Thinking about a Masters in Linguistics?

Question

So I'm thinking about going back to school for a Masters in Linguistics. What my actual interest is foreign languages. I want to study language and language acquisition because I'm interested in becoming a polyglot and possibly using that for translation jobs or jobs with travel. I'm not entirely sure what masters programs I should be searching/applying for with this mindset. Help?

Answer 1

For what specific JOB are you preparing? If you don’t know that, you are not ready to make a decision.

Answer 2

The jobs that are available usually require fluency in two or more languages. Spanish is the most useful language in the U.S., but if you want to travel, you might find another language to be more useful. The federal government and the military can use people who speak Russian, Mandarin (and other Chinese languages), Korean and Arabic (the latter two languages are difficult for English speakers to learn). The two people I know who studied linguistics have used their language skills to travel in Europe, but aren't using their skills on the job. One is a secretary at an insurance company while the other is a customer service agent.

Source(s): https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/in...

Answer 3

Master's in linguistics is not a qualification for translator/interpreter. You would have to go to a special program, interpreter school, to get certified as a translator/simultaneous interpreter. Native (possibly near-native) fluency in two or more languages will be a requirement for admission. 

There is not a great deal of demand, except sometimes in court trials, in which case you need to be certified as a court interpreter in your state/jurisdiction. You will be self-employed, picking up what assignments you can from time to time. Translation apps and online/telephone translation services have made a lot of translator & interpreter jobs obsolete. 

Answer 4

Have you done any research on jobs? What jobs are out there, what they pay. How many are available. My husband and sister in law travel for business. All over the world. With businesses most people speak English. My husband was in a remote area in Hungry. Even in stores he didn’t have much problems. They certainly haven’t needed a translator when at a corporation job site.

From OSU

http://gpadmissions.osu.edu/programs/program.aspx?...

Look at large state universities to see what grad programs they offer. I would get a meeting with  the department head