Jocelyn Wyburd
Chair of UCML & Director of the Language
Centre, University of Cambridge
40000
35000
other
+61%
Spanish
+56%
25000
German
-43%
20000
French
-34%
30000
15000
10000
Fr, Ge & Sp
-18%
5000
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
0
100
90
80
70
60
French
50
German
40
Spanish
30
Italian
20
10
0
1998
2007
2013
2015
25000
20000
-57%
Russian/E Euro
Others non-Euro
Others European
15000
10000
5000
Italian
Iberian
German/Scand
French
0
Asian
African/middleeastern
45000
40000
35000
30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
34%
34%
34%
32%
31%
25%
23%
Post-1992
Pre-1992
66%
66%
66%
68%
69%
75%
77%
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Fewer ‘double’ linguists at A level, identifying
themselves less as ‘linguists’?
(Mis)perceptions about what language study
consists of?
Anxiety about having to do a 4th year?
Anxiety about living abroad?
Concerns about the value of language
degrees for employability?
Loss of choice of programme due to
departmental closures?
Severe / unreliable grading at A level
 A level reform: 3 subjects instead of 4 post
GCSE?
⇛Future further decline in A level take-up?
with further implications on languages degrees
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All pupils entering Year 7 in 2015 to take
GCSE in EBacc subjects (2020)
Should drive greater take-up at A level?
New GCSEs (1st exams 2018) should prepare
better for A level?
New A levels should be more motivational?
New A levels an opportunity to get marking
schemes which do not have the same issues
of unreliability?
N.B. DfE teacher shortage estimate: 4,000
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Institution-Wide Language Programmes
Taken as ‘free choice’ options for credit or extra
curricular
2014 national survey: 64 HEI responses; total
enrolments: c. 55,000; c. 39% of these are ‘non UK’
students;
Numbers have doubled in a decade and are now
double the number enrolled on language degrees
Wide number of languages (most HEIs: 6-11
different languages offered)
Enrolments
5%
2%
2% 5%
Spanish
25%
French
German
7%
Chinese
Japanese
8%
Italian
Arabic
8%
Russian
14%
24%
Portuguese
Other
Overall
Particular languages
35
Spanish
30
25
Japanese
20
HEIs
15
10
Arabic
HEIs
Chinese
5
German
0
Higher
Lower
About the
same
0
5
10
15
20
25
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A result of campaigning/outreach for languages
in general (including Routes)
Impact from dissemination of reports/statements
by the British Academy, British Chambers of
Commerce, CBI etc
Recent increased press coverage of need for
language skills (e.g. BA/Guardian initiative)
University internationalisation strategies and
language policies and promotion of the concept
of the global graduate
Peer pressure: international students acquiring
3rd/4th/5th language putting pressure on home
students to compete
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Polarisation of ