In India, there are many language courses offered after the 12th. Most colleges require only a 12th-grade certificate for admission to language courses. After completing 12th grade, students can pursue language courses. Language courses are offered at various levels in higher education such as certificates, diplomas, and UG. Popular options include BA degrees in languages like French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, or Korean. These courses are often available at universities like Delhi University, JNU, and other reputed colleges from all over India.
There are many career opportunities in language courses. Some potential career paths after doing a language course include Translator/Interpreter, Tourism Professional, Journalist/Correspondent, Diplomat/Embassy worker, Language Teacher, and Content Writer. The duration of language courses after 12th typically ranges from 6 months to 3 years depending on the level of the course.
Online Language Courses
Students after 12th can take various online language courses in languages such as Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, etc. Some of the popular language courses are Spanish, French, German, Japanese & Chinese.
Benefits of Taking Online Language Courses
Cost-effective: Often more affordable compared to traditional language classes.
Global reach: Access to teachers and materials from different cultures.
Career enhancement: Improve job prospects in fields requiring multilingual skills.
Personal development: Expand your cultural understanding and communication abilities.
Certificates in Language Courses
Students can pursue language courses at the certificate level after completing their 12th class in specializations like French, Chinese, German, Spanish, English, etc., with recognized certifications such as TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic, Cambridge English, French, German, Spanish, and Chinese, depending on the language students choose.
Admission for language certificate courses for the session 2025-26 has started. Those students who want to get admitted to language certificate courses will need to have passed their 12th from a recognized board. The duration of these courses is between 6 months to a year. The fee for a language certificate course after passing 12th can depend on the language, institution, course duration, and location but typically ranges from INR 5,000 to INR 25,000 per course in India.
Certificate in Language Courses Exams
Cambridge English Exams (KET, PET, FCE, CAE, CPE)
Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic)
International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
Diplomas in Language Courses
After passing the 12th, students can pursue diploma courses in languages such as Diploma in French, Diploma in Spanish, Diploma in Japanese, Diploma in English Language Teaching (ELT), Diploma in German, Diploma in Arabic, Diploma in Mandarin Chinese, and Diploma in Korean.
The duration of these diploma courses is about 1 year.
Eligibility: Students need to have completed their 12th grade from a recognized board in any stream, with a minimum mark of around 45-50%.
These diploma courses generally enhance conversational fluency, grammar understanding, and cultural awareness in the chosen language.
Most colleges/institutes offer part-time or online diploma courses in languages, allowing students to enhance their skills along with their profession.
Diploma fee in language courses after 12th usually ranges from INR 7,000 to INR 20,000 depending on the language, college, and other factors. Some universities charge slightly higher fees for languages like Japanese, Chinese, or Korean.
Undergraduate Courses in Language
Language courses after 12th at the undergraduate level usually refer to a Bachelor's degree program in a particular language, like French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, or Korean.
It can be pursued at a university level, allowing students to study the language in depth and achieve proficiency in various aspects like grammar, vocabulary, literature, and conversation skills.
Generally, most universities offer a "BA" (Bachelor of Arts) degree with a specialization in a chosen language.
Eligibility: Students will be required to have passed their 12th grade from a recognized board with the needed minimum marks percentage of 45-50%.
Duration of this course is approximately 3 years.
Fee for undergraduate language courses after 12th ranges from INR 10,000 to INR 60,000 per annum depending on the university, location, and specific language chosen.
Colleges for Language Courses
Top colleges for language courses after 12th are Delhi University and JNU (Jawaharlal Nehru University), both offering undergraduate and postgraduate programs in various languages.
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
Offers programs in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Russian, and Spanish.
Known for its cultural exchange and linguistic skills.
The School of Language, Literature, and Culture Studies (SLLCS) offers various types of programs.
University of Delhi (DU)
Offers a variety of language options, including French, German, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Arabic. Several colleges within Delhi University offer language courses, such as:
St. Stephen's College
Hindu College
Miranda House & Bharati College
Amity University
Sharda University
Lady Shri Ram College for Women
Banaras Hindu University
Eligibility Criteria for Language Courses
To pursue a language course after 12th, students generally need to have qualified their 12th grade from a recognized Board and must have at least marks around 45-50%, with English. Some colleges operate entrance exams depending on the course level like certificate, diploma, or degree and the specific language that students want to study. Admission is usually merit-based, sometimes requiring an entrance exam for specific courses. Diploma, Bachelor's, or Master's level language courses may have varying eligibility requirements.
Fees for Language courses
The fees of college in language courses after 12th can totally depend on the college and the language that students choose. But generally, the range starts from ₹7,000 to ₹2 lakh per year with diploma courses. Delhi University (DU) charges between ₹5,000 and ₹20,000 for a year for language courses. Courses which can take more time to speak languages like French, German, Spanish, and Chinese are more expensive than others. Diploma courses are usually cheaper than full degree courses. Below is the complete fee structure for language courses after 12nd, students must check.
Certificate Language courses
Name of the course | Fees |
|---|---|
Urdu, Sanskrit | ₹ 7,500 - ₹ 10,000 approx |
French, German | ₹ 15,000 - ₹ 20,000 approx |
Japanese, Korean | ₹ 17,000 - ₹ 25,000 approx |
Diploma Language courses
Name of the course | Fees |
|---|---|
French | ₹7000 - ₹15,000 approx |
German | ₹ 20,000 - ₹ 25,000 approx |
Japanese | ₹ 25,000 - ₹ 30,000 approx |
Undergraduate Language Courses
Name of the course | Fees |
|---|---|
French | ₹15,000 - ₹20,000 approx |
German | ₹ 20,000 - ₹ 25,000 approx |
Japanese | ₹ 25,000 - ₹ 30,000 approx |
Scope in language courses
After completing 12th grade, a language course opens up a wide range of career opportunities in fields such as translation, interpretation, international business, diplomacy, tourism, education, media, and content creation, with potential jobs in embassies, multinational companies, travel agencies, schools, and publishing houses, depending on the language proficiency that gained, popular language choices include French, German, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and Japanese. Working as a translator for written content or an interpreter for real-time communication in a variety of fields such as business, legal, and medical. Supporting global operations in multinational companies with language skills in key markets. Working in the tourism industry, like hotels, airlines, or travel agencies, to assist international clients. Teaching languages in schools, and universities, or providing language training programs for companies. Serving in embassies, foreign ministries, or intelligence agencies due to the high demand for language fluency. Contributing to media outlets, writing content, or blogging in a foreign language.