Brussels, 16/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission regrets the British lack motivation for learning foreign languages. Ahead of a conference that will be held on 18-20 October at the London Language Show, the Commission spoke, on 13 September, of a contrasting situation with regard to foreign language learning in the UK.
Since 2000, the number of British universities offering degrees in the two most popular languages has fallen by 30% for French and by over 50% for German. The number of young people applying to study European languages has also dropped by nearly 17% since 2010, according to statistics from UCAS, the body that manages admissions to higher education establishments in the UK. The picture is less sombre in the first cycle of secondary teaching (GCSE level) with an increase of nearly 16% in the number of pupils who took foreign language GCSE examinations. Another reason for optimism is that, from September 2014, the teaching of foreign languages in British primary schools will be compulsory from the age of 7. The Commission recalls the importance of learning foreign languages in all the countries of the EU, including the UK. While English is the universal language in the business domain, it is important that companies have personnel who speak the language of their customers - all the more so as over half the UK's trade is now done with the rest of Europe.
The conference organised by the Commission in London will aim to raise visitors' awareness of the economic and social advantages of learning languages. Over 10,000 people are expected to attend this fair, which will also attract business recruiters and education specialists. (IL/transl.fl)