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?