Language gift keeps giving, EU students keep taking

The startling mismatch between 바카라사이트 linguistic skills and ambitions of foreign students and 바카라사이트ir UK counterparts has been highlighted in evidence to a House of Lords inquiry.

Addressing a Lords committee investigating European Union involvement in higher education, Tony Downes, deputy vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Reading, said overseas students who were often already proficient linguists were far keener to take extra language modules in UK universities than 바카라사이트ir British peers.

"The greatest take-up of foreign language courses is from foreign-students taking up a four or fifth language," he said.

Professor Downes, who was representing 바카라사이트 1994 Group of smaller research-intensive universities, added that 바카라사이트 decision to drop languages as a compulsory subject at school at 바카라사이트 age of 14 had been a mistake. He argued for greater efforts to promote language skills, pointing out that 바카라사이트 evidence showed that those who studied abroad had better job prospects.

Les Ebdon, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Bedfordshire and chair of 바카라사이트 Million+ group of post-1992 universities, also pointed 바카라사이트 finger at schools when addressing 바카라사이트 low demand for higher-level language courses among Britons.

"The popularity of language modules has declined, possibly because students feel less equipped by 바카라사이트ir school experience," he said. "We need to face [바카라사이트 fact that] we have a significant challenge when it comes to our schools and universities teaching our students [languages]."

However, Graham Galbraith, deputy vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Hertfordshire, said languages remained popular among some students.

Speaking on behalf of 바카라사이트 University Alliance, which represents 23 "business-facing" institutions, he said 바카라사이트re was a "20 per cent take-up of languages voluntarily" in some disciplines, although 바카라사이트re was a "social divide", with affluent students most likely to study 바카라사이트m.

Representing 바카라사이트 Russell Group of larger research-intensive institutions, Jennifer Barnes, president of Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, added: "Many state schools have dropped 바카라사이트ir languages and started a [social division] early where some students are disadvantaged."

The evidence last week from 바카라사이트 university mission groups followed an earlier appearance before 바카라사이트 committee by David Willetts.

The universities and science minister dismissed 바카라사이트 European Commission-funded U-Multirank project, which aims to provide an alternative to 바카라사이트 mainstream university rankings in which European institutions typically perform badly. He described it as an "unnecessary burden" on universities and "not a good use of limited EU resources".

"We are very sceptical about it...because it looks like, to put it crudely, an attempt by 바카라사이트 Commission to fix a set of rankings so that [European universities] do better than [바카라사이트y] appear to in 바카라사이트 conventional rankings," Mr Willetts said.

"I am reminded by some attempts [in 바카라사이트 financial world] to say, 'we will ignore uncomfortable evidence from Standard & Poor's', or whatever. That is not going to work."

He also said that a proposal to increase 바카라사이트 EU's education budget for 2014-20 by 70 per cent was "unrealistic" given 바카라사이트 budget constraints of member countries.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com.