Language Learning - Benefits
25 March 2024 (TES)
The recent announcement that the University of Aberdeen has lifted the threat of compulsory redundancy from its languages staff and will continue to deliver joint degrees in languages was a rare moment of good news for the languages sector.
But the focus on universities hides a much greater opportunity to secure a sustainable future for languages. The curriculum review taking place following the publication of Professor Louise Hayward’s report, It’s Our Future, is a chance to reflect on what languages should look like going forward.
This is a critical moment. Global citizenship is intrinsic to the four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), and since 2011 the Scottish government has signalled the strategic importance of languages by investing over £36 million in languages provision in the “broad general education (BGE)”. The introduction of languages from the age of 5 established language-learning as the norm, and many schools embraced it as an opportunity to revise their BGE provision.
But with the implementation and funding of the 1+2 languages policy now complete, there is a real danger that this progress will be squandered.
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22 March 2024 (SCILT / eSgoil)
SCILT is going to be offering two more online Languages and Your Career sessions before the summer and we'd love to see you there! These sessions will be different from previous ones offered as they will be tailored specifically to particular groups of learners. These will be:
Wednesday 15 May 11.00 - 12.00, a session aimed specifically at Secondary BGE learners (S1-3) which will explore the fun, transferrable employability skills associated with languages. We will examine together how these are a valuable asset in any learner’s skillset.
Tuesday 11 June 2.00 – 3.00, a session aimed directly at Senior Phase pupils just starting new courses. This will look further forward from the perspective of those who have already chosen languages and will include tips on making the most of the language learning experience in school and beyond.
Like previous sessions, these webinars aim to introduce learners to the importance of languages and their associated skills in the workplace, break down stereotypes of careers that use languages, identify appropriate career pathways, and hear examples of people who use languages in their daily work.
Both sessions will take place within the Languages and Your Career Glow Team. Registration is via e-Sgoil.
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8 January 2024 (Euronews)
The Big Question is a series from Euronews Business where we sit down with industry leaders and experts to discuss some of the most important topics on today’s agenda. In this episode James Thomas met with Paul Bulcke, the chairman of Nestlé, to discuss whether speaking multiple languages is an important skill for international business.
Read the article and listen to the interview online.
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2 January 2024 (The Conversation)
Are you in a relationship with someone who grew up speaking a different language to you? Perhaps you’re dating, and wondering about your long-term future. You’re far from alone.
In 2021, 9.5 million of the people in the UK – 14.1% of the population – had been born abroad. This means that the landscape of relationships is likely to have become more diverse. These relationships often unite people from varied linguistic and cultural backgrounds, offering both enrichment and challenges.
Effective communication is a cornerstone of success for intercultural relationships and will help in avoiding potential pitfalls. Language is our primary conduit for communication, and when partners do not share a common language, it can lead to misinterpretations, frustration and conflicts.
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12 December 2023 (DYW / eSgoil)
To celebrate Languages Week 2024 we’d like to highlight several exciting courses through DYW Live involving languages. We have sessions for Primary, Secondary and a CLPL for Primary Teachers all around the benefits languages can bring to learners and their future pathways.
Visit the webpage for full details.
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11 December 2023 (Press and Journal)
It was a pleasure recently to visit Cults Academy and talk to S3 pupils about the horizons broadened by language learning.
We were joined by a final-year student from the University of Aberdeen, who enthused them with stories about her placement year in France. As many do, she had found her time abroad transformative.
Being part of daily life and culture in another country is a hothouse for language skills. And living on one’s wits in another language is ideal for building personal confidence and resilience.
With their passion for global languages and cultures, our students are ideal ambassadors. They can inspire the next generation of learners and remind them that all the hard work of “getting the grammar right” is worth the effort, because it unlocks the door to new ways of seeing the world.
In partnership with SCILT, Scotland’s national centre for languages, the University of Aberdeen has developed a new language mentoring scheme that pairs languages students with budding linguists in schools.
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21 November 2023 (EurekAlert / University of Florida)
People who speak two languages may be better at shifting their attention from one thing to another compared to those who speak one, according to a study published this month in the journal Bilingualism: Language and Cognition.
The study examined differences between bilingual and monolingual individuals when it comes to attentional control and ignoring information that isn’t important at the time, said its authors Grace deMeurisse, a University of Florida Ph.D. candidate studying linguistics, and Edith Kaan, a UF professor in the department of linguistics.
“Our results showed that bilinguals seem to be more efficient at ignoring information that's irrelevant, rather than suppressing — or inhibiting information,” deMeurisse said. “One explanation for this is that bilinguals are constantly switching between two languages and need to shift their attention away from the language not in use.”
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30 October 2023 (The Herald)
Apart from life itself (and the fact she loves me so much still, despite me pushing her buttons for so many of my younger years) it is probably the greatest gift my mum gave me: her language.
Those that have read more of what I write will have seen me talk of my roots before. I was born and raised in Germany to a German father and an American mother, and moved to the UK in my late teens. Born into this setup, I was blessed with not learning one, but two languages from day one. Part of it was a necessity: my mother didn't speak much German when I arrived, although she is fully fluent now.
However, there was another reason I was pushed towards languages growing up: pure pragmatism. I had a teacher in Germany that warned us that unless we wanted to spend our whole life holidaying on Sylt, an island on the north coast of Germany, we would have to learn to speak a language that wasn’t German. Obviously, learning languages isn’t just to make holidays go more smoothly, but what they said holds true: most people outside of Germany do not speak German and, if we wanted to communicate, we would have to adapt.
It is common for most Germans to learn at least two foreign languages while at school. We learned English in school from when we were about eight or nine, followed by French when I was about 12.
Knowing English was a big part of me moving to the UK and staying here. Growing up bilingual, I took comfort in the knowledge that the culture shock a move to a new country would bring, would at least not be paired with a language barrier, and I was right. That is something I see as a gift, and I’m forever grateful for.
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28 October 2023 (The Scotsman)
Please know that this observation is not meant judgmentally. Talent is diverse and if you only speak one language it isn’t a crime. However, it is curious when we observe neighbouring nations. Last year, the language-learning platform Lingoda wrote that “around 62% of the UK population are monolingual.”
Meanwhile, reports indicate that Norwegians boast around 90% bilingual proficiency. So, why should we differ?
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26 September 2023 (British Academy)
We are often presented with two competing narratives surrounding language learning in the UK. On the one hand, we are reminded of the UK's linguistic shortcomings compared with other nations, which presents challenges to maximising economic, social and cultural opportunities. On the other, as demonstrated by the popularity of apps such as Duolingo, there is an unmistakable enthusiasm for language learning across the UK, not least as the country acknowledges its own multilingual heritage. Indeed, in response to a 2022 YouGov poll commissioned by the British Academy, 22% of people said that their interest in modern languages had risen since the pandemic.
In my new role as the British Academy's Lead Fellow for Languages, one of my biggest responsibilities is to try and make sense of this dichotomy, to further understand why people aren’t studying languages, and to help turn things around.
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17 September 2023 (The Guardian)
Research shows people who speak another language are more utilitarian and flexible, less risk-averse and egotistical, and better able to cope with traumatic memories.
“This re-Englishing of a Russian re-version of what had been an English re-telling of Russian memories in the first place, proved to be a diabolical task,” he wrote. “But some consolation was given me by the thought that such multiple metamorphosis, familiar to butterflies, had not been tried by any human before.”
Over the past decade, psychologists have become increasingly interested in using such mental metamorphoses. Besides altering the quality of our memories, switching between languages can influence people’s financial decision-making and their appraisal of moral dilemmas. By speaking a second language, we can even become more rational, more open-minded and better equipped to deal with uncertainty. This phenomenon is known as the “foreign language effect” and the benefits may be an inspiration for anyone who would like to enrich their mind with the words of another tongue.
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15 September 2023 (SCILT)
SCILT is delighted to be working with eSgoil and DYW to offer workshops this session aimed at primary (P4-P7) learners.
Hearing from a diverse range of people who use languages in their careers, the workshop aims to encourage pupils to consider how their talents and interests can be enhanced by language skills and intercultural understanding now and in the future.
Three online sessions are taking place:
- 14 November 2023
- 13 March 2024
- 16 May 2024
Visit the eSgoil website for more details and to register. Early booking is advisable as class numbers are limited.
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Related Links
DYWLive workshops for secondary learners - Languages and your career
12 September 2023 (SCILT)
We are delighted to be back again this year working together with e-Sgoil and DYW Live to deliver the Languages and Your Career webinar. In this session we will explore how languages can contribute to success in a wide range of jobs and career paths. This webinar aims to introduce secondary learners to the importance of languages and their associated skills in the workplace, break down stereotypes of careers that use languages, identify appropriate career pathways, and hear examples of people who use languages in their daily work. It will be an interactive session with input from people who use languages in their work.
The workshop will repeated each month on different days and times from September until January. The dates on offer are:
Tuesday 26th September: 2.00 – 3.00pm
Wednesday 25th October: 9.30 – 10.30am
Thursday 23rd November: 11.00am – 12.00pm
Monday 18th December: 9.30 – 10.30am
Tuesday 30th January: 2.00 – 3.00pm
All sessions will take place in Glow Teams.
This year, additional materials will be made available to teachers who attend the workshop with their classes to support further promotion of employability with individual languages. Watch this space!
For more information and registration details, visit the e-Sgoil website.
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Related Links
DYWLive workshops for primary learners - Make languages work for you
10 September 2023 (The Guardian)
For Sonya Barlow, studying in Rome was the best experience of her life. Now a BBC presenter, she believes spending part of her business degree in Italy in 2013/14 “made me who I am”.
“I had never lived away from my family home but suddenly I was living alone in a different country. It redefined my values and allowed me to be me: I explored Italy, focused on studying, balanced that with fun and laid great foundations for moving into the world of work,” she says.
By her second semester in Rome, Barlow was able to take her classes in Italian: “It was hard, but stepping out of my comfort zone set me up for success.”
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8 September 2023 (SCILT)
The job profiles on our website demonstrate a range of careers where languages are being used. The latest addition comes from Simran Kaur, Equality and Diversity Engagement Officer at the University of Strathclyde.
Simran's language skills have enabled her to work as a translator and they also prove useful in her role at the university where so many different languages are spoken on campus.
Teachers, use Simran's profile along with others on our website to highlight the benefits of language learning to your pupils.
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2 September 2023 (The Guardian)
In 30 years of frontline reporting, the multilingual Europe editor has had her share of seismic news stories. But she still loves conversing with irate callers and is not above giving viewers a laugh at her own expense.
[..] Having grown up in London, Adler studied Italian and German at university and is vehement about the importance of learning foreign languages. It’s a belief that was instilled in childhood, like her passion for journalism...
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27 August 2023 (Albaro Languages)
I loved learning German at school. It was the exciting new language that French had unlocked. It was the “beautiful” language – ‘Deutsche Sprache, schöne Sprache’, as my ever-enthusiastic German teacher frequently called it. This is why I wish that more people could discover the many joys of learning German and perhaps reverse the year-on-year decline in take-up and teaching of German in schools.
Look beyond the prejudged idea of complex grammar rules, unfamiliar sounds and sometimes comically long words and discover why German is a fine and fantastic language to learn. Although it’s often misconceived as particularly challenging, German is a language that offers a multitude of reasons why it can be fun, surprisingly accessible, and incredibly beneficial for English speakers.
In this blog, I’ll try to explain why learning German is a rewarding experience that goes beyond linguistic boundaries, with plenty to offer to linguists and non-linguists alike.
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21 August 2023 (The Times)
As an Italian-Scot who grew up in the Netherlands, I have spent my life switching between languages. While I no longer use these languages extensively, I have always found them useful in understanding cultural nuances. There is a Chinese proverb: “To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world” and this is certainly true.
Bilingualism increases the chances of being able to learn another language quickly. My knowledge of Dutch and Italian helped me pick up French (albeit imperfectly), and elements of Spanish and German. Educationally the benefits are significant: bilingual students outperform their peers, particularly in subjects requiring cognitive flexibility, such as mathematics. Studies also suggest the health benefits of bilingualism are compelling, potentially protecting against diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Economically, having a population who can speak more than one language opens up a range of opportunities, particularly for developing trade and exports.
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16 August 2023 (The Conversation)
Think about being in a conversation with your best friend or partner. How often do you finish each other’s words and sentences? How do you know what they are going to say before they have said it? We like to think it is romantic intuition, but it’s just down to how the human brain works.
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30 May 2023 (Study International)
Knowing even the basics of the best languages to learn can get you far.
But with around 6,500 languages in the world, how do you know which to invest your time and effort in?
If you’re looking for the best languages to learn to succeed at work, then the top CEOs may just have the answers you seek.
[..] You need every edge you can get — and according to the decades of experience of senior executives who have seen what it takes to get to the top, knowing the best languages to learn for business is one of them.
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3 February 2023 (TES)
For a decade it has been government policy in Scotland that children should learn two languages in school - starting their first language in P1 and their second in P5, and continuing with them until at least the third year of secondary.
However, the figures show the policy - which began being introduced in 2013 and was supposed to be fully implemented by August 2021 - has yet to be fully realised.
Research published by the government in April last year, based on a survey of 86 per cent of primary schools and 88 per cent of secondaries, shows that just 69 per cent of primary schools were delivering a second language continuously from P1 to P7.
A further 29 per cent were “partially” delivering a second language and 2 per cent were delivering no second language whatsoever.
All secondaries were delivering a second language in S1 to S3 - but not all of them were doing so continuously: 70 per cent said they were delivering the entitlement to a second language in full.
And that’s before we get to the third language.
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19 January 2023 (British Council)
The UK isn’t the most enthusiastic country when it comes to learning languages. Most of the population - around two thirds - only speak English and many say they don’t feel the need to learn another language. There is a common perception that ‘English is enough’ as it’s a global ‘lingua franca’. Why spend time learning German when many Germans already speak perfect English, right?
Despite this, an appetite for language learning does exist in the UK. The British Council asked 3,000 people across the UK about their language learning ability, interests and habits. The findings revealed one in four UK adults regret never learning a second language.
Meanwhile, nearly a quarter believe it’s more important than ever for people in the UK to learn a language other than English. As Australian professor, Joe Lo Bianco, said: “There are two disadvantages in global language arrangements: one is not knowing English; and the other is knowing only English”.
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16 January 2023 (FE News)
‘I desire the Poles carnally,’ US President Jimmy Carter was interpreted to have said in a speech while visiting Poland in 1977.
And more recently Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau’s speech on TV was lost in translation with subtitles about ‘Nazi innings’ and various gibberish.
The first mistranslation was down to human error; the second due to speech recognition software limitations.
And digital marketer Philip Graves warns mistranslations are no laughing matter – with serious risks attached, from losing business opportunities to a breakdown in negotiations.
Philip, who is an analyst and copywriter at the Bristol-based digital marketing agency GWS Media, whose specialities include multilingual websites, said:
“Throughout history we have seen how misinterpretations can lead to disastrous misunderstandings and even bring countries to the brink of war.
“Poor translations can at the very least cause confusion. In some cases, they can cause offence. Clear communication is vital to building trust and where language barriers are involved, accurate translations play a key role.”
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10 January 2023 (The Conversation)
When parents learn their child has a developmental disability, they often have questions about what their child may or may not be able to do.
Children with developmental disabilities, such as Down syndrome, often have challenges and delays in language development. And for some families, one of these questions may be: “Will speaking two languages be detrimental to their development?”
However, studies consistently demonstrate exposure to an additional language, including a minority language, does not impact language outcomes negatively. This highlights the importance of giving children the opportunity to become bilingual.
Many parents feel speaking one language would be easier than two. Some may feel bilingualism would be too confusing for a child with a developmental disability. This is a belief which is also sometimes held by teachers and clinicians who may be consulted on their view towards bilingual exposure.
With good intentions, paediatricians, speech–language therapists, teachers or social workers may advise parents to avoid using a heritage or minority language in the home, as children will also be exposed to the majority community language.
Research also shows children with disabilities may have fewer opportunities to access services in a second language.
However, bilingualism is possible for children with developmental disabilities, as our research on children learning both Welsh and English shows.
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9 December 2022 (SQA)
Alzheimer Scotland service users recently took part in a 12-week French language course at Lingo Flamingo, a social enterprise language centre based in Glasgow. The course, which included an SQA National 2 unit in French, was made up of three couples, where one person from each was living with dementia.
Lingo Flamingo offers French, German, Spanish and Italian language classes to older adults, as well as to people living with dementia in care homes and day centres across Scotland. The classes help with confidence building and creating connections between learners, but also help stimulate the mind. The classes have been shown to improve the participants’ decision making and multi-tasking skills, heightening their ability to concentrate and communicate.
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1 October 2022 (TES)
Survey data shows us that the majority of the British public believe that learning a language sharpens the mind and improves memory. But is that belief supported by research? Kate Parker takes a look at the evidence.
When it was revealed earlier this year that entries had fallen for GCSE modern foreign languages, many in education reacted with dismay.
Speaking to Tes, Ofqual adviser Professor Robert Coe said that languages were in a “vicious circle” of decline that could only be broken by a change in policy.
“Do we think it’s important for young people to have this opportunity and be encouraged or pressured to take that opportunity?” he asked.
The benefits of learning a language are well publicised. A quick internet search says it boosts problem-solving skills, verbal and spatial abilities, memory, creative thinking and performance on academic tests.
The wider public also sees learning a language as worthwhile. According to research from the British Council, published in 2020, 62 per cent of adults think learning a foreign language sharpens the mind and improves memory.
But is there any robust evidence to suggest learning a language improves cognitive skills?
Li Wei, a professor in applied linguistics and dean of UCL Institute of Education, says the research isn’t as extensive as many people believe.
In 2019, Wei, with Professor Bencie Woll from the faculty of brain sciences at University College London, published a paper, Cognitive Benefits of Language Learning: Broadening our perspectives, which found far more evidence for the link between the cognitive benefits of being bilingual, than evidence for the cognitive benefits of language learning.
The limited research that does exist tends to focus on children in different countries learning English. This, Wei says, is down to policy decisions by the government.
“The lack of research from the UK is partly because the teaching of modern foreign languages in this country has never been on top of the agenda, so the desire for research hasn’t been strong,” he says.
“However, it’s like the chicken and the egg; unless we can convince people this is going to be really beneficial, especially for children in disadvantaged circumstances, who are struggling with lots of things, it won’t become a priority.”
Despite the limited research, Wei says what does exist “suggests learning a language does improve cognitive skills, including problem solving, attention and various other skills.”
(Note - subscription required to access full article).
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20 September 2022 (SCILT)
We have a bank of job profiles on our website from a diverse range of occupations where languages are being used. Teachers use these to promote the benefits of language learning to pupils and to encourage uptake in schools.
Our latest addition comes from architect, Estefanía Macchi, who tells us language skills have opened up opportunities she may not otherwise have had and helped widen the spectrum of sources she can consult for her studies or work.
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30 August 2022 (The Conversation)
You might think that if you stop using a language after studying it at school, you will end up forgetting everything you knew. But this isn’t true. Language knowledge will stay in your brain for decades.
In 2022, around 25,000 A-levels and around 315,000 GCSEs were taken in a modern foreign language. This means that language GCSEs taken have fallen by more than 40%, and A-levels by around 25%, over the past 20 years. Between 2014 and 2019, entries to modern language GCSEs fell by 19%.
This is a worrying trend, not least because learning a language is valuable in and of itself. Among the many benefits are better performance on general standardised tests and a boost to your wage.
There is another reason why studying a language at school will serve you well. As my new research shows, the knowledge you acquire in a foreign language appears to be astonishingly stable over long periods of time.
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10 May 2022 (Big Think)
Bilingual people are incredibly attractive. If you don’t agree with me, I’m afraid you’re in the minority. Being able to speak two or more languages comes with a whole host of benefits (not least for your love life). A great and growing body of research has focused on the psychological, economic, and health benefits of being bilingual. Speaking many languages improves a host of cognitive functions, across all stages of life, and it affects our emotional and social attitudes, as well. The scientific world is starting to take seriously the life-changing advantages to speaking multiple languages.
That’s great, but what benefits are we talking about exactly? What specific advantages would learning French or Spanish give you?
