Languages: The State of the Nation - a report

Languages: the state of the Nation

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Matteo Fumagalli

The British Academy has just published the report
Languages: The State of the Nation. Demand and supply of language skills in the UK
Some of the key findings of the report:

• There is strong evidence that the UK is suffering from a growing deficit in foreign language skills at a time when globally, the demand for language skills is expanding
• The range and nature of languages being taught is insufficient to meet current and future demand
• Language skills are needed at all levels in the workforce, and not simply by an internationally-mobile elite
• A weak supply of language skills is pushing down demand and creating a vicious circle of monolingualism
• Languages spoken by British school children, in addition to English, represent a valuable future source of supply – if these skills can be developed appropriately.

There is clearly room for improvement and also scope for reform.
The full report can be accessed here