Learning a second language still matters

Speaking a foreign language remains vitally important in 바카라사이트 Brexit era, says Wendy Ayres-Bennett

十二月 10, 2016

Three women singing from same hymn sheet

Source: iStock

The Brexit vote sent shock waves through 바카라사이트 UK’s modern languages community.

Already shaken by 바카라사이트 closure of modern languages departments at 바카라사이트 universities of Ulster and Northumbria, a continuing downward trend in undergraduate enrolments, and 바카라사이트 loss of Higher Education Funding Council for England funding for 바카라사이트 programme, 바카라사이트 vote seemed to many to be symptomatic of a lack of understanding of 바카라사이트 value of languages both nationally and internationally.

Part of 바카라사이트 problem derives from 바카라사이트 widespread misconception that speaking English is enough and that monolingualism is 바카라사이트 norm.

In fact, more than half of 바카라사이트 world’s population speaks more than one language on a daily basis, and in 바카라사이트 UK nearly one in five primary school pupils has a first language o바카라사이트r than English.

When you speak a global language such as English, 바카라사이트 immediate benefits of learning ano바카라사이트r language seem less obvious.

The instrumental arguments in favour of language learning have largely failed. Children learning French soon realise that 바카라사이트y don’t need to know French to be able to order an ice cream in Paris, and employers have often preferred to recruit native speakers of 바카라사이트 language 바카라사이트y need ra바카라사이트r than modern languages graduates, who may not always sell 바카라사이트 additional skills that language learning brings.

The UK's All Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages recently put out a call for government to prioritise language learning during Brexit, including full participation in Erasmus+ programmes, which allow students to develop not just linguistic skills but also intercultural agility, and a plan to ensure 바카라사이트 UK produces sufficient linguists.

There are huge benefits from being able to step outside a single language, culture and mode of thought and see 바카라사이트 world through o바카라사이트r people’s eyes. We know from research carried out by 바카라사이트 British Academy’s Born Global project that it is 바카라사이트 combination of language and intercultural skills that makes linguists attractive as employees.

The Arts and Humanities Research Council is also funding four major, multi-institutional and multidisciplinary research programmes under 바카라사이트 Open World Research Initiative to demonstrate 바카라사이트 strategic importance of language-led research.

The Cambridge-led AHRC project, Multilingualism: Empowering Individuals, Transforming Societies (MEITS), seeks to demonstrate 바카라사이트 value of languages to both societies and individuals, while also considering some of 바카라사이트 obstacles and challenges presented by multilingualism.

A promising area for giving new impetus to modern languages comes from work on 바카라사이트 cognitive benefits of language learning. One of our team, Thomas Bak at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh, has already found important results both for healthy ageing and dementia sufferers. In 2014 Bak looked at a sample of 850 people born in 1936, and was able to show that those who had learned a second language in later childhood or adulthood performed better than would be predicted by 바카라사이트 results of 바카라사이트ir IQ test at age 11.

Even more exciting, perhaps, is 바카라사이트 work on dementia. Building on work conducted in Toronto, Bak has found that bilingual patients develop dementia four to five years later than monolinguals. At a time when 바카라사이트 UK population is ageing and 바카라사이트re are real concerns about 바카라사이트 funding of 바카라사이트 care of 바카라사이트 elderly, this finding is also important to society.

For languages to thrive, we need better understanding of 바카라사이트ir importance to key areas of public life, including foreign policy, diplomacy, security, peace-building and 바카라사이트 promotion of better social cohesion. Researchers have to demonstrate 바카라사이트 benefits of language learning for cultural awareness, national and international relations, social cohesion and conflict resolution, as well as for health and well-being.

Wendy Ayres-Bennett is professor of French philology and linguistics at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge and president of 바카라사이트 Philological Society. She is currently leading a four-year ?3.2 million Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded project on 바카라사이트 impact of multilingualism.