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22 February 2022 (RAND Corporation)
A new study from the University of Cambridge and the not-for-profit research institute RAND Europe, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, shows that investing in languages education in the UK will return more than the investment cost, even under conservative assumptions.
By quantifying the wider economic benefits to the UK economy of extending languages education in schools, researchers found that the benefit-to-cost ratios for increasing Arabic, Mandarin, French or Spanish education are estimated to be at least 2:1, meaning that spending £1 could return about £2.
Researchers used a macroeconomic model to examine UK economic performance between now and 2050 if more pupils aged between 11 and 16 — Key Stage 3 (KS3) and Key Stage 4 (KS4) — learned to speak one of four different languages so they could later use it effectively in business. The modelling was based on the Government's successful Mandarin Excellence Programme, in which extra hours are devoted to language learning without affecting other EBacc subjects and lessons are fast-paced and engaging.
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21 January 2022 (SCILT)
We are delighted to confirm that the recently launched toolkit for Phase Three of our ERASMUS+ project, Generation Global, now includes recordings of the sessions that took place at the virtual launch events on 1+2 December 2021. Entitled Making Your Future Brighter With Languages, the events, like the toolkit, set out to give young people, parents and carers a wealth of information, ideas and advice about the importance of learning languages.
The first event, on 1 December, which was aimed at young people, featured interactive activities and an interesting and informative panel discussion of young professionals talking about how they use languages in their careers. These recordings could be useful for teachers to show to classes of young people around subject choice times.
On 2 December the event focused on parents, carers and teachers. At this event we enjoyed contributions by Dr Paul Hare (Professional Development Officer, SCILT) and partners from Denmark and Norway, a fascinating panel discussion with representation from employers, educators and careers advisers, and a powerful message from Liz Neil of the British Council on the value of language and intercultural skills to the workforce of the future.
Recordings of all sessions are available on our website.
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New job profiles on SCILT's website
21 January 2022 (SCILT)
Our job profiles cover a wide range of careers where languages are being used. We have two new additions to our collection:
- Fraser Fulton is a musician, tour manager and backline technician for touring musical artists. He tells us because he spends most of his time on tour, especially in German-speaking countries, speaking German has been invaluable to him. His knowledge of the language helps build contact and trust very quickly.
- Gregor Anderson is a mechanical engineer with a company involved in the design and production of lasers. He says his language skills gave him an edge when applying for his job - not just the fact he could speak German, but rather that he'd travelled and spent time in another country and culture.
Teachers share these profiles with your pupils to highlight the benefits of language learning for life and work.
3 December 2021 (SCILT)
SCILT launched our latest toolkit at two events this week, one for young people and one for parents/carers/teachers. The toolkit and events are part of our three-year Generation Global project, which seeks to address the gap in intercultural and language skills that we have in this country.
In the preceding two years of the project, we have published toolkits to support business leaders and careers advisers/school managers. This latest toolkit 'Making your future brighter with languages' is designed to give young people, parents and carers information, ideas and advice about learning languages; why it is important and how to go about it. As well as this, the toolkit includes a series of short video clips of young professionals talking about the relevance and value of languages and intercultural skills in their career areas. All of this aims to support the young people who are our ‘Generation Global’, our dual-competency workforce of the future.
The launch events this week were recorded, and recordings will be available on our website shortly.
Access the toolkit
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23 November 2021 (France 24)
60% of the world's population is considered bilingual. According to scientists, these are people who use two or more languages regularly in their daily lives, even if the level is not perfect. FRANCE 24's Health Editor Julia Sieger explains the benefits of a bilingual brain.
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13 November 2021 (The Irish News)
From four-year-old to 90, age is no barrier to learning a second language.
That's according to South Eastern Regional College (SERC), which says it is never too late, or early, to pick up a new language.
The college's language students' range in age from Alec Thompson (4), a pupil at Bangor Central Integrated Primary School, to David McShane (90) from Helen's Bay - both of whom are enjoying learning French.
Mr McShane has progressed from basic French to an advanced level speaker (level 4) after attending the college for several years.
"A second language is a social skill and I have found it does help when you get older," he said.
"If you don't use it, you can quickly lose the vocabulary and the feel for the language.
"I think it is so important for children to learn a second language from a young age and the younger they start, the better."
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26 October 2021 (The Conversation)
Multilingual skills that allow people to switch from one language to another or mix languages are often considered more as a problem rather than an asset.
Thus, there is no surprise that these multilingual speakers are often condemned using pejorative terms like bahasa gado-gado (“mixed-up language”) in Indonesia for mixing Indonesian language and English in a conversation.
Much research has documented the use of similar pejorative terms elsewhere. This includes bahasa rojak (salad language) in Malaysia, amulumala (verbal salad) in Nigeria, and tuti futi (broken-up) in the Panjabi-speaking community in India.
There are also more neutral-sounding terms like Singlish (Singapore), Japlish (Japan), Franglais (France/Canada), Taglish (the Philippines) and Hinglish (India) to label those who mix multiple languages.
Some argue that such multilingual practices reflect one’s inability to think in a structured and systematic way.
Formal education systems share a similar view, looking at them as a hindrance to students’ academic success as they are believed to delay the process of learning school subjects.
However, many studies have proven otherwise.
Contrary to popular opinion, this research shows multilingual practices do not have any adverse effect on students’ academic achievement. Adopting a multilingual approach in classrooms has proven to be important in increasing students’ academic performance and even closing the achievement gap between students living in cities and those in villages.
It has also been reported that multilingual students’ academic progress, particularly in reading and maths, are two to three times greater than that of their monolingual counterparts.
There are at least three main reasons why multilingual skills give students an academic edge.
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4 August 2021 (British Council)
How do international experiences and language learning shape our perception of the world? We asked Dame Caroline Wilson DCMG, British Ambassador to China and Generation UK: China Network Champion.
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22 May 2021 (The Economist)
Aston University in Birmingham is closing the department that teaches languages and translation. The University of Sheffield stands accused of sending its language students on dumbed-down courses to save money. Fewer pupils at British schools are taking foreign-language exams (a drop in French, the most popular choice, accounts for most of the decline). A hasty analysis might see this trend as a nationalist, populist, post-Brexit mindset at work. But it has been gathering for a long time, not just in Britain but in America, and not just in the Brexit and Trump eras, but well before them.
The tragic attack on America of September 11th 2001 had one positive consequence. Many Americans realised how entangled their lives were with those of people around the world, and saw that they often did not understand their counterparts’ hopes and fears. Some patriotically applied to join the diplomatic and intelligence services; a few swotty types resolved to learn foreign languages. The number of students studying Arabic at university soared (albeit from a very low base). But the country’s attention has since wandered.
(Note - subscription required to access full article)
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7 May 2021 (British Science Association)
The study of foreign languages may not seem closely tied to STEM, but in fact they have a strong relationship. As well as improving cognitive skills that help in STEM study, speaking other languages opens up lines of communication with scientists all around the world, essential for international scientific progress.
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21 April 2021 (Financial Times)
I’m a rootless cosmopolitan, so we’re moving the family to Spain for a year. The kids are up for it. Growing up with anglophone parents in Paris, they speak French and English, and once you know one Romance language, learning another is a cinch. “Lexical similarity” is the measure of overlap between word sets of different languages; the lexical similarity between French and Spanish is about 0.75 (where 1 means identical).
I want the children to have such good Spanish that they can say everything, understand everything, have deep friendships and be fully themselves in the language for life. That’s what matters, not perfect grammar.
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27 February 2021 (The Herald)
For a man whose career has been spent working with words – in Russian, Spanish and Italian as well as in English – it’s no surprise that terms such as ‘deracinated’ flow freely from David Leask’s lips. A university-trained linguist who worked initially as a news translator before moving into a career at the sharp end of Scottish journalism, the 52-year-old is using the word (it means to be uprooted) to describe a childhood which saw him “brought up all over the place,” as he puts it. “I’ve moved around in my life endlessly,” he says, “to such an extent that I don’t really feel at home anywhere”.
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23 February 2021 (SCILT)
We have a bank of job profiles on our website from a diverse range of occupations where languages are being used. Teachers use these to promote the benefits of language learning to pupils and to encourage uptake in schools.
Our latest addition comes from Leah Duncan-Karrim, who is studying Mandarin at university. Leah tells us how her knowledge of the language has opened up niche opportunities for her in her role as a sales assistant for luxury fashion brands.
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10 December 2020 (BBC)
Millie Jacoby met her new "French grandma" for the first time last week via video call.
The 21-year-old British student signed up to a scheme pairing language students with elderly French people, some of whom have been left isolated by the coronavirus pandemic.
"I thought it would be a great way to improve my language skills and get to know somebody who was possibly lonely," Millie said.
"My French grandma, as we call them, is in a retirement home and might not be having too much social interaction because of the pandemic so I thought it was the perfect time to do something like this."
Despite the 70-year age gap between the Warwick University student and the senior citizen living near Paris, they instantly hit it off.
"She was just so lovely from the first few sentences," Millie told the BBC.
Read more...
26 November 2020 (SCILT)
We are delighted to confirm the recently launched toolkit for Phase Two of our ERASMUS+ project, Generation Global, now includes recordings of the sessions that took place at the virtual launch event on 1 October. Entitled Making Space for Languages, the event brought together education professionals, from a range of organisations and backgrounds, to discuss the importance of languages and intercultural studies to all fields of study.
As well as compelling contributions by Fhiona Mackay (Director of SCILT), Laurence Findlay (Director of Education and Children’s Services, Aberdeenshire Council), Louise Glen (Senior Education Officer for Languages, Education Scotland), Dr Paul Hare (Professional Development Officer, SCILT) and partners from Denmark and Norway, visitors to the website will be able to view a fascinating panel discussion involving professionals from a broad range of academic disciplines, all of whom agree that a knowledge of languages gives an extra dimension across the full spectrum of careers.
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26 October 2020 (The Herald)
It is the secret to learning good English – go to a Gaelic school.
Research has shown that learning in a minority language makes you better at speaking a global one.
Scientists have long known that being bilingual in two major languages – such as Spanish and French or German and Russian – helps develop cognitive abilities.
A study led by Heriot-Watt associate professor Maria Garraffa has now compared the English of monolingual children with those who were immersed in Gaelic Medium Education (GME).
Ms Garraffa, a native Italian, and her team found the GME youngsters outperformed those taught in English – in English.
Writing in the Times Educational Supplement, Ms Garraffa said: “The research revealed that speaking Gaelic does not affect the ability to speak well in English and that being bilingual actually improves competency. We found bilingual pupils are better in complex language in English and also have better concentration, as reported in other studies on bilingualism.
“We clearly proved the positive effects of bilingualism are not contingent upon learning a global, widely spoken language, like French or Spanish, but are also true when it comes to a small heritage language like Gaelic.”
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21 October 2020 (TES)
Being educated in Gaelic – even if you don’t speak it outside school – delivers the benefits of bilingualism, study shows.
Gaelic is not my first or second language – I’m from Italy originally and my second language is English – but for the past 10 years I have been researching the effects of learning Gaelic, a language that is not dominant in the community in Scotland.
Why? Because I wanted to know if the positive effects on the brain of bilingualism, as shown in past research, are apparent even if the language is a minority language and one that is only spoken – by some pupils – in school.
Crucially, we have found that they are.
We have now finalised the first study on cognition and language abilities in secondary school students attending Gaelic medium education. In this first piece of research, just published, we found significant benefits of speaking Gaelic alongside a global language such as English.
(Note - subscription required to access full article).
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24 September 2020 (Voice of Islam)
We should all be encouraged to learn new language and age is never an excuse! On today's show, the importance and benefits of studying new languages and how it brings knowledge and a greater understanding of one another’s cultures.
Among the guests you can hear SCILT's Director, Fhiona Mackay, speaking about the European Day of Languages (7 minutes in).
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CISS Alumni Association webinar series
1 September 2020 (CISS)
The CISS Alumni Association has organised a webinar series which aims to showcase the various experiences the alumni have had with further education, jobs, internships and Mandarin.
The webinars take place on Zoom on 8, 15 and 22 September at 6:30pm and will last just over an hour.
The speakers are all alumni who will talk about their experiences after the scholarship and the impact the scholarship has had on such opportunities. (Please note - the scholarship opportunity is only available to Confucius hub schools, however all pupils considering studying abroad will hear about the resulting benefits of pursuing similar initiatives).
The details of each webinar are below:
- 1st Webinar – Education
8 September at 6:30pm
Speakers: Sara Cassidy, Leah Duncan-Karim, Grace Paterson
- 2nd Webinar –Jobs
15 September at 6:30pm
Speakers: Cameron Smyth, Connor Cloughley, Natalie Hotchkiss
- 3rd Webinar – Internships and Summer jobs
22 September at 6:30pm
Speakers: Erin Duffy, Owen Wilson, Robin Wilson
All school pupils and teachers are welcome and we kindly ask you to pass on these details to all interested parties.
Please register via this link and the details of the Zoom will be made available to you.
10 August 2020 (SW Londoner)
Watching more TV could be the key to language learning for the two-thirds of the UK population unable to speak anything but English.
Two British polyglots who between them speak more than 65 languages, agreed that popular culture was key to learning a language.
Alex Rawlings, 28, a journalist and documentary filmmaker from Ham, said: “Language learning shouldn’t be: ‘I’m learning French because I want to learn all the irregular verbs’, it should be ‘I’m learning French because I want to understand this amazing detective series better and if I don’t speak French I’m going to miss out on it’.
“That’s essentially how English is learnt in other countries – it’s very deeply embedded in popular culture, so people take it for granted that they’re going to learn English.”
Richard Simcott, 43, the languages director for the Social Element who grew up in Chester, said: “Children from Scandinavia particularly learn very very quickly that people don’t speak their language, and they have TV in English, their films tend to be in English with subtitles.
“When they go to school they don’t start with ‘hello, my name is’, they go straight into literature.”
Neither Mr Rawlings nor Mr Simcott live in the UK anymore – Mr Rawlings has been living in Barcelona since 2018, and Mr Simcott calls North Macedonia home.
Mr Rawlings, who currently speaks 15 languages, was crowned the UK’s most multilingual student in 2012, after starting to teach himself languages at the age of 14 (although he was speaking Greek with his mother by age 8).
He said: “I really can’t imagine my life without speaking languages.
“When you speak multiple languages you can go anywhere in the world, you have all sorts of opportunities, you have a very different feeling about foreign places… they become less foreign, because you understand what’s going on.”
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27 May 2020 (The Sun)
Want to get a real sense of Spanish? Then learn from a footie legend who picked up the lingo while playing for one of the country’s top teams.
Sports pundit Gary Lineker is among a host of famous faces who have signed up to teach kids on CBBC show Celebrity Supply Teacher.
[..] Gary will be livening up the classroom by helping little ones learn Spanish through football.
The ex-England striker learned the language when he transferred from Everton to Barcelona in 1986. He also attempted to master Japanese during two seasons at League club Nagoya Grampus Eight.
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27 February 2020 (i News)
Here’s a moral dilemma: a train is speeding towards five people. You’re standing next to a large man wearing a heavy backpack. If you push this man on to the tracks below, he will die, but he and his heavy backpack will stop the train, thus saving the five workmen. Do you push him?
You might rationally know it makes sense to kill one person to save five others, but it’s an emotionally horrible choice to make. Scientists have found that someone who speaks two languages is more likely to make a utilitarian, less emotional choice when asked this moral dilemma in their second language. A bilingual person will probably kill one to save five.
This is one of the most interesting findings in The Bilingual Brain, a new book by neuropsychologist Albert Costa. All humans make choices based on some element of emotion – perhaps a fear of loss, fear of risk, or a sense of morality. The decision you make will depend on the way it has been phrased to you, which words have been used that will trigger different emotions. Costa’s research shows that if you make a decision in your second language, it is more likely to be more rational than emotive.
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19 February 2020 (Language Magazine)
These results contribute to the growing body of evidence showing that bilinguals are more resilient in dealing with neurodegeneration than monolinguals.
A new study published in Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders provides new evidence that bilingualism can delay symptoms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Led by famed researcher of the effects of bilingualism, Ellen Bialystok, with other psychology researchers from Canada’s York University, distinguished research professor in York’s Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health, the study is believed to be the first to investigate conversion times from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease in monolingual and bilingual patients. Although bilingualism delays the onset of symptoms, Bialystok says, once diagnosed, the decline to full-blown Alzheimer’s disease is much faster in bilingual people than in monolingual people because the disease is probably more developed even through the symptoms are less apparent.
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11 February 2020 (Edology)
Spanish, German or one of many other options; get ahead in fashion with a second language.
Knowing a second language has always been thought of as a useful talent, whether used purely for personal reasons, like being able to communicate effectively while travelling, or professionally as a positive skill to show off to employers.
However, the world today is becoming increasingly connected, with international trade and co-operation between countries becoming more and more of a focus in various different sectors and types of business. This means that being able to speak a second language is more important, and can get you further, than ever before.
Writer from London language school, The Language Gallery, Erin O’Neill, shares a few reasons why it pays to speak a second language if you want to get ahead in the fashion sector.
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16 January 2020 (University of Reading)
Bilingual speakers may benefit from protection against cognitive decline in multiple sclerosis according to a new study.
In the first paper of its kind to test the idea that speaking multiple languages protects against decline in brain function, MS patients who were bilinguals scored better than their single language-speaking peers in cognitive tests.
The new research published in Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism looked at groups of bilingual and monolingual speakers who were being treated for multiple sclerosis. The team found that the bilingual patients scored similarly to healthy participants, while patients who only had fluency in one language performed worse than the monolingual control.
Lead author Dr Fraibet Aveledo, a lecturer in child language development and bilingualism from the University of Reading said:
“This is the first study that we’re aware of that has tested the idea that there is an advantage for bilinguals when it comes to neurodegenerative diseases such as MS.
“While most studies analyse clinical records of patients with dementia, our study has directly compared four groups of people and reveals a significant cognitive boost for MS patients who speak multiple languages compared to their single language peers.”
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6 December 2019 (SCILT)
The job profiles on our website cover a range of careers where languages are in use. Our most recent addition comes from Marion Geoffray, a theatre maker and drama teacher, who is the artistic director of Theatre Sans Accents, an innovative bilingual theatre company in Edinburgh.
Marion performs in several languages and believes immersing yourself in the language and culture is the most effective way to learn and to have fun!
Teachers use this resource with your pupils to support the Developing the Young Workforce initiative and highlight the benefits of language learning as a life skill.
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5 December 2019 (University of Stirling)
Over the course of this Autumn/Winter semester at Stirling, we’ve continued to develop our work with secondary schools, sometimes focusing primarily on French, sometimes working in collaboration with our colleagues in Spanish, always underlining the advantages that come through studying languages. We’re hoping to post a few more updates about these activities over the coming weeks and, to start with, we’re pleased to be able to post the following article, co-written by Laura, who is in the final year of a BA Hons in English Studies and French, and Michael, who is in Year 2 of his BA Hons programme in Professional Education (Primary) with a specialism in Modern Languages. Laura and Michael’s day saw them representing French at Stirling as Language Ambassadors at Williamwood High School in Clarkston, East Renfrewshire.
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26 November 2019 (Stock Daily Dish)
The number of teenagers learning foreign languages in UK secondary schools has dropped by 45% since the turn of the millennium.
The reaction to the research was mixed. Why learn a foreign language when English is spoken by hundreds of millions of people worldwide, some people wondered.
Others questioned the need for a second language when translation technology is advancing so quickly.
But many speakers of foreign languages extolled the benefits. Four native English speakers tell how making the effort to learn a second language is important – and how it changed their life.
When Alex Chaffer moved to Germany four years ago, he could only say “hello” and “thank you” in German.
He had not learnt the language at school, but was starting off a career in sports journalism and had the opportunity to go to Germany.
When he first arrived, he discovered his accommodation had fallen through.
“I had been scammed,” he said. “I couldn‘t speak to anyone because I didn‘t have the language, I was lost.”
“The first year I was here I didn‘t learn a lot. I then had a German girlfriend that helped massively, having someone force me to do it and hearing it around all the time. She would speak in English and I would speak in German.”
