Language GCSEs and A-Levels at a new low – 5 reasons why this is a British disaster story

The news this week that the number of British teenagers taking language exams has hit a new low has been met with massive public indifference. The attitude of the man or woman in the street seems to be – so what? This is an attitude that’s dangerously, disastrously wrong. We should care very much about learning a language and here are 5 reasons why:

1. Jobs and languages
Getting a job isn’t easy in the current economic climate and people who only speak English are limited to the English-speaking world. That leaves about 80% of the world completely out of reach, including much of Europe and its powerhouse economies of Germany, France and Italy, plus some of the fastest growing economies in the world – China, Brazil and Russia.

2. International trade and languages
International trade is about both buying and selling. If you’re buying, people will make an effort to speak to you in your own language to try and seal the deal, won’t they? Apparently not if the seller is a native English speaker, who will try and convince you to buy in English. Given the choice, would you prefer a supplier who can communicate with you in your own language, or one who can’t?

3. International influence and languages
Britain has a great fictional tradition of linguists who promote British interests overseas - Ian Fleming’s James Bond had a degree in Oriental Studies, specialising in Japanese, while George MacDonald Fraser’s splendid Harry Flashman had a knack for picking up languages and spoke excellent French, German, Russian, Arabic, Hindi, Chinese, Pashto and some Apache.

In reality, Britain has relied on its English-speaking allies and trading partners, particularly the USA, to bolster its standing in the world, but now that the banking crisis of 2008 (?) has weakened the US economy and the Obama administration seems to be leading a change in US attitudes towards Britain, does it make any sense to continue to rely on the favour of other nations, just because they speak our language?

4. Travelling independently and languages
We love to travel – that’s undeniable, but we get into trouble as soon as we leave the comfort of the English-speaking bubble we can often surround ourselves with. Even in France, Spain or Germany, our near neighbours, you don’t have to stray too far before you come face-to-face with mutual incomprehension and have to resort to pointing, smiling and waving your arms about. Frankly, this is not ideal, especially for those of us who want to move to sunnier climes, buy a property there or maybe even set up a business. Heaven help us if we get into difficulties with the law or have a sudden medical emergency!

5. Cultural mind-expansion and languages
Nowadays, it would be quite possible to live your life without ever setting foot outside your house. You can work and shop, even keep up with your like-minded friends online and never need to leave the comfort of your home. But the world becomes a much more exciting, fulfilling and enriching place when you step outside and engage with it. Britons used to venture far and wide, exploring the world and bringing back such exotic delights as tea, coffee, sugar, wine, precious stones and metals, exquisite works of art and music. Now we seem to want to put our heads under the duvet (another import), stick our fingers in our ears and pretend that the rest of the world isn’t really happening. Surely, that can’t be healthy, can it?

Learning a Language as an Adult - 5 Top Tips

It's a well-known fact that adult learners of languages have a much more difficult time of it than children do, for the simple reason that children's brains are far more malleable when it comes to language learning. In fact somewhere after the age of eleven, the native-language learning centre of the brain gets badly "fried" in the hormonal onslaught of puberty and an older teenager or adult can never recapture the ease with which children can learn a new language. Sad, but true.

A lot of foreign language teaching for adults centres round "conversation topics" or "learning verbs" but without context these techniques can be stultifying and it's so important that adults keep their motivation to learn a new language.

For example, what better way to get de-motivated than by a "conversation topic"? This technique might introduce you to eight greetings, all in lesson one; you know the sort of thing: "Hi! Hello! How are you? Nice to meet you! G'day! Good morning! Good afternoon! Good evening!" You hear and see these phrases repeatedly and then you practise them in role-play and (hopefully) remember them.

Or another great de-motivator, "learning verbs" might introduce you to, say, German irregular verbs by teaching the present indicative of sein - to be, all in one lesson; for example: "ich bin - I am, du bist - you (informal) are, er/sie/es ist - he/she/it is, wir sind - we are, ihr seid - you (informal plural) are, Sie sind - you (formal plural) are, sie sind - they are." Then you practise, or chant, the verbs by rote and (hopefully) remember them.

The trouble with both of these approaches is that this is not how language works or what it's for. Language is a tool for communication. As a social tool, it strengthens relationships. As a practical tool, language gets you what you need and allows you to influence others. And it's a tool which you learned as a small child as a complete package, exactly in the context in which you needed to use it.
So, recognising this difficulty for adults, here are my five top tips for learning a new language when you're over the age of eleven.

1. Learn a new language in a naturalistic context
Context is everything. Stories told in the new language are an ideal way to learn because they allow you to talk about realistic situations which develop in an natural way.

2. Learn a new language a little bit at a time
Get a course which is structured to introduce you to the new language in a gradual and logical way. Overload is demoralising and de-motivating.

3. Give yourself plenty of mental "hooks" to hang the vocabulary of your new language onto
Try to combine the sound and written shape of a new piece of vocabulary with a visual clue, such as a picture or actual object. This is rather like how you learned to speak in the first place and is one of the few childish things that survives into adult language learning.

4. Practise your new language regularly
Little and often habituates the brain to the new language.

5. Practise your new language in a structured way
If you're trying to learn, say, a new part of the German verb: sein - to be, find a course which lets you practise using it in context until it feels natural and you produce it automatically, without having to think.

These five tips will help you learn a new language - and, crucially, internalise it. In fact, they're some of the key principles on which Alcuin Languages courses are based.

