“Modern foreign languages are not in crisis. It’s worse than that.” It was around this time last year that, prior to the arrival of this health fiasco which now dominates our headlines, a surge in such articles could be seen following the publication of a report published by the Higher Education Policy Institute. In summary, this report concluded that British Language skills are significantly below par when compared to our European counterparts, with only 32% of 16 to 30 year-olds feeling confident reading and writing in another language, compared to a 89% average in the European Union. That begs the question, why are we Brits so bad at learning other languages? A question which I, of course, intend to explore in this post. As per usual, let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Inherently, I would argue that we are not so bad at learning other languages as we simply do not have the means or wishes to do so, for Language Learning is not a matter of genetics. Or is it? Interestingly, a study completed by neurobiologists in 1990 found the FOXP2 gene, a gene which was found to play an important role in the brain’s language production processes. Shortly after, further studies concluded that those with a variation of this gene were able to complete a task categorising unfamiliar sounds both more swiftly and more accurately. The above being said, it ought to be pointed out that the study of language requires several processes, such as memory and information ordering, which therefore stimulate not one but several parts of the brain - and the strength of said processes will, of course, vary from person to person. In turn, while studies seem to suggest that language learning will come more naturally to some than others, this evidence does not render language learning impossible for an entire nation.
If the answer does not lie in genetics, though, then what can be behind this modern phenomenon? Let us first take a glimpse into the education system. A key difference that I was able to establish in doing my research is that children in other European countries begin to receive a formal teaching of a foreign language much earlier than we do here in the U.K. Why is this particularly significant? It's simply no coincidence that children are often referred to as 'sponges', for they have been shown to be far better at acquiring language and implicit learning; that is to say, listening to the native speakers around them and imitating what they see. Naturally, this becomes far more difficult as you get older - hence the conception of language learning being difficult in British classrooms, not helped by the fact that it is harder to obtain a good grade in these studies. In spite of what the studies have shown us, language learning has continued to be compulsory only for those in Key Stage Three (pupils aged between 11 and 14). Put the two factors together and all of a sudden, it seems all but surprising that GCSE language entries have dropped by 45% since the start of the millenium.
So why can't we introduce policies to make language learning compulsory from an earlier age, perhaps up to GCSE? As I'm sure many of you are, Britain is currently in the midst of a nationwide teacher shortage and, according to information from the Education Policy Institute, language teachers are among those with the highest exit rates. Perhaps unsurprisingly, what with consistent budget cuts, teachers are finding themselves under more pressure than ever and so, without this extra funding, one has to wonder how Britain would source these teachers. Speaking of budget cuts, it ought to be mentioned that, if pupils are discouraged from taking language qualifications for whatever reason, it will be those very departments that face the brunt of these cuts. As a result, that will further discourage those existing pupils from continuing their studies and a perpetual vicious cycle continues to ebb and flow. Whilst it is not a point that I will be focusing on today, I highly suggest going on to do some further reading as to how this will bring out socioeconomic disparity in the country as a result if you are interested in the topic. Isn't it funny how so many seemingly unrelated issues find their way back to politics?
Let us move aside from analysing the education system and have a look at language learning, or lack thereof, in adulthood. Interestingly, a survey conducted by The British Council found that an astonishing 58% of adults regret letting their language skills from school slip. Despite this, 62% of the British population continue to only speak English. This raises another question: why aren’t Brits learning another language? More than anything, the answer appears to lie in the belief that every other country in the world now speaks English, in turn rendering language learning pointless. What is clear, however, is that this belief cannot be further from the truth; as it turns out, only 20% of the global population speak English which equates to roughly 1.5 billion speakers - albeit many of those are not at native level. I say only, nobody can deny that 1.5 billion is still a considerable figure and for the British public, that seems to be enough. From my personal observation, there too seems to be a misconception that there is no great place for polyglots in the British workplace - unless you, of course, desire to work as a translator or as an interpreter. What a misconception this is indeed, given the nature of and evermore globalised economy; so much so, in fact, that a government report published a few years ago estimated that the lack of language skills in Britain led to a £50 bn. loss to the economy every year. What’s more is that, even if the direct use of another language is not required for a specific field of work, one can apply the many other skills that language learning develops.
That said, I do not believe that the picture is entirely as bleak as media outlets are making it out to be. It goes without saying that the digital age we now live in has made language learning easier and more accessible than ever; that is to say, such an activity is no longer reserved for those who can afford pricey textbooks and private tutors. Furthermore, various workplaces are now encouraging language learning by offering access to language classes. Is there still work to be done? Of course, but it will be rather interesting to observe how the tides turn in the wake of both Brexit and this pandemic. After all, it is not a trend that cannot be reversed.