The 23-year-old is now fluent and works on the website of Germany‘s top football league, Bundesliga.
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19 November 2019 (Study International)
Does knowing more than one language really elevate your career prospects, allowing you to strategically position your talents in a competitive job market?
Citing numerous benefits of being multilingual, the British Academy considers language skills to be essential for thriving in the future of work and enhancing your professional and personal development.
In a shared statement, the British Academy, the Royal Society, the Academy of Medical Sciences and the Royal Academy of Engineering all maintain that the “UK’s poor language capacity has resulted in the loss of economic, social, cultural, and research opportunities,” stating that, “The economic cost of the UK’s linguistic underperformance in terms of lost trade and investment has been estimated at 3.5 percent of GDP.”
President of the British Academy, David Cannadine, requests a step-change in the way the nation approaches language learning.
Read more...
16 November 2019 (iNews)
As a nation, we are not known for our proficiency in foreign languages. The stereotype of the Brit abroad, repeating English slowly and loudly to the locals, has more than a grain of truth.
In England, language study has declined so much that the exam regulator, Ofqual, recently decided to lower grade boundaries in GCSE French and German to encourage teenagers to take them.
Can anything be done about our struggles? Or should we lighten up about it? A former Downing Street education expert has told i that seriously improving our language ability is not a high-enough priority to justify the vast expense involved.
In Britain, 34.6 per cent of people aged between 25 and 64 report that they know one or more foreign language, compared with an EU average of 64.8 per cent.
GCSE and A-level language entries in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have been declining since the turn of the century, although a rise in Spanish entries provides a shred of comfort.
In Scotland, language entries at National 4 and 5 level have dropped by about a fifth since 2014.
This has been accompanied by the quiet death of the foreign exchange, suffocated in part by exaggerated safety concerns. A survey by the British Council five years ago found that just four in 10 schools run trips involving a stay with a host family. Martha de Monclin, a British expat living in France, is often asked whether she knows British families who are happy to be involved in exchanges, but in seven years has found only one.
Where they do happen, pupils just go sightseeing and stay in hotels, she says. “With mobile phones, they are constantly connected to their friends and family at home. This makes it incredibly difficult to learn a language.”
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8 November 2019 (SCILT)
We have job profiles on our website covering a wide range of careers where languages are in use. Our latest addition comes from Mark McLaughlin, a Researcher in International Law, whose language skills have enabled him to live and work in China. Mark tells us learning the language of the place you're living really helps you get an understanding of the country's culture.
Teachers use this resource with your pupils to support the Developing the Young Workforce initiative and highlight the benefits of language learning as a life skill.
Read more...
18 October 2019 (Life Spectator)
Most of my friends are moderate Remainers. There’s the odd fanatic, the sort who go on marches demanding a People’s Vote. What I can’t understand is why none of them can speak French, German, or indeed any European language.
They go on holiday to Europe, but only to those parts where they won’t have to speak the lingo because fortunately Johnny Foreigner has had the good sense to learn English.
Something else that confuses me is the belief, most pungently articulated by David Aaronovitch, that Brexit will be reversed in a few years because those stuck-in-the-past Gammons will shuffle off this mortal coil to be replaced in the electorate by a shiny new Briton: young, cosmopolitan and forward-looking, who believe the sun shines out of the Brussels’ class. In which case, why are fewer school children than ever bothering to learn a foreign language?
According to a report in the BBC this year, the learning of foreign languages is at its lowest level in UK secondary schools since the turn of the millennium. Since 2013 there has been a decline of between 30 to 50 per cent in the numbers taking GCSE language courses with German and French suffering most. That’s in England; in Northern Ireland the drop in pupils learning modern languages at GSCE is 40% while in Scotland there has been a 19% decline since 2014. And there was me thinking those two countries couldn’t get enough of all things European.
Furthermore, in March this year the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Modern Languages released a report stating that since 2000 more than fifty UK universities have cut language courses, or done away with departments entirely.
I blame the parents. In 2013 a report revealed that only a quarter of British adults were capable of holding even a basic conversation in a language other than English; of those, French was the most common, followed by German.
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18 October 2019 (Varsity)
Olivia Halsall gives an account of her experiences learning Chinese Mandarin and French, whilst encouraging students to take the plunge into foreign language learning.
"But you’re British.” In a quaint hostel in Xiamen, a coastal city dubbed the “Mansion Gate” of China, I’ve been helping two new French arrivals translate their needs into Chinese Mandarin. The lack of English language between both parties has been making the process difficult, and it would be cruel not to step in and help. Caught in the act, a passing German soon discovers I’m British only to astutely declare that he’s never met a multilingual Brit.
Wanting to refute his seemingly absurd claim, instead I find myself reddening in shame. My parents and most of my British friends are monolingual. Their abridged reason is that where English is the world’s lingua franca, on the outset there seems no urgent need to learn an additional language. The age-old maxim confessed when a Brit is expressing remorse at their poor language skills is conventionally, “but I’m so bad at languages!” As a nation, we do not have the plethora of multilingual exposure and resources that many others take for granted. In 2019, this should no longer be an excuse.
Had I been brought up in Switzerland, I would have grown up surrounded by German, French, Italian, Romansh (and English). Had I been born Chinese, I would have spoken a provincial dialect at home and Chinese Mandarin at school. Like many countries around the world, had I not been born British, I’d have been pushed to learn English fluently before completing my secondary education. Brits shouldn’t look to these nations in awe; the linguistic vibrancy in other countries is simply a way of life, and multilingualism the norm.
The latest data from the European Commission (2016) shows the percentage of the population aged 25–64 reporting to know one or more foreign languages in the UK is 34.6%. This rises to 60.1% in France, 78.7% in Germany, and a staggering 96.6% in Sweden. The average across the European Union is 64.6%, which sets us apart not only linguistically, but culturally.
To make matters worse, a 2018 survey report by the British Council on language trends found that “just over a third (34%) of state secondary schools report that leaving the European Union is having a negative impact on language learning, either through student motivation and/or parental attitudes towards the subject”. In the aftermath of Brexit, there has never been a better time for the UK to plunge itself into foreign language learning.
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4 September 2019 (The Herald)
The discussion around the Gaelic language in Scotland has tended to veer towards the romantic, the ethereal, and occasionally the political. It can certainly fall under the banner of misinformation from kneejerk detractors.
What is rarely considered are the considerable cognitive and educative benefits of learning Gaelic or learning in the Gaelic medium.
Based in Inverness, Bòrd na Gàidhlig was established to promote the development of the language in Scotland. Its CEO is Shona McLennan, who explains that like many minority languages Gaelic has been in decline, but the mission of Bòrd na Gàidhlig is to promote Gaelic language, Gaelic education, and Gaelic culture with a view to reinvigorating the language.
“One of the most effective ways to do this is to provide education in the medium of the language,” says Shona. “Alongside education in the language, pupils also need opportunities to use it outside of the classroom. You need activity around the learning such as sports activities, arts and music.”
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26 August 2019 (The Big Issue)
I am hugely impressed by people who can speak more than one language. If you’re up at three or more, I’m at your feet. I would have kept Roy Hodgson as England’s football manager for as long as he wanted purely because he once gave a post-match press conference moving easily from English to Italian to Swedish. He also has some Norwegian and Finnish.
There was a strange mixture of support and sniffiness when Boris Johnson spoke French last week during his meeting with Emmanuel Macron. On the one side, his supporters said, well he can’t be a non-European bigot because he speaks French. On the other, the argument was, well he still is. Neither stack up. And both miss the point.
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22 August 2019 (The Notification)
Everyone speaks English, don’t they? Isn’t it the third most common mother tongue and most frequently-learnt second language in the world, and anyway isn’t it the de facto international language of business, tourism, music and academia? And how are a Swede and Slovak meant to communicate otherwise, without resorting to mime or the questionable suggestions of Google Translate?
Comparing broad Glaswegian, Aussie drawl and Canadian lilt shows us the incredible diversity and geographical spread of our language, arguably the most useful mother tongue on the planet. However, the Anglophone phenomenon comes with its own bear traps. 61% of British people can’t speak a single other language. We thus receive the dubious award for the most monolingual country in Europe.
There’s something very British about the way we consistently overestimate the importance of our own language (only 38% of EU citizens outside the UK and Ireland know enough English to have a conversation, and 6 of the world’s 7.5 billion people speak no English at all) and find excuses not to learn anyone else’s.
We have an unfortunate tendency to reduce language to its functional value of bare bones communication: if person A from country B learns our word for C, we’re good. We persistently neglect that language is also intrinsically tied up with culture, identity and personality.
“A different language is a different vision of life”, quipped the Italian film director Federico Fellini. Speaking only the language handed down to us by our parents means we miss a whole dimension of the human experience, and the pleasure of authentically discovering another layer of the cultural richness of our world.
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20 August 2019 (Lingo Flamingo)
As the Volunteer Coordinator at Lingo Flamingo, I am lucky enough to witness first hand the joys of language learning. A social enterprise with the primary mission of delivering accessible and multi-sensory language lessons to older adults, Lingo Flamingo teaches Spanish, French, Italian and German in care homes and day centres across Scotland, and believes, contrary to popular wisdom, that it’s never too late to teach an old dog new tricks.
This sentiment epitomises Lingo Flamingo’s forward thinking ethos. It understands that older adults living in care homes are individuals who are able to learn new skills, and it views language learning as a powerful tool for education and enjoyment.
These ideas are genuinely radical, and are especially important in light of the abundance of myths which surround language learning, and which act as barriers to language learning for so many people.
Read more...
16 August 2019 (The Pie News)
More than half of Britons are missing out on finding love abroad after a British Council poll revealed that 54% would avoid striking up a holiday romance due to language barriers.
A mere one in five of Britons would consider finding a partner who did not speak English as their first language while holidaying abroad, it also showed.
Just 17% of UK adults have found love overseas with someone who did not speak English as their first language.
A total of 41% of men said they would consider or had had a holiday romance with someone whose first language was not English, while 29% of women said the same.
Men were also less likely to be put off by potential obstacles to starting or continuing such a relationship, such as distance, travel costs, time zones and cultural differences.
“The results show that speaking another language shifts from being seen as a barrier to romance to something interesting that people want to explore in a partner,” British Council spokesperson Vicky Gough said.
“Language differences might put off half of Brits from starting a holiday romance, but if you break that barrier, nearly two-thirds (63%) would want to learn their partner’s language.”
Romantics can find hope in this year’s UK A level results – after mathematics, languages were the three best performing subjects, with 40.4% of German candidates, 36.4% French and 34.9% Spanish achieving A or A*.
“For those of us heading off on holiday abroad, learning just a few phrases of the local language could see the beginning of a whole new relationship with a person and their culture,” Gough added.
Read more...
14 August 2019 (British Council)
Language barriers would stop 54 per cent of British people from having a holiday romance, according to a new poll. One British Council colleague tells us about her bilingual relationship.
Was there a language barrier when you met your husband?
We were talking in English in the queue for a London nightclub and I realised he was probably Italian. I practised my opening line, and when he said he was Italian I said 'Oh, I knew it', in Italian.
We live together in London now. He had been in the UK for less than a year when we met, and so his English wasn't as good as it is now. My written Italian was good at the time, but I wasn't as good conversationally.
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9 November 2018 (SCILT)
The job profiles on our website cover a range of professions where languages are being used.
We have a new profile from David Cant, Managing Director of Albion (Overseas) Ltd, a company which helps UK businesses to enter the Russian market. After learning French and German at school, David tells us that he took up Russian by chance at university - a choice which became life-changing.
Teachers use our profiles in the classroom to enhance learning about the world of work and how languages can play a part.
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Posted in:
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6 November 2018 (The Herald)
The number of students from Scotland learning a modern language at university has fallen by more than 500 in the past five years.
New figures show 3,400 students chose languages at a Scottish university in 2016/17 compared to nearly 4,000 in 2012/13.
The decline, which shows numbers are falling for German, French, Russian and Spanish, has sparked fears Scotland will become increasingly isolated in the world, particularly following Brexit.
This summer, opposition politicians called on the Scottish Government to launch an inquiry into the decline in the number of pupils studying modern languages at school.
The drop has been blamed partly on curriculum reforms which mean pupils experience a broader education in the first three years of secondary.
That means exam subjects are chosen a year later than previously with a shorter time to prepare - resulting in some subjects getting squeezed out.
Professor Vicente Perez de Leon, Head of the School of Modern Languages at Glasgow University, said the school squeeze was hitting university recruitment.
And he argued language learning at school should be protected and resourced to ensure numbers increase.
“Languages are something that can open possibilities for employment abroad or having better jobs here,” he said.
“They can open minds and allow students to make connections with new people, new cultures and new literature. It should be a priority within the curriculum.”
Dr Dan Tierney, an independent languages expert, said the decline was also fuelled by the closure of some university departments.
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Posted in:
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Brexit
2 November 2018 (SCILT)
We have a range of job profiles on our website where language skills are being used. The latest addition comes from Erin Duffy, a student of Spanish and Linguistics at the University of Glasgow.
Erin is currently teaching in Spain and tells us her knowledge of languages has also enabled her to study and work in China. Her language skills have been integral to the job opportunities she has acquired and helped her form friendships across the globe.
Teachers, share Erin's profile with your pupils to demonstrate the advantages and benefits of learning languages.
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26 October 2018 (BBC)
When it comes to learning a foreign language, we tend to think that children are the most adept. But that may not be the case – and there are added benefits to starting as an adult.
It’s a busy autumn morning at the Spanish Nursery, a bilingual nursery school in north London. Parents help their toddlers out of cycling helmets and jackets. Teachers greet the children with a cuddle and a chirpy “Buenos dias!”. In the playground, a little girl asks for her hair to be bunched up into a “coleta” (Spanish for ‘pigtail’), then rolls a ball and shouts “Catch!” in English.
“At this age, children don’t learn a language – they acquire it,” says the school’s director Carmen Rampersad. It seems to sum up the enviable effortlessness of the little polyglots around her. For many of the children, Spanish is a third or even fourth language. Mother tongues include Croatian, Hebrew, Korean and Dutch.
Compare this to the struggle of the average adult in a language class, and it would be easy to conclude that it’s best to start young.
But science offers a much more complex view of how our relationship with languages evolves over a lifetime – and there is much to encourage late beginners.
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11 October 2018 (The Telegraph)
The first thing I asked for on getting ashore in Spain was a glass of red wine. I had never been to the country before and could speak not a sentence of the language, so I pieced together the request from a dictionary.
The woman behind the bar was nonplussed, since each word I’d used and the whole sentence were erroneous. So she served the next customer while I stewed in confusion. Then she explained to me that she’d done this in order to attend to me without hurry. The funny thing was that I didn’t know any of the words she used to me, yet I understood.
(Note, subscription required to read full article).
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10 October 2018 (BBC)
There has been a further drop in the number of students from Wales taking language courses at university, according to admissions service Ucas.
The numbers starting foreign language courses was down by a third on the same time last year, in latest figures.
Cardiff University has been working with schools to encourage more pupils to take up subjects such as French.
Helping them is former student Callum Davies, now a player liaison officer at Cardiff City FC. He learnt modern foreign languages at school and spent a year in the south of France as part of the Erasmus programme while doing his degree course at Cardiff University.
He works helping French-speaking players and their families settle in the city.
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3 October 2018 (Glasgow Live)
A new language hub which will help empower older adults living with dementia in Glasgow has opened on the south side of the city.
Lingo Flamingo, based on Deanston Drive in the Shawlands area, will be offering a selection of immersive foreign language courses for all ages.
And all profits from the classes will be used to fund dementia-friendly classes in care homes across Glasgow and beyond.
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25 September 2018 (Irish Times)
Learning a new language can seem like a mammoth challenge, but for those who are really intent on developing fluency, nothing beats full immersion by moving to the country where it is spoken day-to-day. Ahead of European Day of Languages on September 26th, readers living around the world share their experiences of the frustration and joy of learning a new tongue.
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21 September 2018 (SCILT)
As the UCAS application process gets underway, make sure any pupils thinking of continuing their language studies check out the Beyond School section of our website.
This section contains useful information to help senior pupils decide on the different language courses and options available once they have left school, at college, university or as part of a gap year. There are links to courses available in Scotland and across the UK.
Pupils, parents, guidance and careers staff should all find this section of our website useful.
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12 September 2018 (Newsy)
Language allows us to share thoughts and feelings with somebody else. It's our cultural glue. Otherwise, we'd live in a world of babel. But there's much more to language, including elements that affect the structure and functioning of the brain.
While the first words spoken may have been 250,000 years ago, now more than half of the people around the world – estimates vary from 60 to 75 percent – speak at least two languages.
Eighty percent of primary and secondary students in 24 European countries are learning a foreign language, usually English. Across the United States the number is closer to 20 percent, but this varies by state. In New Jersey, 51 percent of students have a second language course included as part of the school day.
Learning those languages impacts our noggins. Brain scans show that people who speak more than one language have more gray matter in their anterior cingulate cortex, the area linked to everything from learning to social behavior to resolving conflicts.
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6 September 2018 (They Work For You)
Baroness Coussins, co-chair of the All-Party Group on Modern Languages, calls for language skills to be prioritised in careers advice in schools in today's Lords' debate.
In contributing to the debate she highlighted the specific need for careers education and advice to convey the enormous and increasing value of language skills to school leavers and graduates as they make their career choices. Stating this advice must also start early enough for school students to have the opportunity to choose one or more foreign languages among their GCSE options.
She went on to stress that it is often wrongly assumed that studying foreign languages is just for the brightest students, and that they can be beneficial for anyone, at whatever level. Foreign language skills are in use in practically every sector in the economy, with higher than average demand in the financial services, IT and telecommunications, passenger transport, fashion and design and hotel and catering industries. They are in use at all levels in the workforce, not just senior management. In fact, the greatest skills gaps are among administrative and clerical staff, and those working at elementary grades. All that is before we even mention the need for languages and linguists in diplomacy, defence and security.
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5 September 2018 (BBC)
In last night's episode of the BBC2 series 'Trust me, I'm a doctor', Michael Mosley found out how learning a new language can stave off dementia.
The programme is available online until 4 October 2018.
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23 August 2018 (Washington Post)
After practice and lunch Wednesday, most D.C. United players headed home for the day. Others had meetings or media obligations.
For three players and two assistant coaches, the next stop was a windowless, cinder-block room around the corner and down the hallway from the locker room.
Each carried a textbook and, upon entering, grabbed a work sheet from a table in front of a screen and whiteboard in the middle of the room and settled at makeshift desks.
“Hola, David,” instructor Katherin Rodriguez said to her first arrival, David Ousted.
The Danish goalkeeper responded in kind.
Class was in session.
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17 August 2018 (BBC Radio 5 Live)
Listen to Antonella Sorace from Bilingualism Matters talking to Stephen Nolan about the multiple benefits of language learning on BBC Radio 5 Live. (Listen from 1:54). Broadcast is available until 15 September 2018.
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New job profiles on the SCILT website
17 August 2018 (SCILT)
The job profiles on our website cover a range of professions where languages are being used.
We have two new profiles for the start of the new school session:
- Lorne Gillies is an award winning journalist whose language skills have enabled her to connect with people around the world, whilst helping her understanding of English.
- Ian Ross is a specialist in international trade and investment. Dealing with several Chinese companies, he tells us cultural awareness is as important as learning the language.
Teachers use our profiles in the classroom to enhance learning about the world of work and how languages can play a part.
6 August 2018 (San Francisco Chronicle)
The United States may be the single most powerful nation in the world militarily, and remains a global economic giant, but we have seen repeatedly that our influence is limited. In part, we are constrained by our inadequate understanding of other nations and peoples, and by our inability to communicate effectively with them.
It is therefore disturbing, and evidence of a dangerous myopia, that we continue to neglect training and education in languages other than English.
In 1979, I was a member of the President’s Commission on Foreign Language and International Studies, which found that “Americans’ incompetence in foreign languages is nothing short of scandalous.” Last year, nearly 40 years later, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences released a similar report, “America’s Languages,” and its findings were eerily similar: “[T]he dominance of English, to the exclusion of other languages, has also had adverse and often unforeseen consequences at home and abroad — in business and diplomacy, in civic life, and in the exchange of ideas.”
