Is the UK facing a shortage of foreign language speakers in the near future? That seems to be the case, a new study from the CBI confirms.
The 2014 CBI/Pearson Education and Skills Survey supports those conclusions. According to the CBI survey, two thirds of UK employers prefer to hire employees with foreign language skills.
Which languages are companies looking for? The most requested language was French, with 50% of businesses looking to hire French speakers. 49% were looking for German speakers, and 44% were looking for Spanish speakers. However, the number of businesses looking for Mandarin and Arabic speakers is growing. For example, 31% of the firms surveyed considered Mandarin a useful language for their business. In 2012, only 25 percent did. Likewise, demand for Arabic language skills is up 4 percent since 2012.
In a statement, CBI deputy director general Katja Hall expressed concern about the number of UK students learning these languages:
“With the EU still our largest export market, it’s no surprise to see German, French and Spanish language skills so highly prized by companies. But with China and Latin America seeing solid growth, ambitious firms want the language skills that can smooth the path into new markets. It has been a worry to see foreign language study in our schools under pressure with one in five schools having a persistently low take-up of languages. The jury remains out as to whether recent government initiatives can help spur a resurgence in language learning. Young people considering their future subject choices should be made more aware of the benefits to their careers that can come from studying a foreign language.”
To address this problem, the government is making foreign languages mandatory in UK schools starting at age seven.
Is there anything else we should be doing to encourage British children to learn foreign languages? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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My daughter is studying German and Management at Leeds University, she wants to work with a British Firm and to find a placement next year for her “year out” what British businesses need German speaking Management candidates? Would love to know.