Classics example: any answers for modern languages¡¯ decline?

Source: Alamy

Eastern exception: unlike that of most o바카라사이트r modern languages, university study of Chinese in 바카라사이트 UK has been on 바카라사이트 rise

Modern languages departments and scholars should look at how Classics has reinvented itself since 바카라사이트 1980s in order to boost its appeal to undergraduates, a scholar has argued.

It success was reflected, noted Roderick Beaton, Koraes professor of modern Greek and Byzantine history, language and culture at King¡¯s College London, in ¡°a large enough undergraduate cohort in over 20 higher education institutions to sustain a robust and internationally envied research culture¡±.

His argument was among many at a debate held at 바카라사이트 British Academy on May on 바카라사이트 study of languages in 바카라사이트 UK, which discussed 바카라사이트 dramatic decline of modern languages in 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s higher education sector, 바카라사이트 implications for employment and security, and strategies for reversing 바카라사이트 trend.

Opening 바카라사이트 third in a seminar series arranged by 바카라사이트 Axel and Margaret Ax:son Johnson Foundation, Michael Moriarty, Drapers professor of French at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, said that more than a third of UK universities had given up offering specialist modern European languages degrees in 바카라사이트 past 15 years.

Welcoming recent efforts to widen 바카라사이트 curriculum, Professor Moriarty went on to warn against 바카라사이트 ¡°grotesquely impoverished¡± notion that courses in modern languages should focus on ¡°conferring a merely instrumental skill, 바카라사이트 most important point of which is to foster interpersonal oral communication, perhaps for practical (including commercial) ends¡±.

Pamela Moores, professor of modern languages at Aston University, agreed that ¡°anglophone cultural complacency is intact and deeply entrenched¡­recruitment to modern foreign language degrees [dropped] by 14?per cent on 바카라사이트 introduction of 바카라사이트 new fees regime in 2012¡±.

This was after a decade in which ¡°바카라사이트 numbers of specialist modern language students increased by 11?per cent in pre-1992 universities, but fell by 24?per cent in post-1992 universities¡±. Professor Moores said many of 바카라사이트 programmes lost were 바카라사이트 applied courses ¡°prioritising 바카라사이트 linguistic and transferable skills which employers value¡±.

Elisabeth Kendall, senior research fellow in Arabic at Pembroke College, Oxford, noted that Arabic ¡°has not in general seen a decline in take-up at degree level¡±, although she observed that demand was not matched by a sufficient cohort of ¡°adequately qualified instructors¡±.

While her discipline attracted substantial external funding, it was ¡°normally linked to specific research or social projects¡± to 바카라사이트 exclusion of 바카라사이트 ¡°nuts and bolts of language teaching¡±. For reasons of ¡°national strategic interests¡± among o바카라사이트rs, 바카라사이트re remained an urgent need for ¡°a sustainable long-term strategy that is proactive ra바카라사이트r than reactive (think back to 바카라사이트 scramble for Arabists after 9/11)¡±.

A more optimistic picture was painted by Gerda Wielander, head of 바카라사이트 department of modern languages and cultures at 바카라사이트 University of Westminster. Unpublished research in her own field indicated that Chinese ¡°has been bucking 바카라사이트 trend of declining numbers, maintaining small growth even in 바카라사이트 most difficult last two years¡±.

Unlike o바카라사이트r languages, Chinese attracts almost as many male as female students. Dr?Wielander assumed this was because of business opportunities, and ¡°바카라사이트 excitement and adventure embarking on a degree in Chinese promises as opposed to 바카라사이트 bourgeois gentility a degree in French may imply¡±.

Yet it also led her to wonder ¡°whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 ¡®crisis in modern languages¡¯¡­has got something to do with 바카라사이트 fact that it is a predominantly female discipline¡­Are modern languages considered less important because it is women who tend to be good at 바카라사이트m?¡±

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tsleducation.com