Much has changed in the decades between these two reports, including the continuing spread of English globally. Today, English is an official language of the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the International Criminal Court, and NATO, as well as the unofficial language of international business.
What has not changed, however, is that English alone — an education in English to the exclusion of other languages — remains insufficient to meeting our needs in a global world.
In times of great national security challenges, such as those we face today, as well as in times of great opportunity, such as the opening of new international markets, we find ourselves scrambling for people who can speak, write, and think in languages other than English. In those moments, we search high and low for people who can communicate in Mandarin, Japanese, Russian, Pashto — and especially for people who understand the idioms and nuances that characterize true communication in any culture.
Because it is difficult to find such people immediately, we are at a disadvantage. Language acquisition is a marathon, not a sprint. By the time we educate and train the experts we need to help us address a particular language gap, we are often too late. The crisis has shifted. Others have captured the new market.
As a matter of public policy, this is a terribly inefficient way to operate.
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3 August 2018 (Good Morning Britain)
The government has announced plans to improve teaching to boost the number of students opting to take foreign languages at GCSE level. Minister for School Standards, Nick Gibb, believes that learning an extra language is good for young people for traveling and opens more opportunities within the workplace.
See the video interview broadcast on Good Morning Britain.
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2 August 2018 (Medical News Bulletin)
Canadian researchers determined whether learning a second language or learning to play a musical instrument can improve brain function.
When it comes to remembering items on a list or phone numbers, previous research has shown that musicians and individuals who are bilingual have a better working memory. To investigate why this is the case, a team of Canadian researchers conducted functional brain imaging scans on 41 young adults (ages 19-35) to see how various regions of the brain were activated during the completion of spatial and non-spatial memory tasks.
The results of this study, published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, indicated that participants who were bilingual, and in particular, those who played a musical instrument, were better able to locate and identify sounds. In addition, these two experiences seemed to shape which neural networks were used to complete working memory tasks.
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25 July 2018 (The Guardian)
French and Italian classes are improving self-confidence and wellbeing as well as cognition – even for those with dementia.
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18 June 2018 (British Council)
British Council is excited to announce the launch of GlobeScotters! We've partnered with @YoungScot to inspire Scotland's young people to embrace the international opportunities available to them at home and abroad!
Over the next six months the GlobeScotters website will be updated with all things international - from funding opportunities, to fun videos on international foods and some big Young Scot Rewards prizes!
Whether you are studying abroad next term, or want to learn about different cultures in your community, we have you covered!
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14 June 2018 (University of Oxford)
Creative Multilingualism is a 4-year research programme aiming to release the creative potential of languages, shine a spotlight on the UK's hidden multilingualism and celebrate the many benefits of language learning.
Visit the Creative Multilingualism website to explore the programme and projects.
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13 June 2018 (Eurekalert)
Dyslexic children learning both a language that is pronounced as written -like Spanish- and a second language in which the same letter can have several sounds -such as English- are less affected by this alteration when reading or writing in the latter language. The authors of the Basque research centre BCBL warn that this is less a cure than a reduction of some of the symptoms.
Dyslexia or dsxyliea? Anyone without reading disorders could read the first word without any problem. But if read by someone who suffers from this alteration, he or she will see something similar to the second word.
Dyslexia is a deficit of reading ability that hinders learning and affects between 3 and 10% of the population. Its transmission is partly genetic, and its diagnosis is made in children of between 8 and 9, although the symptoms appear before.
So far, the only way to combat this disorder has been through early treatments adapted to the patient's age and symptoms.
Now, however, research developed by the University of Bangor (Wales) and the Basque Centre on Cognition, Brain and Language (BCBL) of San Sebastian has shown that some combinations of bilingualism, transmitted from very early ages, contribute to reducing its symptoms.
The main goal here was to verify if bilingualism acquired by children who learn to read in English and Welsh at the same time could benefit those suffering from dyslexia assessed in the English language. "And the answer is yes," as bluntly stated by Marie Lallier, a BCBL scientist and one of the authors of the study, published in Scientific Studies of Reading.
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12 June 2018 (University of Edinburgh)
French and Spanish MA (Hons) student, Róisín MacFarlane, describes her involvement in SCILT’s Year Abroad schools initiative.
Róisín and three other students from the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC) recently attended a course with Scotland’s National Centre for Languages (SCILT) preparing both students and teachers for the Language Linking Global Thinking (LLGT) project.
In this article - her first as Web, Communications and Social Media Intern for LLC - she talks about the LLGT programme and explains why so many schools and students are getting involved.
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11 June 2018 (Glasgow Live)
A Glasgow social enterprise is tackling dementia through language learning.
Govan-based Lingo Flamingo teaches second languages to over 600 elderly people in care homes throughout the country, predominantly in Glasgow.
The social enterprise, founded by Robbie Norval, is the world's first not-for-profit organisation to provide bespoke language classes to older adults.
Lingo Flamingo's work is based on research from the University of Edinburgh which shows language learning in older age can have a significant positive impact in terms of curbing the effects of dementia.
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7 June 2018 (Language Magazine)
For the last 30 years, the world economy has been more global and multicultural than ever before. In any given country, foreign-based companies operate every day, while overseas branches of the same companies are often present in various countries. The job market is consequently more global, multilingual, and multicultural in nature, and the workforce of the future will need to be more linguistically and culturally heterogeneous.
In that context, bilingual and bicultural individuals, even with limited knowledge of one or more languages and their attendant cultures, have a clear advantage, since more and more jobs will require experience in international and cross-cultural areas.
On the other hand, we also know that half of the world’s population speaks two or more languages and there are many places where bilingualism or multilingualism is the norm, for example in regions of Africa.2
So, will half the world then benefit from the new job opportunities created by a more global job market? Not exactly.
Being bilingual, bicultural, and biliterate are not equivalent skills, and being bilingual is not the only condition to be hired for any job. It does not replace a solid further education, but it is becoming obvious that linguistic and cultural fluency enhances one’s “human capital” (the measure of the economic value of a person’s skill set). More and more, at equal technical skills, a bilingual individual will be chosen over a monolingual person.
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6 June 2018 (SecEd)
In a new series focused on supporting pupils with English as an additional language, Nic Kidston and Katherine Solomon discuss how schools can learn more about who their EAL learners are and how they can be empowered and supported to fulfil their potential
This article, the first in a series of articles on supporting EAL learners that will appear in the coming year, examines the recent research report from the Education Policy Institute (EPI), with the Bell Foundation and Unbound Philanthropy – entitled Educational Outcomes of Children with English as an Additional Language.
The series will provide insights into, and best practice on, how to support individual learners through a whole school approach.
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29 May 2018 (BBC)
I recently spent four months working at the BBC in London, and English always sounded far smarter in my head than when it came out of my mouth. I often forgot words, made grammatical slips, and missed the usual precision of my native Spanish. It felt like trying to eat soup with a fork. As I write this, I have a dictionary open in front of me because I have learned to mistrust my ideas about what some words mean.
But there is a silver lining for those who are working in languages other than their native one. Research has recently shown that people who can speak a foreign language are likely to be more analytical. Other studies have suggested that people who are bilingual make decisions in different ways from those with one language.
It suggests that as well as giving you an extra string to your bow in terms of where you can work and who you can work with, a foreign language also makes you a different kind of worker. But the real question is – does it make you a better worker?
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17 May 2018 (The Independent)
If you’ve taken the time to learn music or to speak another language, you’ve also trained your brain into being more efficient, according to a new study.
Researchers at Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute found that musicians and people who are bilingual utilised fewer brain resources when completing a working memory task.
According to the study, published in the journal, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, people with either a musical or bilingual background activated different brain networks and showed less brain activity while completing a task than people who only spoke one language or didn’t have formal music training.
Of the findings, Dr Claude Alain, one of the paper’s authors who works as a senior scientist at Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute and a professor at the University of Toronto's Institute of Medical Science, said: “These findings show that musicians and bilinguals require less effort to perform the same task, which could also protect them against cognitive decline and delay the onset of dementia.
"Our results also demonstrated that a person's experiences, whether it's learning how to play a musical instrument or another language, can shape how the brain functions and which networks are used."
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2 May 2018 (British Academy)
The British Academy, the UK’s body for the humanities and social sciences, has urged the Government not to prioritise some subjects over others, arguing that a healthy, prosperous and global Britain needs a diversity of graduates.
It also warns of the risks of relying too much on market-driven solutions in a post-Brexit world.
In its submission to the Government’s review of post-18 education and funding, the British Academy highlights the contribution of graduates from the arts, humanities and social sciences to the UK’s culture, economy and international reputation. Many of the 1.25m who study these disciplines each year go on to work in the service sector, which makes up some 80% of the UK’s economy. They also drive the creative industries, one of the UK’s major cultural exports. Others enter jobs of social importance such as teaching and social work.
The British Academy’s submission highlights a growing trend of universities shrinking or closing courses in subjects such as languages and philosophy. In the last decade, at least 10 modern languages departments have closed and a further nine significantly downsized.
The British Academy cites a report for the government published in 2014 which estimates that a lack of foreign language skills could already be costing the UK billions of pounds.
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1 May 2018 (CIOL)
Can the cognitive benefits of ‘bilingualism’ overcome the ‘English is enough’ fallacy? Dina Mehmedbegovic and Thomas Bak change the narrative on language learning.
Over the last two years, the EU Commission has been facilitating consultation events with a range of education and linguistics experts, with the aim of reviewing EU language policy and recommendations to member states. It is evident that, 16 years after the vision of education in ‘mother tongue plus 2 languages’ (MT+2) was shaped and agreed in Barcelona by EU leaders, this goal remains, for many, a distant vision.1 In the UK, data on language learning in schools is not even available on the Eurostat site, and the only part of the UK committed to the 1+2 policy is Scotland.
According to reports produced in the UK, such as the British Academy’s 2013 ‘State of the Nation’ report, the deficiency of language skills among the workforce is so severe that some large companies have started deleting language requirements from their job adverts and staff profile requirements, having to focus their business strategies on English-speaking countries only. According to ‘State of the Nation’, this creates “a vicious circle of monolingualism”. Without any doubt, this vicious circle rests on the dominance of English – unrivalled by any language in our history – with one in four people in the world competent in the language, resulting in a feeling of ‘English is enough’.
Therefore, attempts to promote language learning in the UK need to use new and different arguments to those used in non-English-speaking countries. They need to focus not so much on the immediate advantages of learning a particular language, but more on the general benefits of language learning, multilingualism and active language use, independently of the specific languages involved. Such an approach could also lead to a positive re-evaluation of the role of languages spoken by migrant communities: once we acknowledge linguistic diversity as a benefit, rather than a burden (both to individuals and to society), all languages become valuable and worth preserving.
Until recently, most arguments for learning languages fell into two broad categories: cultural (e.g. learning French leads to a better understanding not only of French but also English language and history) and economic (e.g. the value of learning German or, more recently, Chinese, as languages of powerful modern economies). However, over the last few decades, a new, third category of arguments started to emerge: the cognitive benefits of language learning and use.
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1 May 2018 (BBC)
There is a critical cut-off age for learning a language fluently, according to research.
If you want to have native-like knowledge of English grammar, for example, you should ideally start before age 10, say the researchers.
People remain highly skilled learners until 17 or 18, when ability tails off.
The findings, in the journal Cognition, come from an online grammar test taken by nearly 670,000 people of different ages and nationalities.
The grammar quiz was posted on Facebook to get enough people to take part.
Questions tested if participants could determine whether a sentence written in English, such as: "Yesterday John wanted to won the race," was grammatically correct.
Users were asked their age and how long they had been learning English, and in what setting - had they moved to an English-speaking country, for example?
About 246,000 of the people who took the test had grown up speaking only English, while the rest were bi- or multilingual.
The most common native languages (excluding English) were Finnish, Turkish, German, Russian and Hungarian.
Most of the people who completed the quiz were in their 20s and 30s. The youngest age was about 10 and the oldest late 70s.
When the researchers analysed the data using a computer model, the best explanation for the findings was that grammar-learning was strongest in childhood, persists into teenage years and then drops at adulthood.
Read more...
Related Links
Scientists pinpoint best age to learn a second language (Newsweek, 1 May 2018) Article includes a video clip where polyglot, Alex Rawlings, shares his top 10 tips for language learning
Scientists reveal cut-off age for learning a new language (The Independent, 1 May 2018)
Scientists define critical period for learning language—children remain adept learners until the age of 17 or 18 (Medical Xpress, 1 May 2018)
You can learn a new language by 18, but only if you start before 10 can you pass as native: study (Daily Sabah, 1 May 2018)
‘Critical period’ for learning new language, says study (Euronews, 1 May 2018)
Scientists identify the best ages to learn a new language (Earth, 1 May 2018)
Why It's So Hard to Learn Another Language After Childhood (Time, 2 May 2018)
Is there a ‘cut-off age’ for learning languages? (Bilingualism Matters, 2 May 2018)
Want to learn a foreign language fluently? Start before 10, study finds (AliveForFootball, 2 May 2018)
Becoming fluent in another language as an adult might be impossible – but I’m still going to try (The Guardian, 2 May 2018)
Too late to lingo: Kids must start learning foreign languages by TEN to be able to speak like a native (The Sun, 2 May 2018)
You're never too old to become fluent in a foreign language (iNews, 10 May 2018)
30 April 2018 (Lingo Flamingo)
Research shows that speakers of foreign languages can postpone the effects of dementia by up to 4.5 years later than monolinguists. Language learning acts as a great way of keeping your brain fit and active as well as building up cognitive reserve, making the brain more resilient.
Lingo Flamingo utilises this research by providing tailored, fun and accessible classes in care homes and day centres across Scotland. We are a not-for-profit organisation whose objective is to use language learning as a way to empower older adults and to battle against dementia and brain ageing.
We are looking for compassionate and enthusiastic language volunteers who can teach their language in care homes across Scotland. As a language tutor you will go into care homes and teach older adults in classes of 10 students.
Classes take place 1 hour a week for 10 weeks. We will cover your expenses.
Classes take place Monday to Friday, usually in the early afternoon. You need to commit for at least 10 weeks, for 1 hour a week (same day and same time every week).
In conjunction with the Open University we offer tailored training and support about teaching older adults. Even though it is a language class, it is mainly about having fun! It is a great opportunity to increase your confidence as well as the confidence of the students.
After you let us know that you are interested, you would need to fill out a registration form and meet us for an informal chat. Once you agree to volunteer, we would enter you onto the database and match you with a care home that is close to you.
For more information, please contact papoula.romao@lingoflamingo.co.uk or visit our website for more information.
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23 April 2018 (Business Insider)
Perhaps you've toyed with the idea of learning a second or third language. But as an adult, is learning a new language too monumental of a task to undertake?
Let's look at what we know about language development. Early childhood — infancy until age 5 — is a particularly sensitive period when children's brains are primed to learn language.
According to Thomas Bak, Ph.D., a neuroscientist from the Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, children first learn sounds, and then acquire the basic rules of grammar. Then comes vocabulary, which continues to accumulate throughout life. (Microbiome, microagression, net neutrality, safe space, and Seussian are just a few of the 1000 new words that Merriam-Webster added in 2017.)
From birth through puberty , children learn language rapidly and efficiently due to their natural brain plasticity and cognitive flexibility. After puberty, however, language acquisition becomes progressively more difficult, and our ability to learn new languages steadily declines.
There's some individual variability in the age of this decline, Bak says, due to natural ability. But a slight decline does occur in all people at some point, whether it be in their 20s or 30s.
Nienke Meulman, who has published research on age and grammar acquisition effects on the brain, says the adage,"'The later, the harder' is definitely true, but there is no clear cut-off age." Even for late learners it is possible to become proficient in a second language, Meulman says.
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29 March 2018 (The Herald)
A drive has been launched to revive a classical education in state schools across Scotland.
Leading classics organisations have joined forces to promote the study of Latin and the history and culture of Ancient Rome and Greece.
Once a fundamental pillar of education, Latin has declined dramatically since the 1970s and now very few state schools offer it.
In 2013, just 218 candidates sat Latin at Higher compared to 243 the previous year. Only 48 pupils took Latin as an Advanced Higher.
In order to lead a revival the UK charity Classics for All, which provides grant funding to schools, opened a Scottish hub in September last year.
Alex Imrie, an academic from Edinburgh University and the charity’s Scotland representative, said the hub was seeking to introduce a Latin module aimed at primary school pupils.
It also wants to revise and update existing qualifications in Classical Studies for secondary school pupils and to work with university departments to reintroduce the subject as a specialism within postgraduate teaching qualifications.
He said: “We’re approaching councils across Scotland to try and get them on board to try and reintroduce classics into the curriculum.
“We are enjoying a lot of enthusiasm with the people we are speaking to, but it is early days and we need to get more momentum and spread the word even further.
“There are academic benefits with improvements to English and other areas of the curriculum and it is long overdue that we break the myth that classics is only for the elite or only for those who go to independent schools.”
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27 March 2018 (Irish Times)
Ireland is speaking more languages than ever before with Polish, French, Romanian, Lithuanian and Spanish all echoing through our family homes.
For years, there was a belief that bilingual children lagged behind academically and intellectually.
More recent studies, however, comprehensively show this is untrue: switching between two or more languages gives the brain a dexterousness and improves our attention, planning, memory and problem-solving skills.
Evidence shows bilingual children score better across a range of cognitive tests than their monolingual classmates.
In an Irish context, speakers of a second language have an advantage in a jobs market that places significant value on both their linguistic and cognitive skills. And bilingual children who sit minority language subjects in the Leaving Cert consistently get top grades.
In spite of the clear benefits, many newcomer parents have concerns about bilingualism.
Dr Francesca La Morgia is assistant professor in clinical speech and language studies at Trinity College Dublin and the founder and director of an organisation called Mother Tongues, which supports parents in passing on their native language.
Read more...
26 March 2018 (Bilingualism Matters)
The latest news, events and information from Bilingualism Matters can be found online in their Spring 2018 newsletter.
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22 March 2018 (YOYP/National Lottery)
To mark the Year of Young People 2018, a new National Lottery fund has been launched to help young people #SparkAChange in their lives. Grants between £3,000 and £10,000 are available for heritage, community and sports projects which are run by and for young people aged eight to 26. Funding is available for projects which encourage positive mental health for young people and inspire them to lead active lives.
We’re all aware of the positive mental health benefits of language learning, so why not encourage your students to set up a language project, perhaps a community language class or an outdoor language adventure trail? Visit the Lottery Fund website for more information and to apply by one of the two funding deadlines - 30 April 2018 or 18 June 2018.
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20 March 2018 (Blasting News)
It is one of the universal truths: being bilingual or polyglot can only be considered as something positive.
We have the ability to travel constantly to another country, to interact with people with whom otherwise we could not communicate, to really understand another culture and to immerse ourselves in it. We live in an increasingly globalized world and when we are aware of the positive side of knowing a new #Language, we realize the doors of a different culture are open and it can teach us a different way of viewing the world.
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15 March 2018 (Healthy Linguistic Diet)
Created as a result of collaboration between the University of Edinburgh and UCL, the newly launched Healthy Linguistic Diet (HLD) website aims to initiate and facilitate a shift in thinking about learning another language/other languages as a key skill or an academic subject, to understanding that using two languages is a key ingredient in our cognitive development and well-being.
Visit the website to find out more.
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7 March 2018 (MEITS Blog)
The gender pay gap is persistent and while the number of female CEOs of Fortune 500 companies is at an all-time high, according to the 2017 list released by Fortune magazine, it still only amounts to 32, or 6.4%. But young women might have an ace up their sleeves ...
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Business brunches inspire Scotland’s future global workforce in Edinburgh
6 February 2018 (SCILT)
Young people from twenty schools across the Edinburgh, Lothians and Borders areas had the opportunity to engage with local businesses at Dynamic Earth on 30 January 2018. 208 learners from S3 heard from a range of business leaders who view language skills as key to the growth and success of their company. The Business Brunch demonstrated the relevance of language skills in a work context and aimed to encourage pupils to continue with their language studies into the senior phase of their secondary education, and beyond school.
