Linguistic fracture in Belgium (2/23/2008)
Spanish vs English (11/23/2007)
Languages evolve just as species do (10/16/2007)
Súbete, "Get in" (9/23/2007)
Understanding bilingualism is important in understanding how the brain learns and deals with language (9/13/2007)
School Translators Can Help Parents Lost in the System (8/13/2007)
Police recruit linguist officers (5/29/2007)
Poet and Publisher Bridges Cultures (2/11/2007)
A drive to encourage more students to study languages is being launched after a drop in undergraduate numbers (9/26/2006)
The mayor of Merchtem in Belgium has defended a ban on speaking French in the town's schools (9/1/2006)
Entries this summer in German were down at GCSE by 14.2%, while French declined by 13.2% and Spanish by 0.5% (8/24/2006)
Modern languages and politics were no longer viable due to falling applications (5/22/2006)
Found in Translation: Endangered Languages (4/21/2006)
The loss of languages continues, and it's a worldwide phenomenon (3/07/2006)
Language exams in sharp decline (8/25/2005)
I wanted a job which would make the most of my language skills and cultural experiences (7/19/2005)
English 'world language' forecast (12/09/2004)
English is no longer the universal language of business it once was (4/16/2004)
Those who think Texas is a good place to live adopt the flat 'I' -- it's like the badge of Texas (11/28/2003)
Celtic became a distinct language and entered the British Isles much earlier than supposed (7/01/2003)
Brits abroad are the least well-regarded by foreigners (7/19/2002)
Nurses hit language barrier (2/27/2002)
Babylon Languages (1/08/2002)
In England only around one primary school in five teaches a foreign language. (8/03/2001)
Is the Atlantic the only thing that divides the UK and US? (7/19/2001)
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| A drive to encourage more students to study languages is being launched after a drop in undergraduate numbers | ||
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| September 26, 2006 | ||
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A drive to encourage more students to study languages is being launched after a drop in undergraduate numbers. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce) is putting forward £4.5m to enable universities to hold summer events and work with schools. The drive comes as people are being encouraged to brush up their linguistic skills on European Day of Languages. Hefce announced the campaign after identifying foreign languages as a key area for Britain's future prosperity. Optional subject Modern foreign language study for 14 to 16-year-olds is optional in England, Wales and Scotland, with Northern Ireland moving the same way. The numbers of pupils taking qualifications in French and German, in particular, have plummeted. Education Secretary Alan Johnson said earlier this month that ministers in England were wondering whether they had done the right thing. Cilt, the National Centre for Languages, has welcomed the Hefce campaign. A spokeswoman said: "This is a significant step forward in collaboration to bring our young people's capability in other languages up to the level of their counterparts in other European countries, with whom they will be competing for jobs in the global economy." As part of Cilt's celebrations for the European Day of Languages, prizes are being awarded to 12 innovative projects which promote language, in a ceremony at the Scottish Parliament. 'Innovative' The 12 were chosen from more than 100 entries. A spokeswoman said: "It shows how innovative language learning can be - and that it's not just about getting to the end of the lesson." Cilt has sent education packs to schools and businesses across the UK. They include a game for pupils to learn how to say "hello" in a multitude of ways - such as "tere" in Estonian and "chào" in Vietnamese. According to Cilt the UK comes bottom in Europe in the percentage of citizens who speak another language - at 34% compared with 87% of the Dutch. But Cilt says the news is not all bad. "Yes we have seen a drop in the number of students studying specific languages as a sole subject," a spokeswoman said. "But there has been an increase in the number of students studying languages alongside their main degree subject." |
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