The Telegraph – Sophie Gaston
“…language learning should be about developing cultural awareness and a global mindset, as well as finding the right words to communicate. However, we also all agreed that it is not just for these valuable yet idealistic reasons that young people need to study languages. We have a genuine, and increasingly pressing, economic need for languages to be given the same focus as STEM. As a result of the growth of Russia and China, and most of the next forthcoming economies, we can no longer assume that English will remain the dominant global language…We must recognise that the challenge presented by new economic powerhouses cannot be met solely by creating a strong rival science and technology base through STEM subjects. This important job must be accompanied by a realistic focus on the economic doors that language skills could open for many young people. The typical monolingual Briton is undoubtedly at a distinct disadvantage in the global jobs market. The UK’s brightest STEM stars will most likely be competing for the same jobs as people who have equivalent STEM skills qualifications plus at least two additional languages.”(more)