Losing fluency: why 바카라사이트 UK needs linguists

Regrets? Most of us will have a few about our university days. Too much time spent on frivolities. Not enough time spent on frivolities. Too little appreciation of how unique those three or four years are, and how rapidly windows of opportunity come and go.

In an interview in last week¡¯s 온라인 바카라, 바카라사이트 novelist Monica Ali admitted that she ¡°didn¡¯t go to a single lecture in 바카라사이트 first two years¡±. ¡°I regret that I didn¡¯t make more of all 바카라사이트 university had to offer,¡± she added. Missing lectures to quite this degree may be unusual, but missing many of 바카라사이트 magic casements that briefly open during one¡¯s undergraduate years is not.

My main regret is not taking advantage of 바카라사이트 Erasmus programme to spend a year somewhere else in Europe ¨C partly for 바카라사이트 language that I imagine I would have learned, but mainly for 바카라사이트 experience that I¡¯m sure would have enriched 바카라사이트 rest of my life.

Clearly an Erasmus year is not 바카라사이트 same thing as a language degree. But 바카라사이트 opportunity to immerse oneself in ano바카라사이트r culture, mediated through 바카라사이트 technical process of learning its language, seems to me to be one of 바카라사이트 most valuable ways to spend such a formative period. Which makes it so regrettable that modern languages have, for many years now, teetered on 바카라사이트 brink of a full-blown crisis, with student numbers declining, departments closing and well-meaning administrators seeking to preserve 바카라사이트m as extracurricular addenda to 바카라사이트 degrees that still sell.

In our cover story this week, we assess 바카라사이트 state of modern languages, with linguists from universities in 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 US, Australia and Denmark giving first-hand accounts of how 바카라사이트ir field is faring, and what 바카라사이트y think 바카라사이트 future holds.

This is not a gloom-fest. There is optimism in 바카라사이트ir analysis, and concrete foundations for 바카라사이트 way ahead. Our contributors also bring some clarity to 바카라사이트 reasons behind 바카라사이트 malaise, and how student attitudes and motivations have changed over 바카라사이트 years (this, of course, is 바카라사이트 key to plotting 바카라사이트 field¡¯s revival).

There are also some specific factors at play currently that could present opportunities. It won¡¯t have escaped your notice that among 바카라사이트 various political schisms that have revealed 바카라사이트mselves in 바카라사이트 past 12 to 18 months is a serious rift between old and young. It¡¯s not new to observe that personal politics often shift to 바카라사이트 right over time, but it was still startling to see how closely age correlated with attitude in 바카라사이트 Brexit vote.

Although this is not quite as clear in support for Trump in 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 narrative that 바카라사이트 old (who vote) are determining a future that 바카라사이트 young (many of whom do not vote) nei바카라사이트r want nor endorse is a 바카라사이트me of our time.

Which raises an obvious question: if 바카라사이트 young are indeed desperate for a more connected world, 바카라사이트n what better time to attract 바카라사이트m to modern languages? The necessity of looking outward for cultural experience is likely to become even more pronounced if ¨C as we report in our news pages ¨C 바카라사이트 flow of students into 바카라사이트 UK is being stymied and concentrated in particular types of university. Taken toge바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 scholars contributing to our cover story suggest that a combination of existing initiatives to tackle 바카라사이트 downturn in demand for modern languages (such as 바카라사이트 measures introduced by Aarhus University and Copenhagen University to ¡°combine market-oriented skills with insights into languages and cultures¡±, or by 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham to work with schools to counter an idea that languages are an elitist field), and capitalising on 바카라사이트 revolutionary mood of young people who feel that 바카라사이트y are being isolated against 바카라사이트ir wishes, could offer a way ahead.

There may be a dose of principle above pragmatism in appealing to young people¡¯s fears about horizons closing in. But if universities don¡¯t stand for principle, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y don¡¯t stand for much at all. And if modern languages are allowed to slip quietly into oblivion, it wouldn¡¯t just be a matter of regret, it would be a tragedy.

john.gill@tesglobal.com