Britain's Reluctance To Learn Languages Will Cost Us Dear

A recent article in The Guardian once again highlights the serious lack of language skills in the UK. With even lower numbers of young people learning languages and the rise of the importance of global trade with countries such as China, Brazil and Arab-speaking countries, there is a fear that the UK is going to get left behind in the competitive global market.

No-one said that learning a language was going to be an easy task and especially during the school years. However, it has become clear that learning a foreign language is not seen as a priority leading to employment, but rather as a nice subject to learn which may or may not be useful as a career.

Will Hutton - the writer of the article - goes on to outline that this mindset, as well as the general perceived idea that it isn't necessary to learn a foreign language when English is the global language, is part of the reason why there is such a reluctance to learn languages here.

"But Britain has to build, has to trade and has to be open" he says. The sooner the UK realises this the better, otherwise it runs the risk of isolating itself politically and economically in the near future.

Read more about Will Hutton's article in The Guardian and why he feels that Britain is reluctant to learn languages>>