20.11.13
More language learning needed for UK prosperity – British Council
There is an “alarming shortage” of people able to speak the foreign languages most vital to the UK’s future prosperity, the British Council has warned in a new report.
The top ten languages thought to most improve our global standing are: Spanish, Arabic, French, Mandarin, German, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Turkish, and Japanese. Schools should teach a wider range of languages, the council suggests, and encourage more people to learn at least one foreign language.
A YouGov poll showed that 75% of over 4,000 adults said they would unable to hold a conversation in any of these ten languages. Just 15% said they could in French, 6% in German, 4% in Spanish and 2% in Italian.
The UK must do more to link language teaching policies with aspirations for international business, education and culture, the report states. Greater use should also be made of the language skills of minority communities, and business should invest in teaching languages with international benefit, it recommends.
John Worne of the British Council said: “The problem isn't that we're teaching the wrong languages, because the most widely taught languages like French, Spanish and German all feature in our top 10. But the UK needs more people to take up the opportunity to learn and, crucially, get using these languages, along with new ones like Arabic, Chinese and Japanese.
“'Fluent' is an inhibitor, 'functional' is a liberator. It begins with a few words and phrases and that small investment can grow into a lifetime of interest, employment and opportunity.”
Tell us what you think – have your say below, or email us directly at [email protected]