A teacher attending the event said: “The presentations were relevant. Pupils could relate to the speakers, especially those from Scotland. They really highlighted languages as an additional skill that give you the edge, which is an important message for our learners.”
One of the young people added to this, and commented: “I learnt that knowing a language can bring you a lot of opportunities and can be fun.”
Leanne Banks, Industry and Education Partnership Manager at Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Edinburgh, Midlothian and East Lothian regional group, and one of the organisers, stated: “Allowing young people to hear directly from businesses across a wealth of sectors highlighted why continuing with their language(s) at school could be so beneficial to opening up a world of opportunities beyond school. With a variety of industry led workshops and exhibitors speaking directly with young people, everyone had opportunities to be informed and inspired. The day was action packed from start to finish and the feedback received from young people and teachers has been so positive we ought to start planning for the next one to make it bigger and better for 2019.”
The event was organised by SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages based at University of Strathclyde, in partnership with Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian, West Lothian and Borders regional groups together with the University Council for Modern Languages Scotland (UCMLS). Schools represented were Beeslack Community High, Broughton High, Drummond Community High, Dunbar Grammar, Firrhill High, Liberton High, Newbattle Community High, North Berwick High, Portobello High, Preston Lodge High, Ross High, St Augustine's High, St David's High, Galashiels Academy, Kelso High, Peebles High, Armadale Academy, Bathgate Academy, St Kentigern's Academy and Whitburn Academy.
Companies attending included China-Britain Business Council, GlobalScot, The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, NHS, JPMorgan, Skyscanner, Food and Drink Federation Scotland and College Development Network, Asia Scotland Institute and Asia Scotland Partnership for the Environment. Apex Hotels, Dig It! 2017 Archaeology Scotland, Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh College, Farne Salmon, Napier University, University of Edinburgh, Historic Environment Scotland, Laing O'Rourke, Languages by KLothian, Macdonald hotels, Multrees Walk, Project Trust, Royal Air Force, Scotland-Russia Forum, Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Tourist Guide Association and The Open University in Scotland supported the event by hosting a stall in the Marketplace.
Marion Spöring, Senior Lecturer (Languages and European Studies) at the University of Dundee and Chair of UCMLS said: “The learning of languages is not only fun, but also essential for the future employment opportunities of our young people in Scotland. Languages set the foundation for varied careers, for future engineers as well as artists and in tourism, to name but a few.”
Fhiona Mackay, Director of SCILT said: “In these times of uncertainty, it is even more important than ever that we equip our young people with the skills they will need for life beyond school. We want them to be outward-looking and able to operate in an interdependent world. Events such as these highlight the importance of language skills and intercultural competencies in the world of work.
“The business leaders who speak at these events give of their own time because they understand how much these skills are needed and valued by employers and how vital they are for Scotland’s business community. This kind of collaboration is an example of how education and business sectors can work together for their mutual benefit so that we can support young people and help them develop the portfolio of skills that employers require in their workforce.”
Meaningful employer engagement and providing relevant careers advice are both key recommendations of Scotland’s Youth Employment Strategy, “Developing the young workforce”. This Business Brunch supported these aims by giving young people the opportunity to ask questions and find out more about the role of languages in the business world. The targets laid out in the Scottish Attainment Challenge are about achieving equity in educational outcomes, with a particular focus on closing the poverty-related attainment gap. Through hearing from a range of business leaders and interacting with employees, the aspirations of the young people who attended were raised.
This collaboration between schools and businesses supported Scotland’s International Policy to equip young people with international communication and employability skills that they will need in our increasingly globalised society and economy.
The event is one of a series of Business Brunches being held across Scotland in January and February 2018.
More information on SCILT’s 2018 Business Brunches.
31 January 2018 (BBC)
Workshops offering older adults lessons in foreign languages to help delay the effects of dementia are being studied by researchers.
Social enterprise Lingo Flamingo was set up in Govan in Glasgow in 2015.
Dr Thomas Bak, from the University of Edinburgh, said the research he was involved in was seeking "measurable effects" from the language classes.
Dr Bak has previously studied the benefits of intensive Gaelic lessons at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig college on Skye.
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28 January 2018 (BBC Radio Sotland)
Should we offer language classes on the NHS? Could bilingualism be more beneficial than medication when it comes to a strong, healthy brain and is monolingualism making us ill?
In this Brainwaves, Pennie Latin meets the man behind those bold ideas, Dr Thomas Bak.
Available until 2 March 2018
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16 January 2018 (Glasgow Live)
Pensioners in Glasgow are being given language lessons in a bid to prevent the early onset of dementia.
Over 60s at Bield’s Coxton Gardens development in Glasgow, have been boosting their memory skills thanks to the weekly Spanish classes put on by one of the care assistants.
Mariana Popa, care assistant at Coxton Gardens, said: “I was looking into some activities that we could organise for our tenants here in Glasgow as part of my personal development framework, and was keen to break away from the stereotypical notion that all older people want to play games such as bingo and dominoes."
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Bield residents say ‘¡Adios a Dementia!’ (Scottish Housing News, 16 January 2018)
3 November 2017 (The Scotsman)
To those from outside Dundee, the bakery order “twa pehs, a plehn bridie an’ an inyin in an’ a” (Two pies, a plain bridie and an onion one as well) might be mistaken for a foreign language. Now, international research shows that the human brain treats the distinctive Dundonian brogue - and regional dialects in Britain and abroad - in exactly the same way as a second language.
The study at Abertay University in Dundee, and by researchers in Germany, suggests that while people from the city who converse in dialect may not be regarded generally as bilingual, cognitively there is little difference.
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21 October 2017 (MEITS)
In this podcast Wendy Ayres-Bennett from the University of Cambridge talks to Baroness Jean Coussins, Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages, about the need for a national languages policy and a more holistic approach towards languages in the UK.
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2 October 2017 (Times)
Public health campaigns similar to the five-a-day fruit and vegetable message should be used to encourage monolingual Britons to learn another language to stave off dementia, experts say.
British people are known worldwide for their poor attempts to grasp other languages. This is as dangerous as a sedentary lifestyle, a top neuroscientist has warned.
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2 October 2017 (Education Week)
Bilingual people may be better equipped to learn new languages than those who only speak one language, according to a study published in the academic journal Bilingualism: Language and Cognition.
The research points to a distinct language-learning benefit for people who grow up bilingual or learn another language at an early age.
A team of researchers paired 13 bilingual college students who grew up in the United States with Mandarin-speaking parents, and learned both English and Mandarin at an early age, against a group of 16 monolingual college students, who spoke only English.
The researchers studied Mandarin-English bilinguals because both of these languages differ structurally from the new language being learned.
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28 August 2017 (BBC)
The Reverend Nick Baines shares his 'Thought for the Day' on BBC Radio 4 about the importance of children learning languages. The broadcast is available on iPlayer until 27 September. (Please note registration is required to access).
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18 August 2017 (SCILT)
The job profiles on our website cover a range of professions where languages are being used.
Our latest addition comes from Emma Gallacher, whose language skills have taken her from Scotland to the Costa Blanca, where she now works as receptionist for an established Real Estate firm. She firmly believes learning the language has enabled her to settle and integrate into the Spanish way of life.
Teachers use our profiles in the classroom to enhance learning about the world of work and how language skills can play a part.
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4 August 2017 (Glasgow Live)
A Glasgow based organisation is blazing a trail in the battle against dementia faced by Glasgow’s elderly population.
Lingo Flamingo, based in Govan, is the world’s first non-profit organisation that provides outreach foreign language classes tailored to older adults.
It is currently launching a drive for more students, enlisting the use of their pink flamingo mascot to help spread the word to places across Glasgow and the West of Scotland.
Their 10 week foreign language workshops are provided in German, Italian, Spanish and French and take place in care homes, sheltered accommodation and day centres across the city.
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31 July 2017 (AHRC)
Many of us will be familiar with the sight of groups of young language students in UK cities over the summer months. Their excitement at being abroad away from their parents often for the first time is obvious. In 2016, he International Association of Language Centres (IALC) reported that there were 2.28 million language students travelling abroad each year, with English language travel making up around 61% of this market.
Whilst these language-learners only represented 0.25% of second language learners across the entire globe, most travelled to English-speaking countries to learn English. If the motivation for learning English in our increasing globalised world is clear, the British often struggle to appreciate the reasons for learning another language.
“The headline news for Modern Languages recently has not been good, with decreasing numbers of entrants at A-level and a number of university departments under threat of closure or severe contraction", said Wendy Ayres-Bennett, Professor of French Philology and Linguistics from the University of Cambridge.
In response to this national concern and its global implications, the AHRC has committed £16m to research in modern foreign languages (MFL) in its Open World Research Initiative (OWRI) project. Its aim is to explore and understand the language learning landscape of the UK, and how it might be transformed.
As part of OWRI, the AHRC has invested in four major research programmes, one of which is Multilingualism: Empowering Individuals, Transforming Societies (MEITS). Alongside her responsibilities at Cambridge, Prof Ayres-Bennett is Principal Investigator for the MEITS project.
“I think that in the current political climate of Brexit and of extensive migration, the need to learn modern foreign languages has arguably never been more important", says Prof Ayres-Bennett.
“I believe that there are huge benefits from being able to step outside a single language, culture and mode of thought", explains Prof Ayres-Bennett. "It enables you to see the world through other people’s eyes".
Prof Ayres-Bennett argues that the ability to speak another language is valuable to many different areas of society. "Whether we think of international relations, diplomacy, security and defence, or areas such as conflict-resolution and peace-building, or, crucially today, business, international trade, and social cohesion, all of these have languages at their heart."
Linguists are needed to provide vital translation and interpreting services. However, the need for direct communication between parties was well demonstrated by the experience of the British military in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Prof Ayres-Bennett also thinks that through reading literature in the language in which it was written, we can begin to see the world through the linguistic categories and worldview of its speakers.
"The gradual opening up of new worlds and the move from incomprehension to being able to make sense of another language and culture can be truly magical ”, says Prof Ayres-Bennett.
Scandi noir dramas have become very popular and one of the biggest hits of the year has been the Spanish language song 'Despacito'. Many young people in Europe improve their English through listening to music and watching films in English so that they no longer need to depend on subtitles.“TV and the internet increasingly provide opportunities for people to view foreign language material and to learn about other cultures.”
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27 July 2017 (The Pie)
When asked what helped them improve their language skill the most, 90% of respondents to global language provider Sprachcaffe’s Language Learning Sustainability Project said it was face-to-face interaction with other people.
Over half said they are more confident speaking the language thanks to the experience of learning abroad while 20% said it helped them travel more and 13% said it contributed to a change in their work life.
“Our product [study travel] is unique because it’s learning and travel. When it comes to language learning you can do it online quick and easy but if you want something more valuable you have language learning trips,” said Pauline Pitte, the study’s co-author.
Taken over six months in 2016, the survey attracted former students from all over the world who had been on a language course abroad within the last five to 10 years. The project aims to show the long-term impacts of language learning abroad, said Pitte.
“We don’t want to make this about online versus in-class learning, we just wanted to explore the package students get when they go on language exchanges. Is it efficient for everyone?”.
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19 June 2017 (BBC)
The true story of a trio of Gaelic-speaking soldiers who used their native tongue to "bamboozle" the Germans has inspired a new feature film.
Pte William Kemp, Cpl Sandy MacDonald, and L/Cpl James Wilson escaped their captors after convincing them they were from the Soviet Union.
Now film producers have used the tale as a premise for new World War Two drama In the Darkest Hour.
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15 June 2017 (The Conversation)
Britain is facing an uncertain future and an uneasy relationship with Europe after Brexit and the latest general election. Among other things, a key determiner of the success of Brexit will be the UK’s ability to conduct negotiations without language barriers. But the country’s woeful inability to learn languages, and the decline in foreign language learning among school and university students across Britain, does not bode well.
Of course, Welsh, Gaelic, Irish and Cornish are already spoken in some parts of the UK. And while it’s great to see many of these minority languages experiencing something of a revival over recent years, when it comes to life after Brexit it’s languages from further afield that will likely be most useful to Brits.
Many people in the UK may well ask “why we need languages” when “everyone in Europe speaks English anyway”. Indeed, all Brexit negotiations will be conducted in English. But given that the UK’s lack of foreign language skill is estimated to cost the nation up to £48 billion a year, this isn’t something that can just be ignored. Especially considering this figure is unlikely to decrease in post-Brexit Britain.
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13 June 2017 (The Conversation)
It turns out, Hollywood got it half right. In the film Arrival, Amy Adams plays linguist Louise Banks who is trying to decipher an alien language. She discovers the way the aliens talk about time gives them the power to see into the future – so as Banks learns their language, she also begins to see through time. As one character in the movie says: “Learning a foreign language rewires your brain.”
My new study – which I worked on with linguist Emanuel Bylund – shows that bilinguals do indeed think about time differently, depending on the language context in which they are estimating the duration of events. But unlike Hollywood, bilinguals sadly can’t see into the future. However, this study does show that learning a new way to talk about time really does rewire the brain. Our findings are the first psycho-physical evidence of cognitive flexibility in bilinguals.
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8 June 2017 (Huffington Post)
In a global economy, simply telling your potential employer that you have what it takes to get the job done doesn’t cut it anymore. Hiring managers at top firms weigh in many factors – some of which might be out of your control. In trying to land that dream job, you may find yourself outmaneuvered by a well-connected candidate or, in many cases, simply pitted against more accomplished peers.
In spite of tough competition, there’s a way for you to stand out: master a foreign language.
In a recent report by the New American Economy, the number of U.S. companies looking for bilingual workers has more than doubled in the last five years. The demand for foreign language proficiency is now at 630,000, a huge jump from 240,000 open positions for candidates with bilingual abilities in 2010. This trend will only continue despite the recent misguided shifts towards nationalism in the US and abroad.
In the past, the majority of listings involved hospitality and customer-service industries. Much has changed over time. Today, the fastest growing categories for bilingual positions now includes financial managers, industrial engineers and editors. We currently have presidents of investment firms, tech giants, and manufacturing companies taking our language courses. They see the value in gaining at least a basic level of understanding in a foreign language. The benefits of language training however are not only for high level executives. Over the years, it has become more evident that bilingual employees have an edge, no matter where they are in the skills-spectrum.
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28 April 2017 (SCILT)
The job profiles on our website cover a range of professions where languages are being used.
Our latest addition comes from Charlie Foot, founder of Bili, the online language exchange platform for schools. Charlie explains how speaking to people in their own language creates opportunities for much deeper connections and cultural understanding.
Teachers use our profiles in the classroom to enhance learning about the world of work and how language skills can play a part.
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23 April 2017 (The Sunday Times)
Learning a second language can delay the onset of some kinds of dementia by six years, according to new research.
Even five hours a week of learning can build up a “cognitive reserve” counteracting the effects of brain disease and boosting function in all age groups.
Thomas Bak, a neuroscientist at Edinburgh University, found that people benefited by attempting a second language even if they were far from fluent.
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13 April 2017 (Quartz Media)
We live in narrow-minded times, wherein insularity and nationalism are pervasive in public discourse. If you’re among the many people looking for ways to take political action, one of the most effective things you can do is devote yourself to learning a new foreign language.
Learning a new language is a way to foster community and understanding between people of all political persuasions and nationalities. This can act both as a potent corrective force to any tendencies of narrow-mindedness we may be harboring, and as a form of political resistance. It’s a concrete action that all of us can take to move the needle toward a more just and open-minded mentality.
To understand why this is the case, it’s useful to consider all the ways in which learning a language helps steel us against the prevailing small-mindedness of our times.
Learning a language helps you understand your own culture better.
Though we speak our own language all the time, we don’t tend to notice how it works until we learn another one. Until then, we lack the necessary perspective: As the German poet Goethe said, “Those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own.”
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20 March 2017 (Irish Times)
Most people in this part of the world have a smattering of French or Spanish which comes in useful when ordering dinner on holiday, but because much of the developed world speaks English there is less incentive for us to really try to become fluent, as it is generally accepted that wherever we may find ourselves someone will understand what we are trying to say.
However, if research is to be believed, learning a new language has huge benefits and not just for social reasons either. A new study from Scotland involving elderly participants revealed that those who began learning a completely new language had far better mental responses than those who were engaging in other learning activities.
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15 March 2017 (Huffington Post)
Research has shown that it’s important to “exercise” your brain and language learning is one of the most effective and practical ways to do this. Speaking and learning a foreign language gives your brain a good workout, keeps your mind sharp, and defends your brain against aging.
Surprisingly, being bilingual wasn’t always seen as a good thing. Some educators and scientists thought that learning a foreign language, especially from a young age, had a negative effect on brain development and caused confusion. They also claimed being bilingual would hinder academic performance. We now know that exactly the opposite is true. Science now shows that learning a second language helps strengthen the brain.
Read more...
10 March 2017 (SCILT)
We have a range of Job Profiles on our website designed for teachers to use in the classroom to enhance learning about the world of work and how language skills can play a part.
Our latest addition comes from Kirsten Matthews, a Distillery Tour Guide and Public Service Interpreter. Kirsten tells us her language skills make it possible for her to perform a service and to help people in her roles.
You can see Kirsten's profile on our website.
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2 March 2017 (THE)
Linguistic diversity is a good thing, and individuals, institutions and societies can benefit from investing in language learning. This is the conviction from which Gabrielle Hogan-Brun starts and the conclusion she reaches. Evidence for this proposition is not difficult to find, and Linguanomics provides a wealth of examples from aviation safety to Mark Zuckerberg via Marco Polo.
Aviation accidents demonstrate the benefits of language learning ex negativo. When the last recorded words of a Chinese pilot are “What does ‘pull up’ mean?”, one may conclude that a fatal incident could have been avoided if the pilot had had better English. Conversely, Polo did well as a trader and traveller, and his fluency in four languages surely helped; the same with Zuckerberg, who may be hoping that his Chinese language skills will smooth Facebook’s entry into the Chinese market.
Linguanomics is full of anecdotes such as these, and they all go to show that language skills are useful and may even be highly profitable. Hogan-Brun is on a mission to convince her readers that they should be more alert to the market potential of language learning. Given the neglect of languages in much of the English-speaking world, this is a laudable aim, and Linguanomics succeeds as a piece of punditry.
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27 February 2017 (CityA.M.)
The UK’S future relationship with Europe is far from certain. With many of Brexit’s economic consequences still panning out, it is a good time to reflect on how the UK can maintain a global trading edge after its exit from the EU.
In this respect, post-Brexit UK companies would do well to embrace foreign languages as a matter of urgency in order to cement the creation of effective cultural and business relationships with prospective EU and non-EU trading partners.
While English is undoubtedly one of the most widely spoken languages in the world and largely used as the lingua franca in corporate diplomacy, I believe that a lack of intercultural and language competence on the UK’s part could jeopardise the future global standing and prosperity of its businesses.
As former German Chancellor Willy Brandt put it over 40 years ago: “if I am selling to you, I speak your language. If I am buying, dann müssen Sie Deutsch sprechen”. Indeed, multilingual businesses are proven to benefit from richer interactions between partners, employees, suppliers and customers as well as increased sales and return on investment. It also offers a significant edge on the competition by enabling a wider customer and client base.
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23 February 2017 (THE)
Six academics offer their views on the state of language learning in a populist climate.
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21 February 2017 (Scholastic blog)
For far too long it seems that media columns have been filled with reports of declining interest of British teenagers in modern foreign languages (MFL).
Take the figures published last summer. The number of children studying French to A-level has fallen by around 50 per cent in eight years to fewer than 10,000. Only around 3,800 youngsters took German. There was also a fall in those studying Spanish, which had previously bucked the anti-languages drift.
The government replied that it has been encouraging pupils to take languages, mainly through the English Baccalaureate – the wrap-around qualification which requires pupils to sit a range of certain GCSEs including a language.
But the problems don’t end there. More university language departments are facing closure if student recruitment continues to decline, and the key problem facing language courses is the drop in the number of students sitting the relevant A-levels that are required for entry. And there is a shortage of MFL teachers.
This ought to worry us – even more so as we head towards Brexit. It has been estimated by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages that our failure to communicate in anything other than English costs Britain up to £50 billion a year in lost trade. Declining numbers of MFL students have led to calls for a joined up strategy where the full contribution of languages to the economy and society is realised, with the National Association of Head Teachers particularly vocal.