If the answer does not lie in genetics, though, then what can be behind this modern phenomenon? Let us first take a glimpse into the education system. A key difference that I was able to establish in doing my research is that children in other European countries begin to receive a formal teaching of a foreign language much earlier than we do here in the U.K. Why is this particularly significant? It's simply no coincidence that children are often referred to as 'sponges', for they have been shown to be far better at acquiring language and implicit learning; that is to say, listening to the native speakers around them and imitating what they see. Naturally, this becomes far more difficult as you get older - hence the conception of language learning being difficult in British classrooms, not helped by the fact that it is harder to obtain a good grade in these studies. In spite of what the studies have shown us, language learning has continued to be compulsory only for those in Key Stage Three (pupils aged between 11 and 14). Put the two factors together and all of a sudden, it seems all but surprising that GCSE language entries have dropped by 45% since the start of the millenium.
So why can't we introduce policies to make language learning compulsory from an earlier age, perhaps up to GCSE? As I'm sure many of you are, Britain is currently in the midst of a nationwide teacher shortage and, according to information from the Education Policy Institute, language teachers are among those with the highest exit rates. Perhaps unsurprisingly, what with consistent budget cuts, teachers are finding themselves under more pressure than ever and so, without this extra funding, one has to wonder how Britain would source these teachers. Speaking of budget cuts, it ought to be mentioned that, if pupils are discouraged from taking language qualifications for whatever reason, it will be those very departments that face the brunt of these cuts. As a result, that will further discourage those existing pupils from continuing their studies and a perpetual vicious cycle continues to ebb and flow. Whilst it is not a point that I will be focusing on today, I highly suggest going on to do some further reading as to how this will bring out socioeconomic disparity in the country as a result if you are interested in the topic. Isn't it funny how so many seemingly unrelated issues find their way back to politics?
Let us move aside from analysing the education system and have a look at language learning, or lack thereof, in adulthood. Interestingly, a survey conducted by The British Council found that an astonishing 58% of adults regret letting their language skills from school slip. Despite this, 62% of the British population continue to only speak English. This raises another question: why aren’t Brits learning another language? More than anything, the answer appears to lie in the belief that every other country in the world now speaks English, in turn rendering language learning pointless. What is clear, however, is that this belief cannot be further from the truth; as it turns out, only 20% of the global population speak English which equates to roughly 1.5 billion speakers - albeit many of those are not at native level. I say only, nobody can deny that 1.5 billion is still a considerable figure and for the British public, that seems to be enough. From my personal observation, there too seems to be a misconception that there is no great place for polyglots in the British workplace - unless you, of course, desire to work as a translator or as an interpreter. What a misconception this is indeed, given the nature of and evermore globalised economy; so much so, in fact, that a government report published a few years ago estimated that the lack of language skills in Britain led to a £50 bn. loss to the economy every year. What’s more is that, even if the direct use of another language is not required for a specific field of work, one can apply the many other skills that language learning develops.
That said, I do not believe that the picture is entirely as bleak as media outlets are making it out to be. It goes without saying that the digital age we now live in has made language learning easier and more accessible than ever; that is to say, such an activity is no longer reserved for those who can afford pricey textbooks and private tutors. Furthermore, various workplaces are now encouraging language learning by offering access to language classes. Is there still work to be done? Of course, but it will be rather interesting to observe how the tides turn in the wake of both Brexit and this pandemic. After all, it is not a trend that cannot be reversed.
SOURCES
https://www.hepi.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/HEPI_A-Languages-Crisis_Report-123-FINAL.pdf
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationopinion/11695356/Can-genes-predict-foreign-language-learning-skills.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/16/parenting/children-language-development.html
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20181024-the-best-age-to-learn-a-foreign-language
https://www.telc.net/en/about-telc/news/detail/do-children-really-learn-languages-faster-than-adults.html
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-47334374
https://epi.org.uk/publications-and-research/teacher-shortages-in-england-analysis-and-pay-options/
https://www.britishcouncil.org/contact/press/uk-adults-regret-losing-language-skills-school-days
https://esol.britishcouncil.org/content/learners/skills/reading/british-worst-learning-languages
https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/how-many-people-speak-english-and-where-is-it-spoken
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-28269496
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationopinion/11695356/Can-genes-predict-foreign-language-learning-skills.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/16/parenting/children-language-development.html
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20181024-the-best-age-to-learn-a-foreign-language
https://www.telc.net/en/about-telc/news/detail/do-children-really-learn-languages-faster-than-adults.html
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-47334374
https://epi.org.uk/publications-and-research/teacher-shortages-in-england-analysis-and-pay-options/
https://www.britishcouncil.org/contact/press/uk-adults-regret-losing-language-skills-school-days
https://esol.britishcouncil.org/content/learners/skills/reading/british-worst-learning-languages
https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/how-many-people-speak-english-and-where-is-it-spoken
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-28269496
