A recent opinion piece in the British newspaper the Daily Telegraph described the attitude of the United Kingdom towards the learning of foreign languages as “can’t, won’t, don’t”. While there are many talented linguists within the United Kingdom, the article highlights the fact that there is a growing skills shortage within the country that seems to be increasing as the number of people receiving school-based language qualifications falls. It is estimated that only 25% of people in the United Kingdom can speak any of the top 10 languages identified by the British Council as vital to the future of the country’s economic prosperity and influence over the next 20 years. This is alarming, particularly given the fact that the demand for language skills increases all the time.
This decline in language skills is something which the government has recognised, and we recently wrote about the program that has made language learning compulsory from the age of seven in Primary schools.
So Why is the Language Culture in Britain Broken?
There are many theories as to why there is not a culture of language learning in the United Kingdom. These range from the insular approach that living on an island and not interacting with other languages can create, to a malaise based on the assumption that everyone speaks English. For a long time, learning second languages in school has not been seen as a top priority. In the 2000’s it stopped being compulsory to study a foreign language beyond the age of 14 to GSCE level. There has been the decline in traditional foreign language exchanges organised by schools, due to demand and organisational challenges that these events present. This is why we founded Lingoo: to give parents looking to give their children language exchange opportunities and language immersion a solution that works for them and their child.
Reversing the Trend
The attitude in recent years is changing as the government makes language learning an important part of the education culture within the United Kingdom. This is important if the country is to shake the “can’t, won’t, don’t” reputation it has built over the years.