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3 February 2017 (The Conversation)
'If your strategy is to trade only with people that speak English that’s going to be a poor strategy.'
Top US economist Larry Summers recently tweeted this in relation to America’s focus on its so-called special relationship with the UK. And he’s right. The economic impact on the US – or any other country – that closes off its trade barriers with countries that are different to it would be enormous.
Language matters on a large-scale national level and at the level of smaller businesses.
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3 February 2017 (SCILT)
Our Job Profiles are designed for teachers to use in the classroom to enhance learning about the world of work and how language skills can play a part.
Our latest addition comes from student and part-time racing driver, Josh Martin, who appreciates how languages are key in helping him communicate with fans around the world and in negotiating sponsorship deals.
Read his profile and others on our website now.
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20 January 2017 (SCILT)
If you're looking for relevant career advice on languages direct from the workplace, read the Job Profiles on our website. These resources are designed for teachers to use in the classroom to enhance learning about the world of work and how language skills can play a part.
Our latest addition comes from John Barry, a former petroleum engineer and manager with Shell, who explains how his language skills helped him to develop his career with the company.
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19 January 2017 (Knowridge Science Report)
Mental agility can be boosted by even a short period of learning a language, a study suggests.
Tests carried out on students of all ages suggest that acquiring a new language improves a person’s attention, after only a week of study.
Researchers also found that these benefits could be maintained with regular practice.
A team from the University assessed different aspects of mental alertness in a group of 33 students aged 18 to 78 who had taken part in a one-week Scottish Gaelic course.
Researchers tracked people’s attention levels with a series of listening tests including the ability to concentrate on certain sounds and switch the attention to filter relevant information.
They compared the results with those of people who had completed a one week course – but not involving learning a new language – and with a group who had not completed any course.
After one week, improvements in attention were found in both groups participating in intensive courses, but only those learning a second language were significantly better than those not involved in any courses.
This improvement was found for all ages, from 18 to 78 years, which researchers say demonstrates the benefits of language learning also in later life.
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17 January 2017 (The Telegraph)
I am nervous as I take my seat in front of the Head of Languages; it is GCSE choices evening and the school gym has been transformed, criss-crossed by rows of tables and chairs with eager parents and their offspring gathered around harried-looking teachers.
“I'd like to do Triple Language,” I say, “French, Spanish and Italian.”
She regards me over the top of her sheet full of names, in front of her.
“Oh no, I don't think so. You could do Spanish, maybe, but you'll find three too difficult.”
Seven years later and I am on the brink of successfully completing my undergraduate degree in, you guessed it, languages. And whilst I look back on that exchange now with a certain degree of victorious pride, I still can't help but wonder what prompted her to turn a perfectly capable student away from her course.
In this performance-obsessed climate where a pupil's grades are often put before their education, it is unsurprising that even some of the best teachers find themselves advising students against courses which are deemed too challenging. But we must do away with the notion that languages are an elite subject if we are to improve the dire situation in which we now find ourselves.
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13 January 2017 (The Sentinel)
BBC's new football programme The Premier League Show sent Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker to Stoke to catch up with his old teammate Mark Hughes.
The pair had played together under Terry Venables at Barcelona, with Hughes admitting he wished he had bought into the culture.
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10 January 2017 (The Telegraph)
With over one billion speakers worldwide, the global significance of Mandarin Chinese cannot be denied. But with the continued growth of English as a lingua franca of business, travel and international relations, do we really need more young people in the UK to learn it?
The reality is that, at a time when the UK is repositioning itself on the world stage, young people across the UK need to have the knowledge and skills to unlock their potential in an increasingly connected world - and to my mind at least, there are few abilities more valuable than speaking Mandarin Chinese.
The good news is that parents across the UK seem to think so too. Research released last week as part of the Mandarin Excellence Programme highlighted that those with children aged under 18 see Mandarin Chinese as the ‘most beneficial’ non-European language for their children's future – followed by Arabic and Japanese. As well as 51 per cent of those surveyed believing that speaking Mandarin would boost their children's career prospects, 56 per cent saw it as a skill that would open their children's minds to an ‘exciting and dynamic culture’.
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10 January 2017 (The Mirror)
Being able to speak another language protects against dementia and other age-related decline in brain power, a new study found.
People who are bilingual are better at saving brain power and less prone to be distracted as their brains get wired.
So they use less of the brain than those who speak just one language.
And they rely less on the frontal areas of the brain which are vulnerable to ageing explaining why the brains of bilinguals are better equipped at staving off the signs of cognitive ageing or dementia.
Professor Ana In s Ansaldo at the University of Montreal compared the functional brain connections in monolingual and bilingual elderly people.
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10 January 2017 (The Independent)
Scientists have found that the benefits of being bilingual stretch much further than those commonly associated with being fluent in two languages - it could also help a person’s brain in later life.
New research from the Université de Montréal shows that people who are bilingual are able to save brain power, which in turn could help with the effects of cognitive ageing.
The study, led by Dr Ana Inés Ansaldo at the university’s geriatric research centre, found that bilingualism can make the brain more efficient and economical in the way that it carries out certain tasks.
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5 January 2017 (BT)
Mandarin Chinese is the most useful non-European language for children to learn, UK parents believe.
It will boost their child's career prospects, according to 51%of parents, while 56% felt it would open their children's minds to an "exciting and dynamic" culture.
Arabic and Japanese, which both picked by 14% of parents, were the other key non-European languages.
The figures were gained after 1,138 UK adults with children aged under 18 were questioned in a Populus survey commissioned by the Mandarin Excellence Programme (MEP).
French, Spanish and German were the top choices overall for young people in the UK to learn after being picked by 57%, 54% and 40% of parents respectively.
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28 November 2016 (SCILT)
Language learning is for all ages. Visit our Adult Learners pages to find out the range of language learning opportunities in your area and online. You can also read about the benefits of learning a new language at any age, some tips to motivate you and testimonials from other adult language learners to encourage and inspire you!
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Survey on perceived benefits of langauge learning
21 October 2016 (British Academy)
As part of a British Academy special project exploring the (mis)match between perceived and evidenced benefits of language learning, British Academy would like to invite you to participate in a short online questionnaire survey.
British Academy is interested in hearing your language learning experiences, and your thoughts and attitudes towards language learning. It doesn't matter if you can speak only one language or many.
There are 40 questions in total, and will take no more than 15 minutes to complete.
Child questionnaire
Adult questionnaire
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6 October 2016 (University of Strathclyde)
Now in its 5th year, the Language Ambassadors Programme is offering visits to Secondary or Primary schools (and other formats too). As Language Ambassadors we will talk about our varied experiences as language learners and do our best to encourage your pupils to follow in our footsteps…
Motivation, experiences abroad, transition to First year at university, job prospects, university courses… This is what we can tell them about.
Boost your young learners’ motivation, invite us in!
For more information see the Language Ambassadors website and to organise a visit, simply contact: Cédric Moreau, c.moreau@strath.ac.uk.
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Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
HE,
All Languages,
Scotland,
Language Ambassadors,
Language Learning,
Language Learning - Benefits,
Language Learning for Work,
Promoting Languages,
News from language & education organisations
23 May 2016 (UCML)
What value should we put on languages in the UK? Why do they actually matter (if the world is learning English...)? What strategies do we need as a country in respect of languages? This excellent report draws out some of the current evidence, illustrated by excellent case-studies and then makes several strong recommendations about a way forward.
The report, published in May 2016, follows the high level cross-departmental workshop held in autumn 2015 which brought together language academics, lobbyists and civil servants and was chaired by Baroness Coussins, co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Languages.
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23 May 2016 (Telegraph)
With the EU referendum only a month away, Europe is the hottest topic for debate in media and social circles.
Don’t worry though, I am not about to start pontificating and debating the whys and wherefores of being in or out. Instead, I’m going to focus on one key issue that has been lost in the wider political debate and will remain constant and crucial whatever the outcome; that is the issue of language learning and why it is so important that as a nation we break the curse of centuries of monolingualism.
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17 May 2016 (BBC News)
Angela Rippon investigates the disease that took her mother's life and is now starting to affect her friends. She undergoes a series of tests to discover if she has any early signs of the disease and makes the difficult decision about whether to take a genetic test that could predict her future risk. Along the way, Angela finds out some of the surprising ways people can help to protect themselves. She discovers why getting a good night's sleep could help prevent Alzheimer's and how learning a new language might be more effective than any current drug treatment. Angela also visits a number of people who are living with the disease, including Bob, the husband of one of her oldest friends. She meets families that carry a gene for early-onset Alzheimer's and discovers how they could be the best hope of finding a cure for this devastating disease.
Available to watch until 11 June 2016.
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17 May 2016 (BBC World Service)
More than half the world speaks more than one language. New research is showing that being multilingual has some surprising advantages – it can help us keep healthier longer. Gaia Vince finds out how knowing many languages can protect our brains over our lifespan, and even stave off the appearance of some diseases, including dementia.
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16 May 2016 (One Third Stories)
Lots of us suffer from shyness and it can really stand in our way if we don’t take control of it. But have you ever thought about how learning a language could help you to get over it? We’ve put together a list of the reasons why learning a language can really help both children and adults to overcome their timidity!
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12 May 2016 (SCILT)
Let your pupils see that languages are valuable in the world of work. We have a range of job profiles on the SCILT website in which people from a range of sectors - including sport, marketing, technology and many more - explain how language learning has influenced their professional lives. See our latest addition:
See this and other job profiles on our website now.
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9 May 2016 (BBC World Service)
In this first episode on the BBC World Service Discovery channel, Gaia Vince explores the research that shows the benefits of bilingualism, focusing on learning languages in childhood.
In the second episode of the series, to be broadcast on 16 May, she will explore the benefits of being bilingual in older people.
Listen to the first episode now on the BBC website.
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28 April 2016 (The Herald)
Learning another language boosts brain power, no matter how old you are, according to new research.
Tests carried out on students suggest that acquiring a new language improves a person’s attention after only a week of study.
Researchers also found that the benefits for mental agility could be maintained with regular practice.
Edinburgh University researchers assessed different aspects of mental alertness in a group of 33 students aged 18 to 78 who had taken part in a one-week Scottish Gaelic course.
They compared the results with those of people who had completed a one week course but not involving learning a new language and with a group who had not completed any course.
After one week, improvements in attention were found in both groups participating in intensive courses, but only those learning a second language were significantly better than those not involved in any courses.
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7 April 2016 (EuroTalk blog)
The Scottish Government has committed to every child learning a second language at the age of 5. Alongside this, they’ll learn an additional language in P5, which means children will know 3 languages by the time they leave school. It’s called the 1+2 policy and we think it’s a great pledge, as there are so many reasons why children should learn another language.
Earlier this week an article came out stating that ‘bilingual babies are smarter’. Growing up learning or hearing a second language helps to increase their learning capabilities including problem solving and memory. This means not only do children benefit from knowing a second language; it also helps them improve across all other subjects that they’re learning.
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5 April 2016 (Daily Mail)
Learning a second language when you are young has long been known to boost brainpower.
Now researchers have found that the brains of babies exposed to two languages benefit from this extra boost even before they can utter a word.
Scientists claim that just growing up in a home or environment where they are listening to more than one language being spoken could improve a child's problem solving skills and memory.
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Related Links
What being bilingual does to your brain (The Independent, 5 April 2016)
31 March 2016 (British Academy)
Born Global is a resource for the languages community to use to help make the case for the importance and value of studying languages.
Born Global consists of quantitative and qualitative data on the complex relationship between language learning and employability. Each data set is accompanied by a booklet with background information and a summary of key findings. The data is open and free to use, it is available on the British Academy website.
The British Academy has used this evidence in a new publication Born Global: Implications for Higher Education. It offers reflections on the current state of play for languages at university, and can be downloaded from the British Academy website.
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17 March 2016 (The Guardian)
I had a lot of good times working abroad – teaching English in Germany and working on summer camps in France and Spain – but I didn’t realise that I was also building valuable skills for my career.
Employers really value those with international experience. Katie Bateman, a careers advisor at the University of Gloucestershire, says it can set you apart from a crowd of other applicants. “Graduates can learn another language and prove just how adaptable they are by embracing change and learning to adjust to a different culture,” she says.
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7 March 2016 (The Telegraph)
Believe it or not, the world is multilingual. It is estimated that at least half of the world’s population, over 3 billion people, use more than one language in everyday life. According to the European Commission, 54 per cent of European citizens are bilingual. Even Britain, considered one of the most “monolingual” countries, is not doing too badly with 39 per cent.
Scientists have only recently started to study humans’ ability to acquire multiple languages. One of the most fascinating questions addressed in this research is how our brain deals with having two or more languages, and what are the implications for cognitive development.
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19 February 2016 (TESS)
In 1995 I boarded an Aberdeen train for a marathon journey to the picturesque French town of Le Puy-en-Velay, where I was to spend a year as an English language assistant.
I'd done six years of French at school and another two at university. Now I was ready to throw myself into the land of Gainsbourg, Camus, Piaf, Truffant, Depardieu and (my main cultural reference point) Astérix. Or was I?
As the latest of several trains trundled past Bourgogne vineyards, I headed to the buffet car. I had a craving for peanuts.
Only I didn't know the French word for peanuts...
(see the Editorial, page 5 of TESS digital for the full article - TES subscription required).
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Related Links
Let’s be clear on foreign languages (TESS online, page 15) - subscription required to access.
15 February 2016 (The Herald)
Languages on the brink of dying out should be preserved in light of evidence that shows juggling different tongues is good for the brain, claims a British expert.
Professor Antonella Sorace, founder of the Bilingualism Matters Centre at the University of Edinburgh, is investigating the potential benefits of studying minority languages such as Sardinian and Scottish Gaelic.
Previous research has already shown that being multilingual can improve thinking and learning ability, and may reduce mental decline with age.
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12 February 2016 (SCILT)
We have a range of job profiles on the SCILT website to let your pupils see that languages are valuable in the world of work. People from a range of sectors - including sport, marketing, technology and many more - explain how language learning has influenced their professional lives.
Our latest profile features Susan Brown, a Blue Badge Tourist Guide in Scotland, who tells us how important language skills have been in her career at home and abroad.
See this and other job profiles on our website now.
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11 February 2016 (Outplay Entertainment)
As the largest independent games company in Scotland, Outplay Entertainment reaches an audience of millions of players worldwide through popular games such as Crafty Candy and Alien Creeps TD. Although the company works with international partners and serves gamers from all over the world, we recognise the importance of supporting our local communities.
Recently, we have been focusing on motivating students to consider learning a second language in order to help boost their future career prospects. It can be challenging to encourage pupils to pick up another language, but in an industry that is globally active, there is a strong advantage for those who can.
Aside from the obvious advantage of being able to speak in a different language, there are many more benefits that are not always apparent when you are confronted with your first French lesson in school.
This is where we come in. Unbeknownst to many, languages and regional awareness are essential to the success of a modern games company. We have a multinational staff working in a variety of roles – from French artists to Italian developers. Being able to produce fully localized games is a critical part of our business. Games and gamer culture form a massive part of most kids’ lives these days. As such, we have an immediate connection to the interest of young people and can reach out to them on that level.
Please note, if any schools are interested in a visit from the company, please contact SCILT.
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20 January 2016 (Huffington Post)
So you have always had the intention to learn a foreign language but never quite got around to doing it? Well, you know what they say; it is never too late to start something new! Here are 8 impressive reasons as to why mastering a foreign language really would change your life...
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19 January 2016 (Chief Learning Officer blog)
French was always a beautiful language to me.
I took it for a few years in high school from a teacher whose name eludes me now but who had a way of emphasizing syllables with her fingers. The class had a few cut-ups, and no small share of each class period was spent attending to or ignoring their antics. Still, after all the quizzes, conversations and examinations, all I've left today is, well, an appreciation for the language.
A second attempt at learning a new language came about 10 years later. Except for the first few minutes of the very first class, the instructor spoke only in Spanish and the class — a mix of undergraduates, high-achieving high school students and me — were encouraged to only speak in Spanish, too.
I was out of my element, to say the least. If the intensive course could be compared to a group workout class, it was high-impact Zumba, and I was the latecomer with no more cardio experience than a few Jumping Jacks.
As strenuous as learning a new language felt, however, the mental workout had more value than I realized. I wasn’t just broadening my worldview; I was helping my brain in powerful ways.
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14 January 2016 (SCILT)
We have a range of job profiles on the SCILT website to let your pupils see that languages are valuable in the world of work. People from a range of sectors - including sport, marketing, technology and many more - explain how language learning has influenced their professional lives.
Our latest profile features Andrew Muir, who lived and studied in Scotland but now works in London as a Character Animator on a children's TV series. He tells us why language learning is important and the opportunities this can offer him to expand his career overseas.
See this and other job profiles on our website now.
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11 January 2016 (TES)
Parents should consider sending their child on a school foreign exchange rather than spending money on a week in Majorca, a headteacher has suggested.
Young people are likely to learn more on a cultural break in a city such as Madrid or Barcelona than they are sitting on a beach, according to Caroline Jordan, headmistress of Headington School in Oxford and the new president of the Girls' Schools Association.
Setting up a foreign exchange for students did not have to be expensive, Ms Jordan said.
"It's trying to convince the parents that that's good use of their finances as opposed to a foreign holiday to Majorca, where they may well be in a Spanish environment but they're less likely to be experiencing Spanish as they would be if they were in somewhere like Madrid or Barcelona on exchange," she said.
"Exchange is very important and we know that languages is a real area of concern in this country. The government is doing quite a lot about this by trying to encourage all children to take a language through the English Baccalaureate."
Figures show that last year, there was a drop in language GCSE entries, with French down 6.2 per cent on 2014, German down 9.8 per cent and Spanish down 2.4 per cent.
As well as ensuring that children learned a foreign language, Ms Jordan added that it was important that modern teenagers were given the opportunity to consider studying at a university overseas, arguing that it could be beneficial to them later on.
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31 December 2015 (Metro / Daily Mail)
Arsenal star Petr Cech has revealed the secret behind his successful marshaling of the Gunners back line.
The 33-year-old speaks to his defenders in three different languages to make sure that he can get his message across during matches.
Having only conceded 18 goals this season, the north London side have the fourth most miserly defence in the Premier League. This may part of the reason why.
‘I speak to the full-backs (Hector Bellerin, Nacho Monreal) in Spanish, to (Laurent) Koscielny in French and to Per (Mertesacker) in English because for him it is the same as me,’ said Cech according to the Daily Mail.
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29 December 2015 (British Council)
In this video school pupils in the UK share their thoughts about language learning and the benefits it can bring. Actor, Larry Lamb, who is backing the British Council's campaign for Britons to learn a language in 2016 also shares his views.
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12 December 2015 (BBC)
A new scheme is being launched which helps elderly and vulnerable adults battle dementia by learning foreign languages.
Lingo Flamingo was founded by Robbie Norval who was inspired by his grandmother, who had dementia.
Research has indicated that speaking several languages can delay the onset of dementia, as well as other forms of brain ageing and mental illness.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is due to help launch the project.
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8 December 2015 (BBC)
What will the world economy look like 30 years from now? And how should we be preparing British schoolchildren today to find employment in it? Robert Peston travels to four cutting edge schools that claim to provide the way forwards for secondary education.
Should the focus be on languages and cultural knowhow for an increasingly globalised world? Should we be striving to create more of the engineers and programmers that so many employers are crying out for? Or - with the unstoppable march of the robots gobbling up ever more human jobs - should we be preparing kids with the social skills to be future entrepreneurs, employing their own personal fleets of automatons? Or is a traditional academic education the answer.
Robert Peston tries to get answers to perhaps the most important question all parents must ask from economists, scientists and teachers - and argues that what matters may not be the detail of the curriculum but the way children are taught to learn.
Listen to the programme which was broadcast on 8 December at 20:00 on BBC Radio 4.
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3 December 2015 (BBC News)
A new scheme to help reverse a sharp decline in foreign language learning in schools in Wales has been announced by four universities.
In June, a report found the number of children studying a language at GCSE fell by a third between 2005 and 2014.
