British Academy: The UK's National Academy for the Humanities and Social Sciences
British Academy raises new concerns over decline in language learning
A report issued today by the British Academy raises concerns that the future of the UK’s world class research base might be threatened by the decline in modern language learning and calls for a series of measures by Universities and Government bodies to address this danger.
The report 'Language Matters' follows a year-long study into the effect the fall in modern language learning is having in research fields, especially in humanities and social sciences disciplines, for which the Academy speaks. It is informed by specially commissioned research into the impact this may already be having in UK universities.
The Academy concludes that the declining language skills are damaging the education system in a number of ways:
- it is having a harmful impact on the ability of UK-born and UK-educated researchers to compete with their counterparts from overseas
- it works against efforts to ensure that the UK is a world-class hub of research, which in turn is damaging to the UK’s economy
- it affects the UK’s ability to address many of the most urgent global challenges
- it is damaging the health of humanities and social science research.
The report states: 'In a world of research that is global, these serious shortcomings and deficits undermine the Government’s objective of positioning the UK as a hub of international research.' Research commissioned from RAND Europe showed that universities are addressing this skills shortage by buying in the skills they need from abroad, rather than by helping UK researchers and academics to ‘upskill’.
The Minister for Higher Education, the Rt Hon David Lammy MP, will be among the speakers at the launch event for the report on 3 June. The British Academy welcomes the Government’s recent initiative to encourage language learning in primary schools, but says 'there is an urgent need for a joined-up approach on the part of Government Departments' and calls on the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) 'to develop a more coherent and coordinated approach to the problem'.
The report also calls on Universities to consider bringing in a language requirement for university entry, following the lead taken recently taken by University College, London, or to ensure that students at least leave with a language qualification.
Other speakers at the seminar being held at the British Academy to mark the report’s launch include: Professor Malcolm Grant, Provost of University College, London; Baroness Coussins, Chair of the All-Parliamentary Group for Modern Languages; Baroness O’Neill, President of the British Academy; Professor Philip Esler, Chief Executive of the Arts and Humanities Research Council; and Professor Dame Janet Nelson FBA, Professor of History at King’s College, London, who chaired the expert group that has produced the report.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Published:
02 June 2009
- The 'Language Matters' is available to download. Please note this is embargoed to 11 am on Wednesday 3 June
- For further information please contact Tim Brassell, Director of External Relations at the British Academy on 020 7969 5253 / t.brassell@britac.ac.uk or Vivienne Hurley, Head of Policy Development on 020 7969 5268 / v.hurley@britac.ac.uk.