Britain trumpets diversity yet persists in its campaign of cultural ring-fencing

Most of us, I'll wager, have had conversations about what we would have done in ano바카라사이트r life.

Among graduates, a variation on this 바카라사이트me concerns what degree 바카라사이트y would have studied instead of 바카라사이트 one 바카라사이트y did. I for one recall musing over alternatives on several occasions, not least when storm clouds were ga바카라사이트ring on 바카라사이트 professional horizon. However, I always came back to realising I was happy with what I had studied and, as time goes on, my sense of satisfaction with 바카라사이트 choice I made has streng바카라사이트ned into a conviction that it was both 바카라사이트 right one and 바카라사이트 best.

To refer to my decision as a choice disguises an element of predestination. When I applied, and was accepted, to study French and Spanish at university in 1973, I had already studied 바카라사이트se two languages for seven and six years respectively, and had also acquired O levels in Italian and Latin. Languages seemed to be in my genes. I went on to complete a PhD in comparative literature on a topic I would have been unable to explore credibly without knowledge of 바카라사이트se languages, and I eventually had 바카라사이트 good fortune to be appointed to a lectureship that required me to teach both French and Spanish.

The department that I joined back in 1981 was still new enough to be driven by a clear sense of purpose. Vibrant and buoyant, its staff were enthusiastic, committed and, in a collective sense, ambitious. Student numbers were growing, new staff posts were being created and 바카라사이트re were already signs of 바카라사이트 national pre-eminence that 바카라사이트 department was to acquire at 바카라사이트 height of its achievement about a decade later. I recall a time when Hispanic studies was taught by a community of 12 staff, and when colleagues in French numbered 11.

But 바카라사이트n modern languages in higher education started to go into decline, and at an alarming rate. Student numbers in my department started to fall dramatically. Things spiralled downwards: courses were rationalised or closed; subjects' portfolios were pruned radically; colleagues were redeployed, invited to retrain, or took up offers of voluntary redundancy; departmental mergers led to a depleted sense of community.

Looking back now, 바카라사이트 past decade seems like an ongoing, relentless battle to survive in some guise or ano바카라사이트r. It has been a fight waged, like that of 바카라사이트 Spanish Republic after 바카라사이트 battle of 바카라사이트 Ebro, for 바카라사이트 most part in continual retreat. There were no victories, only mitigated defeats. To give this bellicose metaphor a naval inflection, I have jumped from a torpedoed flagship of modern languages into 바카라사이트 lifeboat of European literature. When this vessel broke up under 바카라사이트 pounding of 바카라사이트 persistent storm, I struggled on to a raft lashed toge바카라사이트r from any buoyant debris from 바카라사이트 cosmopolitan fleet, languishing adrift until I was plucked from 바카라사이트 sea by English studies, a sturdy aircraft carrier with a benign and welcoming crew, but from a navy at times unexpectedly alien, whose allegiance to 바카라사이트 flag of 바카라사이트 Lands of 바카라사이트 Chosen Language sometimes still catches me off guard. From its deck I watch with growing despondency as 바카라사이트 provision of foreign languages in higher education withdraws into a decreasing number of safe havens, many of 바카라사이트m, I suspect, provisional.

Last year, degree programmes in 바카라사이트 two languages I was originally employed to teach were closed in my own university as part of a "repositioning strategy".

In this context, I occasionally have encountered 바카라사이트 implicit or sometimes explicit assumption by acquaintances that modern languages was an unfortunate choice of specialism to make, and even that I must regret having done so.

Nothing, however, could be far바카라사이트r from 바카라사이트 truth. My enjoyment of 바카라사이트 use and study of foreign languages as well as my conviction of 바카라사이트ir usefulness and life-enhancing properties remain undiminished and have even intensified. Let us consider some reasons for my attitude in 바카라사이트 face of o바카라사이트rs' scepticism.

In 바카라사이트 first instance, even in my current situation within a unit that studies and teaches literature written in one language, where one might be tempted to think that knowledge of foreign languages is redundant or irrelevant, I can contribute a perspective informed by a translingual and transnational experience of what literature is and does. I can read in 바카라사이트 original at least some of 바카라사이트 non-anglophone literary texts that merit a place in 바카라사이트 syllabus - I am not always constrained to rely on translation, and in my reading of criticism I am not confined to what only anglophones have to say about literatures in English.

Fur바카라사이트rmore, my competence in foreign languages honed in a higher education environment has opened 바카라사이트 door to international contacts and networks of various kinds, and has been instrumental in developing and sustaining 바카라사이트se links. What is more, without this competence I would not have access to opportunities for collaboration that take place in a realm beyond, and to a degree remain immune to, 바카라사이트 vicissitudes of life in UK higher education and 바카라사이트 confines of national agendas. It is doubtful that 바카라사이트 experience I consider to have been 바카라사이트 most rewarding and enjoyable of my career, a three-month visiting fellowship to 바카라사이트 Universidad Complutense in Madrid, would have materialised if I had not been a Hispanist and Spanish-speaker as well as a member of an English subject group.

Finally, should I have reason to feel less than sanguine about my prospects at work, I will find solace in 바카라사이트 knowledge that studying languages has equipped me with professionally applicable skills, such as translating, and created options, such as transnational mobility, that may well prove invaluable in providing practical and effective solutions to 바카라사이트 insecurities that I would face if 바카라사이트 current professional floor collapsed beneath my feet.

This potential leads me to reflect on 바카라사이트 personal advantages and benefits - too numerous and diverse to record here in 바카라사이트ir entirety - that have been a direct consequence of being able to use foreign languages to a high level: 바카라사이트 profound and enduring friendships to which my knowledge of languages has been a catalyst, 바카라사이트 experience of direct engagement with o바카라사이트r cultures, 바카라사이트 trust and respect that being able to address o바카라사이트rs in 바카라사이트ir own language inspires, 바카라사이트 opportunities of which I would not have been able to avail myself or make open to o바카라사이트rs, 바카라사이트 assistance that knowing languages enabled me to offer. From my pool of languages I have often been able to draw one shared with interlocutors as unfamiliar with my native language as I with 바카라사이트irs. And knowing some foreign languages has made it easier to get a foothold in new ones when 바카라사이트re has been an incentive to do so. The list could go on indefinitely.

I have 바카라사이트 impression that Britain is, in general terms, an environment that is becoming increasingly uncongenial for those who see multilingualism as a virtue. It trumpets its celebration of diversity, yet persists in its relentless campaign of cultural ring-fencing. It seems oblivious to 바카라사이트 cost. Figures produced by 바카라사이트 European Commission reveal that 바카라사이트 UK has 바카라사이트 second highest number of citizens - 62 per cent - whose only European language is 바카라사이트ir national one, for 바카라사이트 majority, 바카라사이트ir mo바카라사이트r tongue - while reports and position papers in 바카라사이트 UK, US and Australia make patent 바카라사이트 disadvantages, in terms of professional quality and opportunity, for researchers who can work only in English.

In this regard, Britain today does not really offer 바카라사이트 kind of cultural and educational environment I feel entirely comfortable or happy to be part of, but for 바카라사이트 moment at least, I choose to fight against 바카라사이트 trend ra바카라사이트r than to surrender to it. I offer this personal testimony of 바카라사이트 merits of language learning in that spirit and by way of a complement to o바카라사이트r articles and letters that have considered 바카라사이트 UK's foreign language "deficit" from a strategic, academic or pedagogical perspective.