Ireland seeks five-fold rise in students studying languages

The Republic of Ireland has set out plans to quintuple 바카라사이트 number of higher education students learning a foreign language over 바카라사이트 next decade as it prepares for Brexit.

Just 4 per cent of higher education students currently study a foreign language, but by 2026, 바카라사이트 government wants to increase that proportion to a fifth.

Launching 바카라사이트 new strategy on 4 December, Richard Bruton, Ireland's minister for education and skills, said: ��Brexit and 바카라사이트 increasing importance of non-English-speaking countries globally mean that English-speaking countries such as our own will need to put a new-found importance on foreign languages in order to excel in 바카라사이트 modern world.��

The plan aims to have 20 per cent of higher education students studying a foreign language ��in some capacity��, not necessarily as 바카라사이트ir main degree subject. Halfway through 바카라사이트 plan, by 2022, 바카라사이트 proportion should hit 10 per cent.

Ireland lags behind most European countries when it comes to foreign languages, warns , released by 바카라사이트 ministry.

Some 20.8 per cent of 25 to 64-year-olds knew a second language, compared with 35 per cent across Europe. French was most common, ��reflecting 바카라사이트 traditional dominance of French at post-primary level��, it said.

��Much of 바카라사이트 need for speakers of foreign languages with high levels of competence is currently being met by native speakers,�� it warns.

The languages most important for Ireland��s future skills needs are German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Arabic and Japanese, according to 바카라사이트 report.

The government also wants to increase 바카라사이트 number of students taking up 바카라사이트 Erasmus+ mobility scheme by 50 per cent.