This paper takes stock of the state of language learning in the UK,
as the country teeters on the edge of Brexit and becomes used
to being led by the first Prime Minister in over 50 years to have
studied Languages at university.
The author, Megan Bowler, a Classics student at the University of
Oxford, looks at the broad benefits to individuals, society and the
economy of learning languages. She also shows the UK has sunk
far below other European countries in the proportion of young
people who are familiar with another language, and she explains
how this is now hitting university Languages Departments.
Packed with case studies and based on a wide range of source
materials, the report ends with a list of recommendations for
policymakers and educational institutions throughout the UK,
including: making Language courses more interesting to study;
reintroducing compulsory Languages at GCSE (where this does
not already exist); and ensuring migration rules encourage the
supply of those who can teach Languages.