'Don't give up languages', employers urge teenagers
8 October 2007
CILT’s Employers’ Advisory Group, the only national forum for languages in the workplace, issued the following statement on 29 September, the European Day of Languages:
Many more teenagers should choose a language at GCSE than are currently doing so. We want them to be ambitious and successful in the competitive global environment in which we all operate – and to enjoy life to the full. We want teenagers to understand that language skills make them more employable. We want more young Britons to have the confidence to live or work abroad for part of their careers. We want them to be able to play their part in solving global challenges and to gain vital international experience to bring back to our businesses and public services. We want those working in our hotels, transport and tourist services to be able to provide a warm welcome for foreign visitors. We want employees everywhere – and not just the high flyers - to be able to take advantage of global communications and not be held back by language or cultural barriers.
Languages are increasingly needed by employers, because we recognise that we are part of a global economy; but they are equally valued in combination with other skills too, which is why it is important not to drop languages in order to concentrate on another subject areas. People who have science and technology subjects in combination with languages are particularly highly sought after. We value all qualifications too. From 2008 young people will be given the chance to study new 14-19 Diplomas. We hope that these will provide many more opportunities for young people to study languages in practical ways which are relevant to different work environments.
A qualification in a language provides evidence that you have been able to put something of yourself into a task, because in the end learning a language comes down to individual effort. No-one pretends that language learning is easy: having a language qualification sets you apart. It shows you understand what is important rather than choosing what seems easiest, and that is what employers value most of all!
We do not expect young people to be fully fluent in another language when they leave school, but they should gain a strong basis to build on as their career progresses. We support British teenagers and we want them to do well. That is why we want them to continue to study a language for as long as possible during and after their studies.
Language learning develops competences which employers value, regardless of whether that particular language is needed immediately in the job. We want people who are comfortable around people from other cultures, who have outward looking attitudes, and who can communicate well through listening, speaking, reading and writing in any language. Whether someone has studied another language at school, or perhaps developed one they speak at home through private study or Saturday classes, we know that means they have been improving their literacy and communication skills in English too. Taking a risk, thinking flexibly, dealing with the unexpected and working across communication boundaries to build a relationship and get a message through: these are all skills that we value highly, and these are all skills that are developed through learning another language.
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