(This is an abridged version of an article by Susan Valdar which appeared in EzineArticles in February 2010)

Learn German - Happy Easter - Frohe Ostern

Did the Easter bunny - der Osterhase - bring you some Easter eggs - Ostereier - this year? The custom of hiding Easter eggs in the garden - im Garten - for children to find on Easter Day – am Ostersonntag comes from Germany originally. Once upon a time the eggs were just normal hard-boiled chicken eggs - hartgekochte Hühnereier – coloured – bemalt, painted – bemalt and decorated – verziert. Nowadays, children would be very disappointed to receive anything but an egg made out of milk chocolate – Vollmilchschokolade. No one is quite sure when the custom originated, but it was certainly first mentioned in the 17th century – im siebzehnten Jahrhundert by a disapproving German medic who warned about the consequences of over-indulgence – die Folgen vom übermäßigen Verzehr in these eggs.

Should Germany introduce Turkish language high schools = türkische Gymnasien?

The Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Erdogan, has cause controversy in Germany by demanding the introduction of Turkish grammar schools or high schools = Gymnasien, staffed by native Turkish teachers, into Germany. He is quoted in the German press as saying: “We have German high schools in Turkey. Why shouldn’t there be any Turkish high schools in Germany?” = “In der Türkei haben wir deutsche Gymnasien. Warum sollte es keine türkischen Gymnasien in Deutschland geben?"

He was referring to the continuing language problems = die anhaltenden Sprachprobleme of many of the three million Turks = die drei Millionen Türken living in Germany. He accused Germany of not seeing the signs of the times = die Zeichen der Zeit and went on to say that first of all one has to master one’s own language, that is Turkish, and that this was unfortunately seldom the case = leider selten der Fall.

This isn’t the first time the Turkish Prime Minister has made this suggestion = dieser Vorschlag. The first time was in February 2008. He also wants to set up a Turkish-German university = Türkisch-Deutsche Universität in Germany to match the one being set up in Istanbul. Erdogan claims that it would be a contribution to integration = ein Beitrag zur Integration.

Erdogan also wants the introduction of dual nationality = die doppelte Staatsangehörigkeit for Turks and Germans and is insisting on = besteht auf full EU membership for Turkey.

Of course, there is the small problem of Cyprus = Zypern to sort out first!

Forget Valentine’s Day – It’s Rose Monday!

While we British have been spending time, effort and money on wooing our beloveds on Valentine's Day yesterday, in the German speaking world they’ve been pre-occupied with the beginning of Lent = die Fastenzeit. The Brits might remember to eat a pancake = der Pfannkuchen or two, but in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, it’s the end of Karneval (if you live in the North) or Fasching (if you live in the South) and it’s a time to party as hard as you can. Millions of people have taken part in Rose Monday parades = Rosenmontagsumzüge, either as participants = Teilnehmer or as spectators = Zuschauer, many (if not most) in fancy dress = verkleidet. There’s been music on the streets, tonnes of sweets have been thrown to children and scantily-clad revellers have danced = getanzt, drunk = getrunken and sung = gesungen as they enjoyed watching the carnival floats = Prunkwagen and floats satirising politicians = Persiflagewagen go by. It’s not how you think of Germans, Austrians and Swiss at all, is it?
Of course, many more Brits have heard of the incredibly glitzy Viennese Opera Ball = der Wiener Opernball which took place last Friday. This year, Katie Price was there, resplendent in a light blue shoulderless gown = in hellblauer schulterfreier Robe declaring that she was “a lady”.
So, tonight the celebrations come to an end. Tomorrow is Shrove Tuesday = Fastnachtsdienstag or Faschingsdienstag and then Lent begins on Ash Wednesday = Aschermittwoch and everyone calms down a bit until Easter = Ostern!

Avatar: the most successful film in the world - der erfolgreichste Film der Welt

Well, who would have thought that a tale about blue humanoids = blaue Männchen who live in harmony with nature = in Einklang mit der Natur would cause such a lot of controversy = große Kontroversen!

Did I mention it was in 3-D?

The novelty of an entertaining film using this technology = die Technik seems to be what has attracted most cinema-goers, but some commentators think it’s anti-capitalist = antikapitalitisch or even anti-American = antiamerikanisch, while still others think this is a fable = das Märchen in which a white man saves = rettet the noble savages = die Wilden and so is deeply imperialist = imperialistisch or even racist = rassistisch. Whatever its intention = die Absicht might be, the result = die Folge is a publicity man’s dream! It’s already had record box-office takings = das Einspielergebnis and with all the fuss about it, we can only expect them to grow.

Haiti after the quake: Chaos, Death and Devastation - Haiti nach dem Beben: Chaos, Tod und Verwüstung

Dominating the news = die Nachrichten this week are the awful images and stories coming out of the devastation = die Verwüstung in Haiti. The number of lives lost in the massive earthquake = das Erdbeben there is only the start. The survivors = die Überlebenden of the catastrophe = die Katastrophe struggle to stay alive in a place where all rule of law has collapsed, while rescue teams = die Rettungsteams who come from all over the world = aus aller Welt have begun a race against time = der Wettlauf gegen die Zeit, desperately trying to bring help = die Hilfe into a place where there is only one airstrip = die Start- und Landebahn, der or die Runway, where the harbour = der Hafen took the brunt of the earthquake and roads = die Straßen have been shattered by it. Haiti has become a place where a drama featuring the best and the worst in human nature = die menschliche Natur is being played out in real time. Forget about watching apocalyptic = apokalyptisch movies about the end of the world; Haiti is experiencing = erlebt it first hand now.