Do Young People Care about Learning Foreign Languages?

 

Do young people in the UK care about learning languages? Fewer students than ever are choosing to study a language degree at university, and since 2004, taking a language at GCSE* has not been compulsory, so the simple answer would seem to be no. This is disconcerting news for a country which is not exactly famous for its multilingualism.

However, research conducted by the organisation ICM paints a far more complex picture of youth attitudes in the UK. Those choosing to study languages may have dropped, but of the 1001 young people between the ages of 14-24 interviewed in the survey, almost 20% already speak another language at home with their family, and 70% would be interested in learning another language in the future.

When asked to pick the three main benefits of learning a language, students said that job prospects at home and abroad were both key incentives. Learning about another culture and the experience of communicating also scored highly in this section. So if languages offer you the ability to make new friends and work abroad, why are young people put off? Asked to pick the three main downsides of learning a language, the difficulty of the learning process was an important reason but the idea that they were less interesting than other subjects came top for our young interviewers. Interestingly, low confidence levels in speaking another language also played a role in this decision.

Asking interviewers to comment on their ability in the language they had studied at school provided perhaps the most revealing piece of data from the survey. For most of the languages, students don’t perceive themselves to be progressing past basic language levels. The survey suggested that the opportunity to use a language outside the classroom and communicate with native speakers would make language learning more attractive. As for teaching inside the classroom, young people want more interaction, and more technology.

*GCSE – General Certificate of Secondary Education (in the UK)

The Guardian (Adapted)

Question 1: [2,5 POINTS] Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer. 

a) More students are choosing to study a language degree at university than before.

b) One fifth of students in the study are bi-lingual.

c) Better work opportunities are seen as an advantage to learning languages.

d) The main reason for not studying a language is its difficulty.

e) Students are completely happy with how languages are taught at school.

Question 2: [1,5 POINTS] Find words or phrases in the text that correspond to the words and definitions given

a) Obligatory (par. 1)

b) Points of view (par.2)

c) Disadvantages (par. 3)

d) See (par.4)

e) Chance (par. 4)

Question 3: [2 POINTS] Choose the most suitable answer (a, b or c) according to the text.

1. Most young people in the UK…

a. Are not keen on learning languages.

b. Must study languages at school.

c. Can speak several languages.

2. Young people put off learning languages ........ it offers them the ability to make new friends.

a. if

b. although

c. despite

3. Some students would be interested in learning another language......

a. if it helped them work abroad.

b. unless it helped them work abroad.

c. If it had helped them work abroad.

4. When starting to learn a language ......

a. you do not perceive any progress.

b. you progress quick.

c. you progress fast.

Question 4: [4 POINTS] Write a short essay on the following topic:

In your opinion, what are the advantages and disadvantages of having to learn foreign languages?

KEY

Question 1

a. False. Fewer students than ever are choosing to study a language degree at university

b. True. almost 20% already speak another language at home with their family

c. True. students said that job prospects at home and abroad were both key incentives

d. False. the difficulty of the learning process was an important reason but the idea that they were less interesting than other subjects came top for our young interviewers

e. False. As for teaching inside the classroom, young people want more interaction, and more technology.

Question 2

a. Compulsory

b. Attitudes

c. Downsides

d. Perceive

e. Opportunity

Question 3

1. a)  are not keen on learning languages.

2. b) although

3. a) if it helped them work abroad.

4. c) you progress fast.