Living Languages has been researching for two years now regarding the value of learning a foreign language, and they revealed in a report that the United Kingdom is facing serious issues on the subject of foreign language learning.
The United Kingdom plays a pivotal role in the global community, and it has been a melting pot of cultures for many years. Despite the presence of several immigrant communities, the country’s native population is still composed of monoglots.
Various concerned groups, including the media, want to find what is holding the nation back from learning other languages. The British Academy and British newspaper; The Guardian, launched a joint study called “the Case for Language Learning” and with the report from Living Languages, they found the major causes why the UK is behind in foreign language learning and the consequences for the nation:
– The schools’ approach to learning a language as the means to boost the students’ careers is wrong. According to University of Oxford professor Katrin Kohl, schools should emphasize that gaining language skills involves communicative rewards, cultural knowledge as well as intellectual challenges.
-As of 2013 there are about 100 languages that are spoken in the United Kingdom and many think that speaking so many languages creates hostility and division. However, the chair of the University Council of Modern Languages, Jocelyn Wyburd said that if they could harness the country’s multilingualism, it would be greatly beneficial for cross-cultural communication and their schools. It was also noted that about one third of the people who are not native English speakers, do not take qualification tests in their native language either.
-Overall, about 150 minority languages in Europe are facing extinction. People moving from rural areas to the cities to get an education or look for jobs have no other alternative but to learn the dominant language, to the detriment of their native tongue.
– The lack of foreign language skills is hurting the country’s economy. According to government statistics, this is costing the country £48 billion annually, which represents 3.5 percent of their GDP. The most affected population by the lack of language skills are the small and medium-size exporters, since they are generally unable to do international trade, partly because of their lack of funds to hire linguists.
The research concludes that young Britons think learning another language is too difficult despite the fact that they recognize it could be good for their future careers, meeting new people, and understanding other cultures. This could be reversed since there is already an increase in the number of students taking language GCSEs and around 70 percent of the student population showed interest in learning another language. Also, technology and language learning should match. Technology should be harnessed to stir up engagement and interest in language learning. The various apps and communication tools should be used as novel ways to teach languages, which will enhance the learning experience of students, encourage them to experiment, and provide valuable feedback.
Image Copyright: epokrovsky / 123RF Stock Photo
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