology, and manufacturing. A third language that would help your career is Spanish. Spanish is a good language to have mastered when it comes to topics relating to Latin America, politics, and domestic issues, such as immigration to the United States. Last but not least, an important language to know is English. If it isn’t your first language, it would be wise to learn English for journalism as it would be helpful in issues ranging from politics to science.

Journalism Today

Journalism’s importance is growing stronger as the world comes closer together through advancing technologies. The world, however, does not yet speak one common language, and so with journalism becoming more important, so does the idea that journalists should know more than one language. If you are a journalist, knowing an additional language could boost your career and help you to get more involved in world affairs. Instead of rely on other people’s help to aid you in translation, you can get information faster and more directly by being fluent in multiple languages. So, what do you think? Is it worth a shot?

References

• Foreign Language Skills are Essential for Global Business Journalists:  http://businessjournalism.org/2010/07/12/foreign-language-skills-are-essential-for-global-business-journalists/

• The Best Language for a Journalist: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/343173-the-best-language-for-a-journalist.html

• Language and Context: Some Problems of Teaching Journalism in Second Language: http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1181&context=apme