How important are languages in a modern society today? Have we become too ignorant to say they are no longer useful? 

 

Language plays an important part in the society we are in and is the basis to how we communicate with eachother on a day to day basis. Our dying interest in languages has had a significant impact on how we can perform certain tasks on a daily basis and the disregard for these important skills will cost us massively in the future.  No matter which language, every single one is useful; whether the world of business relies on them or governmental work lies on the basis of having good language speakers, in order to deal with affairs overseas. The harsh truth is that we simply cannot function properly without having people who speak them. 

 

According to Mike Kelly from the All-Party Parliamentary Group, our lack in language knowledge has costed us over 3.5% GDP(The economic growth of a country)and it’s now beginning to create blind spots for our export markets, tourism and plenty of other assets that are so vital to our country. Reports have shown that around 50 universities have entirely cut out language courses for students due to the lack of resources in order to teach them. Despite government intervention, more and more schools and colleges are giving up on languages and the number of students coming out of education with knowledge or an appreciation for them is starting to become worrying. A Level and GCSE classes are often being scrapped due to the low numbers of interest and not many education institutions implement language policies to ensure that everyone has a chance at receiving a lifelong opportunity. French, Spanish and German are part of the group that take dominance and the government aim to change this and ensure that languages such as Mandarin, Russian and Arabic also make their way into education quickly through the “Top 5 Languages for the Future” program. Some of the major impacts that this deficit will have are things such as the economy and trade. Many of the economically growing countries nowadays are non-Anglophone and the emphasis of trade is slowly moving away from England because of the inability to properly communicate. Over 96% of small business owners don’t have the skills to communicate well with non-English speakers. Orders can go misunderstood; inquiries will go unanswered. Our wide range of connections with people will slowly decrease over time. What about defense and security? Languages are vital and they are proven to be a successful subject for many, but it's only with the help of local and national governments to make that change.

Can we stop ourselves falling into a worse off language crisis? 

 

 

As a language student, languages are one of my biggest passions and I want to leave you with 5 reasons for learning a language:

 

1)Language degrees are the second most regarded degrees after medicine. Employers are more likely to choose people with these sort of skills as they offer a lot to their businesses/trades. 

2)You feel more trustworthy and can trust others more – Being able to communicate with people who don’t know many people around them who speak their language makes them feel more comfortable about themselves in a hostile environment. 

3)Once you learn one language, learning another gets easier – You’re transferring the same skills and mechanisms into learning new words and structures.

4)You will appreciate cultural diversity a lot more. You’re able to travel the world and discover new things all the time. 

5)Taking a language as an A Level or having the skills in general, opens you up to so many opportunities in so many sectors: art, film, sport and so many more. It gives you the ability to quickly think on your feet which a lot of other subjects can’t give you.

 

But the question comes down to whether it’s possible to learn these languages, whether they’re spoken by millions or only whispered by a few. Is it even possible? The answer is yes and if you put the time into learning them, results will pay off quickly, rest assured. And the good thing is not all of it costs! There are plenty of free apps such as Duolingo and others such as Babbel which requires a subscription. There are also audio courses and plenty more you have at your fingertips to get going with your language learning. Yes, some languages will take more time than others. But go with the language that interests you the most and stick with it. Soon you’ll have a skill you’ll never forget and opportunities you never thought were there, will open up to you very quickly.