Under the pilot project, Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff and Swansea undergraduates will be trained to coach school pupils on their language skills.
The scheme is funded by Welsh ministers' Global futures programme.
Prof Claire Gorrara from Cardiff University, the academic leading the project, said there was increasing evidence the drop in foreign language learning was limiting young people's educational, training and career opportunities.
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3 December 2015 (Cambridge University Press)
There are many reasons why everyone should learn a language, even if you happen to have the distinct advantage of speaking a world language as your first. Yet in England too many people believe that English is enough. European survey data[1] show that 61% of English people speak no other language apart from English. This compares with an EU average of 56% who speak at least one other language in addition to their first language. The case for increasing language capability can be made on a number of grounds: for reasons of trade, international diplomacy and national security[2], as well as for extending our global influence as individuals and as a country through science, humanities and the arts. So why do so many young people seem unaware of the value of language learning? What should our young people be studying to equip them for the future? How should schools and universities prepare the next generations for professional life 2020 – 2030 and beyond
Bernardette Holmes is Principal Researcher for the Born Global Policy Research Project funded by the British Academy, Campaign Director for Speak to the Future and a Bye-Fellow of Downing College, University of Cambridge
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25 November 2015 (Post Primary Languages Initiative blog)
My name is Bláithín Macken Smith and I am eighteen years old. If you could see sixteen year old me it would be as if you were looking at two entirely different people. I suppose that could be true for a lot of people, but for me the reason behind my big transition was my study of languages.
Until my fourth year of school I utterly despised everything about school, every morning it was more difficult to drag myself out of bed, so much so that I very often didn’t. I was convinced that after my fourth year of school that was it. I was going to drop out. So desperately did I want to leave school and become a tattoo artist. I spent much of transition year on work experience in various parlours around Dublin. Many of my family members and teachers thought that the war was lost and that my mind was made up, and then something happened.
All through transition year I was given the opportunity to try subjects I had never tried before. Russian, Japanese, Latin and Spanish, which I had studied since first year but which I now saw the fun in. I took part in language aptitude tests and the DATS tests which showed my abilities in linguistic subjects. Unfortunately for me I didn’t listen to these signs until fifth year. When I finally discovered my love for languages the course of my life changed entirely.
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24 November 2015 (Medical Daily)
Learning a foreign language opens us up to new experiences, work opportunities, and allows us to meet people we may never have otherwise. More than that, research has shown learning a language can also physically change brain structure and adjust perception.
When we learn a language, we create new neural pathways in our brain, which can lead to noticeable changes. The left hemisphere is generally believed to be the logical part of the brain and is where many of our language skills originate. However, a 2012 Swiss study observed that learning a foreign language later in life is associated with thickening of the cerebral cortex — a layer of neurons specifically responsible for memory, thought, consciousness and, of course, language. This increased thickness can lead to better memory and sharper thinking later in life.
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19 November 2015 (The Herald)
Stroke patients are more likely to regain their cognitive functions if they speak more than one language, new research has discovered.
A study of 608 stroke victims found 40.5 per cent of those who are multilingual had normal mental functions afterwards, compared to 19.6 per cent of patients who only speak one language.
The study was carried out by a team from Edinburgh University in conjunction with the Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad. The Indian city was chosen as the location for the study because its multi-cultural nature means many languages are commonly spoken, including English, Hindi and Urdu.
Of the participants, 255 only spoke one language while 353 were bilingual.
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12 November 2015 (The Herald)
David Moyes' failure to speak Spanish remains a sore point as Real Sociedad fans dissect his year in charge of their team.
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11 November 2015 (Cambridge News)
More inspiring teaching is needed to prevent Britain falling further behind in foreign language skills, a Cambridge linguist has claimed.
Last week Professor Wendy Ayres-Bennett welcomed over 100 representatives from assorted Whitehall departments, including the MOD and GCHQ, to Murray Edwards College, for a debate on the future of the UK's language policy.
Speaking to the News after the conference she said improving language teaching in schools would have far-reaching benefits for the nation as a whole.
She said: "It was a very wide-ranging group of people, with a lot of civil servants coming together, which is very important."
"Language policy is not just about education, but what we were trying to shown is the lack of languages in the UK is such a problem for cases like diplomacy, conflict resolution and business."
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9 November 2015 (The Guardian)
Resigned to a short sentence shoved at the bottom of CVs, downplaying language skills is a common mistake.
Whether you are completely fluent or stuttering over the subjunctive, you should be shouting about it to employers, says Lizzie Fane, founder of ThirdYearAbroad.com. “It shows an eagerness to learn to your employer and may even lead to you being able to travel abroad or work with clients who speak that language.”
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4 November 2015 (The Conversation)
We live in a world of great linguistic diversity. More than half of the world’s population grows up with more than one language. There are, on the other hand, language communities that are monolingual, typically some parts of the English-speaking world.
In this case, bilingualism or multilingualism can be seen as an extraordinary situation – a source of admiration and worry at the same time. But there are communities where bilingualism or multilingualism are the norm – for example in regions of Africa. A Cameroonian, for example, could speak Limbum and Sari, both indigenous languages, plus Ewondo, a lingua franca, plus English or French, the official languages, plus Camfranglais, a further lingua franca used between anglophone and francophone Cameroonians.
On a smaller scale, we all know families where bilingualism or multilingualism are the norm, because the parents speak different languages or because the family uses a language different from that of the community around them.
How difficult is it for a child to grow up in such an environment? And what are bilingual children capable of? Well, they are capable of quite a lot, even at a very young age. They can understand and produce expressions in more than one language, they know who to address in which language, they are able to switch very fast from one language to the other.
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29 October 2015 (The National Student)
Having knowledge of one or more foreign languages is increasingly beneficial in today’s society, says French language student Emily Maybanks.
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22 October 2015 (EuroTalk blog)
Interview with Alexandra Turner – translator, writer, editor.
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21 October 2015 (The Herald letters)
Letters in the Herald from readers in support of the Gaelic language policy and language learning.
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Related Links
So, who needs Gaelic? (The Herald letters, 19 October 2015)
15 October 2015 (The Scotsman)
I was delighted to read in the News (October 13) that Edinburgh City Council is taking steps to implement the SNP government’s ambitious policy on modern languages.
Telephoning my mum has always been a source of entertainment for anyone within earshot. I start a sentence in Italian and sometimes finish it in English, switching from one to the other, reflexively and unconsciously. That’s how the bilingual mind works – you could spend the entire day thinking in one language and dream in the other. My bilingualism has profoundly shaped me and my politics – speaking two languages allows a deeper understanding of two cultures, two different ways of life and mentalities.
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Related Links
All pupils to learn two foreign languages by high school (Edinburgh Evening News, 13 October 2015)
1 October 2015 (The Examiner)
For decades, Mandarin has been touted as the future language of business. China has the largest population in the world and has enjoyed unprecedented economic growth to become one of the global industry powerhouses. Around 955 million people are speakers of Mandarin which is more than 14.4% of the world’s population. These statistics support the claim that it will be the language of the future, but it’s not that simple. There are many factors that suggest that Spanish, not Mandarin, will become the ultimate business language.
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30 September 2015 (The Scotsman)
We all remember the days of trying not to laugh when we looked up dirty words in the German dictionary to use at each other through out the rest of the school.
But is there any actual benefit to learning a foreign language in high school?
The answer is a resounding yes.
From economic, to cognitive development, Fhiona Fisher of Scotland’s National Centre for Languages believes there are numerous reasons to learn a second language.
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29 September 2015 (The Guardian)
It’s easy to feel intimidated by the prospect of selling in another language. According to research from the British Council, around three-quarters of British people don’t speak another language well enough to have a basic conversation, let alone sell a product or negotiate a deal. But it’s well worth getting over that language barrier. A recent report from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) found that the UK is losing out on an incredible £48bn a year in lost exports as a direct result of its lack of language skills.
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11 September 2015 (SCILT)
Do you have students looking to further or develop their language learning on leaving school? Make sure they know about the Beyond School section of the SCILT website. With useful information on different language courses and options available here in Scotland, there are also links to UCAS and language courses UK-wide to help their selection process and the transition from school.
The section includes advice and information on:
- The benefits of language learning for you and your career
- Undergraduate language courses at Scottish and UK universities
- Options for combining languages with other degree subjects
- Beginner and refresher language courses and modules at Scotland’s colleges
- The gap year – opportunities to study, work or volunteer abroad
- The student voice – blogs, advice, hints and tips from those who’ve been there
The site also outlines the support Scottish universities can provide to teachers and schools in their language teaching and staff professional development.
So please make your language teaching professionals, pupils and guidance staff aware of the ‘Beyond School’ website. It’s got their language needs covered!
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Posted in:
Senior Phase,
All Languages,
Funding,
Language Learning - Benefits,
Language Learning - Further Education,
Language Learning - Higher Education,
Language Learning - Secondary - Post 16,
Language Learning for Work,
Promoting Languages,
Qualifications,
Study Abroad,
Transition,
SCILT news
4 August 2015 (Day Nurseries UK)
According to British Council research, improving one’s employment prospects is the main driver for people overseas learning English, but many UK pupils are still experiencing a ‘minimal or fragmented’ second language learning because the UK still fails to recognise the many benefits of bilingualism.
In the day nursery sector, more and more providers are realising the need to focus on a bilingual upbringing, for the long-term advantages that learning a second language can have on intellect and life prospects, even though foreign language learning remains non-compulsory during the early years and most UK children will have no exposure to it until later education.
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23 July 2015 (The Mirror)
With toilet mix-ups not the only howler we commit when we head overseas, it might be an idea to learn the word for 'sorry' before you get on the plane.
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16 July 2015 (The Scotsman)
People who speak two or more languages have better functioning brains, a study found.
Being bilingual increased the size of the part of the brain responsible for processing thoughts than those that speak their mother tongue, researchers found.
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30 June 2015 (Lifehacker)
Learning a second language is great for travelling and getting a better paying job. It can also make your brain healthier and prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
This TED-Ed video clip explains the different type of multilingual speakers and how speaking multiple languages helps your brain stay healthy.
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11 June 2015 (THE)
To write well, knowledge of other languages is crucial, says Felipe Fernández-Armesto.
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3 June 2015 (Wales Online)
Our columnist laments her lack of scholarly attention on languages and her 16-year-old self ignoring the benefits of learning a foreign language.
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30 May 2015 (The Economist)
Human beings are not born with the knowledge that others possess minds with different contents. Children develop such a “theory of mind” gradually, and even adults have it only imperfectly. But a study by Samantha Fan and Zoe Liberman at the University of Chicago, published in Psychological Science, finds that bilingual children, and also those simply exposed to another language on a regular basis, have an edge at the business of getting inside others’ minds.
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11 May 2015 (Cambridge Assessment blog)
I’m not sure my class mates and I ever received a convincing answer to this question. But, at 11, what I didn’t know was that learning another language (or two) would open up possibilities I’d never imagined.
What’s more, blissfully ignorant in my monolingual bubble, I had no idea that I was in the global minority. Or as Bernadette Holmes provocatively put it in her opening address at the Westminster Education Forum last month, that I was ‘locked inside the prison of English’. It’s estimated that more than half of the world’s population is bilingual or multilingual and there are figures to show that there are more second-language speakers of English than there are native speakers. So, while knowing English may be an advantage given its increasing global use, it’s unlikely to be enough.
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27 April 2015 (The Conversation)
Bilinguals get all the perks. Better job prospects, a cognitive boost and even protection against dementia. Now new research shows that they can also view the world in different ways depending on the specific language they are operating in.
The past 15 years have witnessed an overwhelming amount of research on the bilingual mind, with the majority of the evidence pointing to the tangible advantages of using more than one language. Going back and forth between languages appears to be a kind of brain training, pushing your brain to be flexible.
Just as regular exercise gives your body some biological benefits, mentally controlling two or more languages gives your brain cognitive benefits. This mental flexibility pays big dividends especially later in life: the typical signs of cognitive ageing occur later in bilinguals – and the onset of age-related degenerative disorders such as dementia or Alzheimer’s are delayed in bilinguals by up to five years.
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8 April 2015 (BBC News)
Pupils in Inverness are helping native Gaelic speakers who have been diagnosed with dementia.
A care home has been welcoming the Gaelic-speaking school children to help residents retain their memories.
Watch the video report from BBC Scotland's Huw Williams.
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30 March 2015 (Huffington Post)
Please don't tell me how much my degree is worth. If you're being awkward, it is actually worth somewhere between £28,350 and £36,000 (I'm too afraid to do an actual run of the numbers), which is statistically more than you have ever paid or will ever pay if you are a student from the UK. But really, what is a language degree worth? At the end of the day, I'm paying all this money for something more than a certificate and a photo opportunity on graduation day... right?
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18 March 2015 (The Guardian)
From keeping loneliness at bay and delaying dementia, to reconnecting with your cultural roots, Sarah Johnson speaks to three people to discover the wide benefits of language learning.
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10 February 2015 (Wolfestone)
This blogpost gives reasons why language learning is good for self-confidence, careers, intellect, as well as providing us with the key for unlocking a clearer comprehension of the world.
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6 February 2015 (Deutsche Welle)
Money makes the world go round and fills German language classrooms. Socio-linguist Ulrich Ammon explains how those grammar lessons give you an edge and why Germany should promote its language more actively.
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6 February 2015 (SCILT)
Let your pupils see that languages are valuable in the world of work by visiting the 'Job Profiles' section of the SCILT website. People from a range of sectors - including sport, marketing, technology and many more - explain how language learning has influenced their professional lives.
We have 3 new additions to the section:
- Peter Cawston - a GP who describes how languages have helped enrich his career and broaden his perspectives
- Dr Sophie Williams - a lecturer in conservation science, currently based in China, who shares her experience of learning Chinese
- Caroline McManus - former cabin crew, now teaching English in Barcelona, tells how her ability to speak Spanish has proved beneficial
See these and other job profiles on our website now.
Read more...
5 February 2015 (The Guardian)
Multilingual comedian Eddie Izzard on making people laugh in another language, human sacrifice, and why comedy will never be the same again.
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3 February 2015 (The Telegraph)
Although it feels like the world is ever expanding, it's really becoming a smaller place. The unknown is there to be discovered – we can travel anywhere in a short amount of time, meet people from different cultures without having to venture further than the local shop, and start learning languages by switching on a computer.
Needless to say, learning languages increases brainpower. There are many scientific studies that show how learning and using languages can make you more perceptive and improve your memory.
[..]Learning languages is not easy, but it’s undeniably worthwhile, and, in fact, almost essential nowadays. As companies across the world are expanding overseas and working closely with other countries, it is becoming more crucial to adapt – and, in this case, adaptation is language learning.
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30 January 2015 (TES)
The old stereotype of monolingual Brits is more true than ever, but it’s no joke. Adult education is key to remedying this ignorance
The decline in language learning in the UK is causing a crisis, in business and in culture. It’s not rocket science that if you are trading with someone who speaks another language, it helps if you can communicate with each other. Likewise, being able to order a drink, ask for directions and translate a menu enhances the experience of overseas travel, just as being able to hold a conversation (however slowly) or read the paper in the local language enriches understanding of a region.
Read more...
28 January 2015 (Live Science)
Bill Gates built the world's largest software company, and with his billions, he's also become one of the world's most prolific philanthropists. But there's still one thing that he says makes him feel dumb: not being able to speak a foreign language.
Gates took questions from the public today (Jan. 28) in his third Reddit "Ask Me Anything" forum online. One participant asked the Microsoft co-founder: "Is there anything in life that you regret doing or not doing?"
Gates replied: "I feel pretty stupid that I don't know any foreign languages. I took Latin and Greek in high school and got A's and I guess it helps my vocabulary, but I wish I knew French or Arabic or Chinese. I keep hoping to get time to study one of these — probably French because it is the easiest."
Read more...
16 January 2015 (BBC Radio 4)
AL Kennedy reflects on the importance of learning languages and listening to one another. "More words give me more paths to and from the hearts of others, more points of view - I don't think that's a bad thing."
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16 January 2015 (Scotsman)
Learning a second language can help improve a person’s thinking skills, a new study has suggested.
Researchers compared 200 modern languages and humanities students to assess the impact of learning a second language.
Read more...
13 January 2015 (Science Daily)
Most young children are essentialists: They believe that human and animal characteristics are innate. That kind of reasoning can lead them to think that traits like native language and clothing preference are intrinsic rather than acquired. But a new study suggests that certain bilingual kids are more likely to understand that it's what one learns, rather than what one is born with, that makes up a person's psychological attributes.
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Related Links
Give Your Child the Gift of Bilingualism (Bilingualism Matters blog, 14 January 2015)
13 January 2015 (The Guardian)
Depression and anxiety often makes your world feel small, and your options few. Languages help me connect with the things I used to care about.
Read more...
5 January 2015 (Wolfestone blog)
For most young teenagers, the future is a distant land. The world of work is a lifetime away, schooling and education is a mere necessity and communication is the key to ensuring the only success relevant at that age: social success. What skills are needed to ensure this success? Strong communication skills, ambition, confidence, an open mind, an awareness and understanding of other languages and cultures, tolerance and compassion to number but a few.
But how does one gain these skills?
Read more...
11 December 2014 (SCILT)
Let your pupils see that languages are valuable in the world of work by visiting the 'Job Profiles' section of the SCILT website. People from a range of sectors - including sport, marketing, technology and many more - explain how language learning has influenced their professional lives.
Our latest addition to the section comes from the Reverend Alan Miller, who describes his language learning experiences and passion for Chinese.
See this and other job profiles on our website now.
Read more...
3 December 2014 (Brechin Advertiser)
Brechin High School pupils, along with other Angus secondary school pupils, took part in an ‘on the job’ workshop to test their language skills.
The event saw pupils having to provide a solution to two real-life humanitarian crisis scenarios, and it required them to work on a solution and present the solution in French.
The first of the two scenarios involved the pupils assisting an engineer or medic from the Royal Navy to make them understood when they are operating within the challenging situation of a humanitarian crisis.
The solution had to be weather proof, easy to use, durable and effective. The pupils were also shown examples of what may or may not work and be asked to identify useful phrases that need to be included.
In the second scenario, pupils were asked to use their language skills to explore the properties needed for a building to withstand a Tsunami. Each group was given a budget and had to design a village within these constraints.
Read more...
24 November 2014 (Angus Council)
School pupils in Angus recently took part in an ‘on the job’ workshop which used their language skills in real-life humanitarian crisis scenarios.
At the workshop, pupils had to provide a solution to two real-life crisis scenarios which required them to work on a solution and present the solution in French.
The top eight winning teams were selected from each project by the school staff and they will now compete in a Dragon’s Den Panel consisting of Naval, Angus and SCILT staff on 17 December.
Read more...
20 November 2014 (The Telegraph)
It's worrying that so few pupils continue with languages, says Frances Suc-Diamond, especially when they open the door to new horizons.
Read more...
20 November 2014 (The Telegraph)
Whether it’s computer code or Sanskrit, our brains benefit from having to work harder.
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16 November 2014 (The Independent)
"Ik spreek goed Nederlands" (I speak good Dutch); that's the phrase which brought the house down during a recent visit to my Dutch in-laws' in Rotterdam. Personally, I think I've had more inspired moments of comedy but, for Dutch people, there's obviously something inherently hilarious about an English person attempting to speak their language.
The English have a well-earned reputation as the language-learning dunces of Europe, and traditionally that didn't bother us much. Taking a language at GCSE ceased to be compulsory in 2004, and since then the number of people studying languages at degree level has fallen to a record low. There's an obvious logic to this. Everyone else speaks English anyway, and as for those who don't, simply repeating the same phrase more loudly and with a cod Spanish accent usually suffices, right? So why bother?
Here's why. A new study by Pennsylvania University shows that language-learning keeps the brain healthy and sharp as we age, reducing the likelihood of early-onset dementia.
Read more...
31 October 2014 (SCILT)
Do you have students who are thinking about continuing with languages when they leave school? As the UCAS application process gets underway, the Beyond School section of our website contains useful information to help them decide on the different language courses and options available:
There’s lots of information on…
- Languages – the benefits for you and your career
- Undergraduate language courses at Scottish and UK universities – what’s available where
- Enhance your degree – options for combining languages with other subjects
- The gap year – opportunities to study, work or volunteer abroad
- Student experiences – advice from those who’ve been there, done it and got the t-shirt!
