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Why Study LanguagesWhy Study LanguagesWhy Study LanguagesWhy Study Languages……When Everyone Speaks English?When Everyone Speaks English?
By: Dr. Shanker Singh Solanki
Sex Goda Skäl FörSex Goda Skäl FörAtt Studera Språk…Att Studera Språk…
Did you understand?
Du kan få ett jobb
Du har nytta av det ute i världen
Du kommer att träffa mycket folk
Du lär känna dig själv bättre
Du kan uppleva nya kulturer
Det är spännande
Six Good Reasons forSix Good Reasons forStudying Languages…Studying Languages…
It’ll get you a job
It’s exciting
It gets you places
You’ll meet lots of new people
You can enjoy new cultures
You’ll find out more about yourself
It’ll Get You a JobIt’ll Get You a JobA few facts about language
graduates and employability
But first – which of the following subjects do YOU think have the best job prospects?
Physical Sciences German
Law Mathematics
Biological Sciences English
Education Business Studies
French Agriculture/Forestry
Psychology Medical Sciences
It’ll Get You a JobIt’ll Get You a JobAverage unemployment rates for
new graduates in the UK 1996-2002
Medicine / Dentistry / Vet Science 0.44%Education 3.19%Law 3.65% German 4.67% French 4.85%All Modern Languages 5.51%Mathematics 6.21%Physical Sciences 6.25% English 6.49%Biological Sciences 6.61% Psychology 6.64%Business / Administration 6.66%Agriculture/Forestry 6.70%
Source: Keith Marshall, 2003
It’ll Get You a JobIt’ll Get You a JobThe jobs new UK graduates
really did in 2002
Business Services 25.3%Banking / Finance 10.8%Wholesale / Retail 11.5%Manufacturing 9.0%Public Administration 9.2%Community / Social Services 6.9%Education 8.0%Transport / Communications 6.9%Health/Social Work 5.3%Hotels & Restaurants 4.4%International Organisations 0.2%Other Areas 2.4%
Source: Keith Marshall, 2003
It’ll Get You a JobIt’ll Get You a Job“Being able to speak other
languages is a skill that gets you ahead”
The UK trades with over 200 countries worldwide (Source: Trade Partners UK, 2002)
"UK businesses need people with language skills, to operate at all levels." (Languages Work Handbook for Languages and Careers, CILT 2004)
“Overseas inward investment into this country means that multilinguals are needed in the UK” (Higher Education Advisory Panel)
“Communication barriers lead to missed business opportunities” (Plasberg, U. (1999) ‘Building bridges to Europe: languages for students of other disciplines’ in the Language Learning Journal, No. 20, pp. 51-58)
It’ll Get You a JobIt’ll Get You a Job“Being able to speak other
languages is a skill that gets you ahead”
“One in every five British exporters (Statistics from Metra Martech) knows it is losing overseas business through its inability to overcome language and cultural differences.”
Ref: BCC Language Survey: The Impact of Foreign Languages on British Business - Part 1: The Qualitative Results (British
“The rapid expansion of opportunities for e-business within a shrinking world is driving a need for languages ability. Customer expectations and the high stakes of winning or losing business require competence to deal in a customer's language.”
Ref: Scottish Executive, Ministerial Action Group on Languages (2000) Citizens of a Multilingual World: Key Issues (www.scotland.gov.uk-library3-education-mwki-07.asp)
It’ll Get You a JobIt’ll Get You a Job“Being able to speak other
languages is a skill that gets you ahead”
Sixth form students say:
“A language allows entry to the European marketplace.”
“A language gives you a competitive edge over an opponent.”
“A language is a USP (unique selling point).”
“It’s an unusual qualification that employers respect.”
“Being successful at another language shows good communication skills and shows employers you are willing to learn new skills and welcome a challenge.”
It’ll Get You a JobIt’ll Get You a Job“Being able to speak other
languages is a skill that gets you ahead”
University students say:
“A language degree is almost like a gift. It's an amazing advantage over other graduates. They're going to be working in English-speaking countries whereas you have the flexibility to go and work in a foreign-speaking country.”
