Making The Case
Language skills are important in every sector of society. Whether in schools, universities, at work or across civil society as a whole, a lack of language skills can hold us back individually and as communities and organisations.
The dramatic drop in the number of young people studying languages for GCSE, A Level and in our universities is a critical cause of concern. This year has seen a number of calls to action which draw attention to the need for all stakeholders to act together to address the issues and strengthen language skills across the four nations of the United Kingdom.
Here are key publications from 2019 to help you make the case for languages.
28 February 2019: Languages in the UK: a call for action
From the British Academy, the Academy of Medical Sciences, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society
The four national academies state that the prospect of Brexit ‘makes it even more important for the UK to have the languages needed to forge wider commercial and other links’.
Download the Four Academies Call to Action: www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/publications/languages-uk-academies-statement
4 March 2019: The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Modern Languages set out its National Recovery Programme
The programme set out to revolutionise language skills across the country. The report argues that languages are not just an issue for schools and it says the government, businesses and higher education institutions must also play a part.
Download the National Recovery Programme for Languages: http://bit.ly/LanguagesRecoveryProgramme2019
5 March 2019 The Research in Primary Languages Network (RiPL) published its White Paper: Primary Languages Policy in England – The Way Forward
The White Paper sets out 10 recommendations to support an implementation strategy for primary languages policy in England.
Download the RiPL White Paper: Primary Languages Policy in England – The Way Forward: www.ripl.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/RIPL-White-Paper-Primary-Languages-Policy-in-England.pdf