Please make your pupils, guidance and careers staff aware of the ‘Beyond School’ website. It covers all their language needs - www.scilt.org.uk/BeyondSchool.aspx
Read more...
24 October 2014 (Guardian)
Actor Jane Seymour’s mother learned Japanese and Malay while in an Indonesian concentration camp. She shares how this has shaped her attitudes to language learning/
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23 October 2014 (Forbes)
In today’s Millennial-saturated job market, it can be hard for even the most talented and experienced boomers to preserve their competitive advantage. However, there is a rare skill that makes hiring managers sit up and take notice: fluency in a high-demand, low-supply language.
Whether your goal is to remain relevant in your current position, switch jobs or launch an encore career, acquiring a second language could set you apart from the sea of qualified (and younger) job applicants.
Read more...
15 October 2014 (British Academy)
The question is often asked: Why should young British people worry about learning other languages if everyone else in the world places such an emphasis on the importance of developing a perfect command of English? But that is exactly the point. In the words of the Australian specialist in language education, Jo Lo Bianco: “There are two disadvantages in global language arrangements: one is not knowing English; and the other is knowing only English.”
Read more...
27 September 2014 (BBC Radio 4)
How is the brain affected by juggling between different languages and how does this affect identity? And what is the impact on a child's development if they speak one language at home and another at school? Bridget Kendall talks to poet and cultural critic Gustavo Perez Firmat, developmental linguistics researcher Antonella Sorace, and cognitive development specialist Ellen Bialystok.
Read more...
24 September 2014 (Pacific Standard Magazine)
Second languages strengthen the brain’s executive control circuits, with benefits beyond words.
Read more...
4 September 2014 (The Guardian)
Learning a foreign language can increase the size of your brain. This is what Swedish scientists discovered when they used brain scans to monitor what happens when someone learns a second language. The study is part of a growing body of research using brain imaging technologies to better understand the cognitive benefits of language learning. Tools like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electrophysiology, among others, can now tell us not only whether we need knee surgery or have irregularities with our heartbeat, but reveal what is happening in our brains when we hear, understand and produce second languages.
Read more...
8 July 2014 (The Guardian)
Why learn a second language if everyone speaks English? To better understand a culture, or boost your employability in the global economy, finds a Guardian roundtable.
Read more...
13 June 2014 (SCILT)
Are you looking for inspiring ways to promote the learning of languages in primary or secondary schools? Project Trust may have something to offer you!
Visit our website to hear the experiences of volunteers who have completed a gap year in various countries.
Read more...
6 June 2014 (The Guardian)
Learning another language is wonderful. You may not completely buy the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis – the deliciously sci-fi name given by linguists to the idea that the words we use determine the thoughts we think. But knowing that the French have "fat mornings" instead of lie-ins, or that in Farsi the part of you that gets broken is not the heart but the gut, gives you a level of insight into the modes and mores of a culture that it is impossible to get by any other means.
Read more...
2 June 2014 (BBC News)
Learning a second language can have a positive effect on the brain, even if it is taken up in adulthood, a University of Edinburgh study suggests.
Researchers found that reading, verbal fluency and intelligence were improved in a study of 262 people tested either aged 11 or in their seventies.
A previous study suggested that being bilingual could delay the onset of dementia by several years.
Read more...
9 May 2014 (Lizzie Fane blog - founder of ThirdYearAbroad)
The number of students studying languages in the UK is at a record low, but thankfully, while the outlook is not bright, there has always been a light at the end of the tunnel. Whether or not you believe the excuses bandied about, ranging from English being the global language and exams being too difficult, to advancements in technology rendering bilingualism more a novelty than a required skill, the business case for language learning is undeniable.
Read more...
9 May 2014 (Look Local)
Two Sheffield Wednesday stars shared their linguistic skills with pupils at Ecclesfield Secondary School last week.
Jose Semedo, originally from Portugal, and Spanish-born Miguel Llera ran a question and answer session with language pupils aged 12-13 at the secondary school last Thursday.
The session, which was facilitated by the Sheffield Wednesday Community Programme, saw Jose and Miguel talk about their experience of being a footballer adapting to living in England and the benefits of learning a foreign language.
Read more...
6 May 2014 (The Guardian)
Being an English-speaking country is a blessing – and a curse. It is a blessing to be native speakers of the language of Shakespeare – and the language of world science and popular culture (and financial capitalism … well, maybe not).
The success of UK science is built not just on its excellence but also its English, which since the decline of the Soviet Union has been the only serious global scientific language. The success of UK universities in recruiting international students also owes a great deal to our language.
But it is also a curse. As the incentives to learn other languages decline year by year, we are increasingly locked into an anglophone prison. It may be an advantage to travel almost everywhere and be "understood". But maybe our ability really to understand, to get inside, other cultures is also declining. The Chinese speak English; not many of us speak Mandarin. Who has the advantage?
Read more...
CIHAN Beta (22 March 2014)
U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama on Saturday called on students to study abroad to build "bridges of understanding" during her visit to a Beijing university.
"Studying abroad is about so much more than improving your own future. It's about shaping the future of your countries and of the world we all share," Obama said in a speech at the Stanford Center of the prestigious Peking University.
[...] "By learning each other's languages and by showing such curiosity and respect for each other's cultures, you are building bridges of understanding that lead to so much more," she told an audience of about 200 students from China and America.
Read more...
20 March 2014 (Huffington Post)
I became fascinated with the question of what relationship exists, if any, between foreign language ability and creativity after reading Earnest Hemmingway's The Sun Also Rises this past summer. The novel takes its readers on a trilingual adventure from the cafés of Paris to the bullfighting rings of Pamplona. Hemmingway himself spoke both French and Spanish, in addition to his native English, and though his exact ability in each is a matter for debate, it is clear from clips like this one that he was at least fully bilingual.
Read more...
17 March 2014 (British Council blog)
Good intentions alone will not help us introduce languages such as Chinese and Arabic into the curriculum. If we want to thrive in a global society, we need to take firm action now, says the British Council’s Vicky Gough.
Read more...
11 March 2014 (The Economist)
There are pros and cons to language-learning. The pros are that working in a foreign language can make people make better decisions (research Johnson covered here) and that bilingualism helps with executive function in children and dementia in older people (covered here). The cons: one study finds that the earnings bonus for an American who learns a foreign language is just 2%. If you make $30,000 a year, sniffs Mr Dubner, that’s just $600.
Read more...
27 February 2014 (ECML)
According to the Guardian, the lack of language skills costs the UK £48bn per year. For companies willing to trade internationally, “English only” is not enough and the difficulty to find skilled staff results in a loss of contracts, in recruiting locally seconded expats and more generally in difficulties to operate globally.
In all business areas, whether marketing, export, sales, but also in legal matters, language skills do play a crucial role. The cost of communication barriers has been well documented in the ELAN study - Effects on the European Economy of Shortages of Foreign Language Skills in Enterprise which sought to estimate the cost to EU business of not having foreign language skills. The survey that has been carried out among almost 2000 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) showed that languages on top of the wish lists of European SMEs, apart from English, were German, French, Russian and Spanish. English is clearly an extremely important language for international exchange but will not be enough to face future challenges.
Read more...
17 February 2014 (Manchester Evening News)
Isabella Schiavo, 14, from New Moston, was one of the dozens of fans waiting at Manchester Airport this afternoon for the arrival of the Barcelona squad ahead of their clash with City.
It seemed that she and the rest of the adoring public, crammed into Terminal Two, were out of luck as Messi and most of his fellow stars were whisked straight through the arrivals hall and onto the team coach.
However die-hard City fan Isabella managed to grab a moment with Messi using Spanish she had learnt at school to grab his attention.
Read more...
10 December 2013 (The Guardian)
November was a bright month for languages in an otherwise gloomy year. It heralded the British Academy's Language Festival, a month-long event staged in the wake of a series of revelations over the past year that have crystallised the urgency of addressing the UK's poor grasp of foreign languages.
A number of significant findings – such as the closure of university language departments, less than half of GCSE students studying a language and three-quarters of UK adults being unable to speak any of the 10 most important foreign languages – have brought the country's language issue into sharp focus.
"In celebrating the importance of language learning and the UK's diverse cultural heritage, the festival provided a platform for schools, universities, students, policymakers and employers from across the UK to debate and explore the wide-ranging benefits of language learning," says Nigel Vincent, vice-president of research and higher education policy at the British Academy.
Read more...
6 December 2013 (The Guardian)
Languages can make a career in development not only more effective, but also more rewarding.
Ajaz Khan, 45, is the microfinance advisor for CARE International and talks to Louise Tickle about his experience.
I was born in the UK, but my dad came here from Pakistan in 1955, so we spoke Punjabi at home. Growing up bilingual definitely gives you a headstart. When I was younger, I'd go to a Sunday school for Muslim children, where I learned Urdu, and I also had to learn Arabic script at the mosque which I attended five days a week after school.
As a child living in two languages, moving between them is a given: it's not confusing. I've noticed it with my own kids, they just switch depending on whom they're talking to. At secondary school, I studied French, German and Latin, but oddly, looking back, I grew up thinking I wasn't very good at languages. That's probably a result of how we were taught. It was all about conjugating verbs – but of course, when you went abroad no one ever asked you to conjugate a verb!
Read more...
5 December 2013 (The Daily Cougar - USA)
The Laboratory for the Neural Bases of Bilingualism has published a new research study on bilingualism and how new languages are assimilated in the brain.
The six-month research explained why certain individuals were better at detecting speech sounds instead of vocabulary words. The different possible factors ranged from socioeconomic status, genetics and even musical ability. Director of the LNBB and developmental psychology professor Arturo Hernandez used brain activity to determine whether bilinguals are better than monolinguals at learning a new language.
“I would hope the results of this research would allow us to dramatically change the time at which we introduce a second language and the method that we use, such as a stronger emphasis on learning the sounds of a language rather than learning vocabulary and memorizing it for a test,” Hernandez said.
Read more...
26 November 2013 (The Guardian)
Britain's language skills deficit is threatening its diplomatic influence and national security, a report by the British Academy has found.
The British Academy, the national body for the humanities and social sciences, calls for government to address the lack of language skills across all its departments and to prioritise the development of these skills among current staff and future generations. The report warns that if more is not done to bridge the languages gap that exists within government, Britain's diplomatic influence will be damaged.
"Languages are a critical tool through which UK diplomats and government staff can deepen their knowledge and build the trust that is necessary to promote and protect British values and interests internationally," Robin Niblett, chair of the British Academy inquiry steering group, said.
"If steps are not taken to reverse the current declining trend in language skills, Britain may indeed be in danger of becoming 'lost for words'."
Read more...
21 November 2013 (The Guardian)
We arrange to meet after just two e-mails. As I stand outside the cafe, not knowing who to look out for, I wonder whether we'll get on. I don't care if he's attractive. I don't even mind if he's married. I just hope I don't say his name wrong, or make things tense by commenting on his irregular past.
This is not a date, but a foreign language exchange. Our hour of small talk over coffee will be roughly split in half between English and my exchange partner's mother tongue, which I am learning. We correct each other as we go along, offering idiomatic vocabulary or pronunciation tips when needed, like a free private lesson.
Read more...
15 November 2013 (The Independent)
The inevitable hordes of students celebrating up and down the country this summer after surviving their GCSEs and A Levels. Many of them felt relief at having completed their last ever French lesson, free to throw their Tricolore textbooks away and settle down to work they find more interesting, never again to wonder about how the Smith family would cope when ordering food on holiday in Provence.
But before Francophiles everywhere throw their arms up in protest at the news that yet more Brits have given up the quest to massacre their beloved language, the same fate is also true for German, Spanish and Italian.
While our European counterparts are renowned for their linguistic prowess, Blighty’s residents are mocked for our reticence to persist with anything more taxing beyond “Parlez-vous English?” Although military-style grammar drills and toe-curlingly awkward conversations may dominate our memories of childhood language lessons, venturing beyond phrase-book vocabulary arms us with a wealth of practical skills that range from effective communication skills to approaching French and German literary output with confidence.
Read more...
14 November 2013 (WZZM 13)
A study published in the Official Journal of the American Academy of Neurology is offering new evidence supporting the benefits of speaking two languages.
The study was designed to determine the association between bilingualism and it's affect on dementia.
Read more...
25 September 2013 (TES)
List of celebrity quotes about the value of language learning from CILT, put into powerpoint, plus pictures (Google Images) for corridor display.
You will need a TES userid and password to access the resource.
Read more...
8 October 2013 (The Guardian)
It is a paradox of British higher education that our international profile has never been more important, yet fewer universities are offering language degrees. No wonder the government is worried that British graduates will be unable to make it in the global environment. Are we sleepwalking into tongue-tied isolation?
Read more...
3 October 2013 (Teachit Languages)
Unless you’ve been living on the moon recently, you surely can’t have escaped the media furore around Channel 4’s Educating Yorkshire. The students and staff of Dewsbury’s Thornhill Academy are keeping us entertained every Thursday…in the journalistic scoop of the century, Teachit Languages editor Heike Bruton managed to secure an interview with Thornhill Academy’s headteacher, Jonny Mitchell!
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1 October 2013 (Inside Higher Ed)
The organizers of Monday's daylong "Languages For All?" conference at the University of Maryland said more than once that the event, in the words of the university's Director of Language Policy Initiatives Richard Brecht, "is not about advocacy, this is about inquiry." But it was clear that the 150 or so professors, researchers, policy makers and government employees in attendance vehemently promote at least one stance: that languages are critical, and that Americans' unwillingness and/or disinterest in learning them is holding the country back.
Read more...
30 September 2013 (Great Education Debate)
Teaching foreign languages to English speaking children in a world where the international lingua franca is English is a proposition that deserves some exploration and justification. In non-English speaking countries, learning English is more akin to studying a key skill or a core subject, such as mathematics. There is no reason even to hesitate over its importance or centrality, just as no one in medieval Europe would have questioned the importance of Latin in the curriculum of the educated.
However, for us, it is different. How does one justify the inclusion of a (randomly or historically chosen) language in the curriculum for our secondary or primary schools?
Read more...
26 September 2013 (TES)
He is better known for his views on football, but former England striker and TV personality Gary Lineker has claimed foreign languages are not taken seriously enough on the national curriculum.
The host of Match of the Day was speaking to TES about the importance of learning languages for young people today, adding that it was more relevant to their every day lives than other subjects such as the sciences.
Himself a fluent Spanish speaker after a successful three-year career playing for Barcelona, Mr Lineker believes students should learn a foreign tongue because it will always be useful in later life.
Read more...
9 September 2013 (Huffington Post)
How many languages can you speak? The likely answer is one, English. The reason is that you probably studied languages briefly in secondary school, perhaps have a GCSE or O Level, but then rarely or never used what was learned again - and so the skill vanished.
Traditionally, this hasn't really presented a problem for most people. Many other countries speak English to a reasonable level and it has for a long time been the business language. Perhaps it's therefore unsurprising that we have lost sight of language's power to open up the world to us. But things are changing and other languages are becoming more prevalent as technology is enabling us to easily connect and interact in a culturally, commercially and linguistically diverse world.
Read more...
1 September 2013 (Observatoire européen du plurilinguisme)
In this age of accountability in education, policymakers and administrators, as well as parents, are increasingly demanding to know what research studies show regarding the benefits of language learning. This document, published by the American Council on the teaching of Foreign Languages, will identify some of the major correlation studies that highlight how language learners benefit from their experiences.
Read more...
30 April 2013 (BBC Radio Scotland)
Listen to today's episode of 'Call Kaye' where callers are invited to discuss the declining numbers of Scottish pupils taking language learning to Standard Grade and Higher levels. Callers are asked what should be done to address the situation, or whether language learning is actually necessary in today's society.
The programme is available on the BBC iPlayer until Monday 6 May 2013. Listen to this item from 38.38 minutes into the broadcast.
Read more...
18 February 2013 (The Guardian)
Don't let poor school grades put you off studying a language. Years abroad and evening classes mean there are plenty of ways to learn.
Read more...
6 February 2013 (British Council)
Nishat Ali writes about her experience of taking part in the HSBC/British Council Mandarin Chinese Speaking Competition, and how winning the contest has changed her life.
Read more...
31 January 2013 (TES)
TES MFL subject adviser Rachel Hawkes looks at how foreign languages learning can support literacy without us needing to use English. The chat will be an informal way for you to share ideas on the topic as well as ask questions and seek advice from Rachel and each other.
Read more...
9 January 2013 (Daily Mail)
Hours spent in language classes struggling with masculine and feminine nouns and upside down punctuation may all be worth it, say scientists. For pensioners who learn a second tongue as children have far sharper brains when they reach their sixties.
Read more...
6 January 2013 (Daily Record)
Football has become global. And Scotland’s managers are about to follow suit.
The latest candidates for the SFA’s UEFA Pro Licence will gather at Hampden today to kick off the two-year course they now need to boss at the elite level of European football.
But for the first time since the course began in 1999, candidates must learn a second language as part of their studies.
Read more...
Posted in:
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25 November 2012 (Scientific American)
The language we use affects the decisions we make, according to a new study. Participants made more rational decisions when money-related choices were posed in a foreign language that they had learned in a classroom setting than when they were asked in a native tongue.
Read more...
18 November 2012 (Falkirk Herald)
Bold plans to make language lessons a key part of every child’s classroom experience have been unveiled. The Scottish Government has announced it aims to introduce the European Union 1+2 method of teaching over the course of two parliaments. It will mean putting the resources in place to allow every child to learn two languages in addition to their own mother tongue and is driven by a determination to deliver equality for hundreds of thousands of young Scots
Read more...
16 November 2012 (CILT Cymru)
On Friday the 9th of November, the profile of Modern Foreign Languages was raised at the Institute of Welsh Affairs / Western Mail Business Awards.
The newly created Award, The Best Use of Foreign Languages in Business Award recognised those Welsh companies who actively use foreign languages to develop strong markets abroad.
Read more...
5 November 2012 (Observer)
Britain's future economic and political wellbeing is being hamstrung by our reluctance to learn foreign languages.
Read more...
5 November 2012 (Guardian)
Schools are increasingly finding ways to help students develop as global citizens. But can we do more to incorporate global issues into the curriculum?
... The vast majority of businesses believe schools should help young people to think more globally and four out of every five believe schools should be doing more. Significantly, twice as many business leaders rate knowledge and awareness of the wider world as an important skill as ability to speak a foreign language. While they still regard language skills as important it is the 'soft' skills of cultural awareness and understanding global issues that are particularly valued.
Read more...
2 November 2012 (TESS)
The director of SCILT, Scotland's National Centre for Languages based at the University of Strathclyde, talks about the 1+2 policy, the benefits of CfE and how to persuade pupils to stick with languages.
Read more...
Related Links
A reader's response to the TESS Interview: Sarah Breslin (2 November)
"This has been a most interesting article to read. Many thanks to Sarah for all her hard work and support of the MFL teachers in Scotland. We are lucky to have such a fantastic professional with great personality. The 1+2 is an ambitious but not impossible goal to achieve - if all stakeholders are willing to work together for the benefit of generations to come." (rosered27, TES Letters, 9 November 2012)
Posted in:
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Languages in the press
31 October 2012 (The Dana Foundation)
Today, more of the world’s population is bilingual or multilingual than monolingual. In addition to facilitating cross-cultural communication, this trend also positively affects cognitive abilities. Researchers have shown that the bilingual brain can have better attention and task-switching capacities than the monolingual brain, thanks to its developed ability to inhibit one language while using another.
Read more...
12th October 2012 (LLAS news blog)
My Lords, I shall focus on what the report says about student mobility in relation to the Erasmus scheme and the teaching and learning of modern foreign languages.
Read more...
Language Learning Makes the Brain Grow, Swedish Study Suggests
8 October 2012 (Science Daily)
At the Swedish Armed Forces Interpreter Academy, young recruits learn a new language at a very fast pace. By measuring their brains before and after the language training, a group of researchers has had an almost unique opportunity to observe what happens to the brain when we learn a new language in a short period of time.
Read full article