The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages has launched Brexit and Languages: A checklist for Government negotiators and officials highlighting four essential language-specific objectives of the Brexit process. The APPG on Modern Languages will be presenting the document to the leaders of the main political parties, MPs and Peers.
SCILT welcomes the publication of this document. Fhiona Mackay, Director of SCILT, said: "Now, more than ever, it is vital that we equip Scotland’s children and young people with the necessary skills that will allow them to operate globally.
"This week saw a call from Westminster MPs and peers who form the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages for post-Brexit protection for language skills so that the UK can 'succeed as a world leader in free trade and international relations'.
"Scotland has indeed benefitted greatly from the opportunities afforded by Erasmus + funding. It has supported teachers to develop their language skills and has enabled fruitful educational partnerships between Scottish schools and their counterparts in other European countries. The German Educational Trainee programme that SCILT facilitates is made possible largely by Erasmus + funding. Similarly, the British Council Language Assistants have made a huge contribution to Scottish education, as have all the native speaking language teachers across the country who hail originally from other parts of the EU.
"Certainly we need an education system that continues to develop multilingualism, thus guaranteeing the future of the UK’s trade, security, and diplomacy. However, we also need to think about the language of welcome; language skills help build a more open, tolerant and ultimately cohesive society that values all peoples and cultures. That is the kind of Scotland our children and young people deserve."