“In today’s world companies do a lot of business with foreign companies. They need to be able to communicate with them. They need people with languages.”
It’ll Get You a JobIt’ll Get You a JobIt’s not just
language skills either
Employers say they value the key skills developed by language learners – these include:
communication skills • team working skills interpersonal skills • presentation skills problem solving skills • organisational skills good learning strategies…
…can you think of any more?
It Gets You PlacesIt Gets You PlacesLanguage degrees often
involve some time working or studying abroad
This might involve living in a European country… or further afield in Africa, Asia, Latin America or North America
Students on non-language degrees can sometimes choose to go abroad on student exchanges
It Gets You PlacesIt Gets You PlacesLiving abroad is an
experience…
“Going to university was amazing but going to Mexico was the best experience in my entire life – it was absolutely fantastic.
It was the Mexican culture and generally being in such a fantastic country – it was just so different to being in the UK”
It Gets You PlacesIt Gets You PlacesYou learn so much…
“You arrive and you have to learn about new customs and where people live. You learn to deal with new people. You have to think about every word you speak until suddenly you are fluent.
It makes you appreciate home too”
Suzanne is going back abroad after her final year to marry her
Mexican boyfriend
You’ll Meet You’ll Meet Lots of New PeopleLots of New People
“I’ve made lots of new friends, it’s really widened my horizons”
Using a language is a social activity and language learning leads to encounters with people from many backgrounds
“Speaking with people from different cultures is very enriching. Languages enable you to do this”
“Learning a language develops your interest in other people”
You’ll Find Out You’ll Find Out More About YourselfMore About Yourself
Most people find their experiencesvery rewarding at a personal level
“It’s a challenge”
“It’s enriching – you develop yourself”
“It opens your mind to understanding other people but it also affects you in your own life”
“You learn to get on with your surroundings – you become less judgemental”
You Can EnjoyYou Can EnjoyNew CulturesNew Cultures
You find out about and experience different cultures
… whilst reflecting on your own
“I really enjoy meeting people with different perspectives on life – with different values – different traditions”
“Meeting other cultures, you start to think about your own country and background”
“You don’t realise that even the most basic things can be different”
It’s ExcitingIt’s Exciting
And studying languages at university you will have lots of choice…
UCAS – the universities admissions service – lists over 7000 different language degree courses on its website
“Just being able to communicate with people who
know a different language from you – it’s a really great feeling”
It’s ExcitingIt’s Exciting
Arabic • Chinese • Czech Dutch • French • German Gujerati • Hebrew • Hindi Indonesian • Irish • Italian
Japanese • Polish • Portuguese Russian • Sanskrit • Slovak Spanish • Swahili • Swedish
Tamil • Thai • Turkish • Welsh
…and many more…
Languages you can choose include
It’s ExcitingIt’s ExcitingThere are 4
language learning routes you could follow at university
Route 1
Take a language degree – study one or more languages together with related modules in areas such as
linguistics • drama • film & media politics & society • history •
literature popular culture
It’s ExcitingIt’s Exciting
Route 2
Take a degree which integrates study of a language with other subjects. This includes degrees in
European Studies • International Studies • Business Studies •
Leisure & Tourism
There are many other possibilities
It’s ExcitingIt’s Exciting
Route 3
Take a joint degree and combine language study with another discipline e.g.
Spanish & Computer Science • Politics & Arabic • Marine
Sciences with French • Geology & Italian
“I find Spanish very challenging and really relevant
to my career choice”
Look in prospectuses to discover more options…
It’s ExcitingIt’s Exciting
Route 4
Take a language option at some point in your degree
Sometimes you can take specialist language options which relate directly to your main course of study e.g.
French for Lawyers • German for Engineers • Italian for Art
Historians
And If You Still Need Convincing…And If You Still Need Convincing…
Maximum Career ProspectsYou will be very employable
Maximum ExperienceThere are lots of personal benefits
Maximum ChoiceThere are many languages and courses to choose from
Maximum FunIt’s certainly not all work and no play
Studying languages means
Produced by the Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area StudiesDeveloped By : Dr. Shanker Singh Solanki