The Linguist is a languages magazine for professional linguists, translators, interpreters, language professionals, language teachers, trainers, students and academics with articles on translation, interpreting, business, government, technology
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STUDY COSTS Uncertainty over gap-year funding through Erasmus+ (main image) may already be affecting applications to languages degree programmes; while fewer students from EU countries may be able to study in the UK if they have to pay higher 'international student' fees (above) 12 The Linguist Vol/55 No/5 2016 www.ciol.org.uk FEATURES Urdu, also reflects a failure of the UK as a whole to value multilingualism as an asset for a major economy in a globalised society. New languages needs One of the knee-jerk reactions to the result of the referendum is exemplified by reports from teachers whose pupils instantly announced that they no longer needed to attend their French, Spanish or German classes because we will be leaving the EU. On the contrary, we can expect, post Brexit, that our nation will need to work harder to develop a wide range of trade and diplomatic relationships across the world, as well as new relationships with the remaining EU members. There are even mixed opinions about whether English will remain one of the official languages of the EU. In future, we may need 'them' more than 'they' need us – and multilingualism, as well as cross-cultural skills and understanding, will be vital. Any shifts in strategic priorities towards teaching the languages that will be important to Britain's future place in the world will need to be accompanied by long-term Government strategies to build capability (teaching), and deliver curricula and qualifications. Within the state school system, this is far from straightforward. Universities have a certain ability to act flexibly in response to changing priorities, particularly through Institution-Wide Language Programmes, open to students of any degree programme. For many years, universities have also offered ab initio routes into degrees in languages that they do not expect students to have had the opportunity to study at school. Many are exploring increasingly creative ways to encourage greater take-up of 'minor' subject strands within degree programmes to enable students to take up such opportunities and to compensate for the declining numbers of applicants to language degrees. The DfE statement of purpose for the teaching of languages in our school system opens with the assertion that "learning a foreign language is a liberation from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures". The risk of insularity, in all sorts of ways, post Brexit was articulated by the Remain campaign. Current DfE policy is that 90% of pupils who started secondary school last year should take a GCSE in a language – languages being included in the EBacc suite of core academic subjects. In 2015, only 48% achieved a grade C or above in a language; some had achieved this by attending supplementary classes run by language communities. Many of these programmes are run by and for British citizens, but some may be affected by future policies on the rights of individuals and communities to remain in the UK post Brexit. The DfE's 90% target is therefore highly ambitious, not least as there is an estimated shortage of 4,000 language teachers to deliver it. The declining number taking language degrees (the numbers have halved in the past 10 years), accompanied by greater demand for the transnational, culturally agile profile of language graduates by employers in other sectors, means that we cannot provide the language teachers required. The argument is circular – we need higher take-up in schools, progressing in greater numbers to language degrees, in order to produce more language teachers who can deliver higher take-up in schools! Universities have a long-standing commitment to outreach work with schools. Given the high socio- economic profile of language learners, widening participation and access to tertiary study for students from disadvantaged backgrounds is a major priority nationally. Language departments have focused both on raising aspirations and on motivating language learning for employability, personal, academic and cognitive benefits. Institutions that might otherwise see themselves in competition have worked together to support these values and goals, as exemplified by the highly successful, collaborative Routes into Languages programme, whose funding ended on 31 July this year. I have no doubt that university colleagues will be as assiduous in making the case for languages beyond a centrally funded programme, and it could be argued that we need to prioritise this activity now more than ever. One of the undoubted benefits of shared experiences over the past few years has been the exploitation of our students as 'Language Ambassadors'. By motivating school pupils to study languages, these ambassadors also give them the opportunity to explore the possibility of entering the teaching profession after graduation. Movement of people Our education system is currently reliant on importing teachers predominantly from France, Germany, Austria and Spain. If Brexit results in greater restrictions on the movement of people from the EU, not to mention driving some who are already resident here to reconsider staying, the challenge for the teaching of languages will be magnified. The introduction of compulsory language teaching in primary schools and of the EBacc target for secondary schools, while welcome, are inadequate measures to turn us into a nation of linguists. The circular supply chain may be negatively affected by the new A level system, qualifications and funding models, with implications for progression onto language degrees. And it is progression not only to teaching that would then be compromised, but also to other specialist professions, including translating and interpreting.