Languages
in Europe
Language learning
has always been an important aspect of European culture.
With eleven official languages of the European Union, the
concept of communicating in a second language has become
vital in ensuring integration on both cultural and linguistic
levels. Indeed, this is an issue that, in fifty years time,
will most likely become worldwide.
While
it is widely acknowledged that English is the predominant
language in most global businesses, it is also becoming
evident that this situation is unlikely to be permanent.
It has been predicted that in fifty years time, there will
be five official world languages, Spanish, Urdu, Chinese,
English and Arabic. This will lead to a far greater emphasis
on language learning than there has ever been before.
Thanks to the
light speed growth of the computer and communications industries,
multinational companies are rapidly becoming bigger and
more successful. This is creating a gaping hole in the market
for multi-lingual staff. More and more companies want to
employ personnel who are not only specialised, but also
able to communicate in more than one language. A Nuffield
Foundation report, published last year, pointed out that;
“companies increasingly need personnel and technical
or professional skills plus another language, and often
their only option is to recruit native speakers of other
languages”.
EC Encouragement
It is no surprise,
therefore, that a European Commission proposal in 2000 stated
that language learning can lead to a “wide spectrum
of economic benefits… not only employability, but improved
job satisfaction and career prospects for individuals”.
This proposal was the beginning of the European Year of
Languages, a joint initiative from the European Commission
and the Council of Europe designed to encourage language
learning over the next few years. The strategy of this programme
is to encourage not only the learning , but also the teaching
of language skills in Europe.
This
programme, coupled with others such as the Socrates scheme
and the Leonardo da Vinci programme, are making Europe one
of the best places to study languages in the world. With
a multitude of foreign languages on the doorsteps of most
European learning institutions, such schemes thrive at providing
linguistic diversity amongst students.
Socrates is an
educational scheme encompassing 31 European countries, including
the fifteen Member States of the EU. Its primary objective
is to encourage language learning through programmes such
as Erasmus, which is aimed at higher education and focuses
on inter-university learning exchanges. These exchanges
are fundamental to language learning, enabling students
to not only immerse themselves in the language of their
choice, but also to expertise the culture of a specific
country.
It is these experiences
that make language learning in Europe not only successful,
but also an intrinsic part of most students’ employability.
In a generation of multinational companies, rapid communication
and fast-growing technology, foreign languages are becoming
a “must-have” amongst employers.
With the opportunities
offered by Europe’s geography, exchange schemes and
commitment to encourage language learning, Europe has become
the centre point for the worldwide linguistic integration.
Author:
Geoffrey Martin,
Head of Representation,
European Commission in the UK.
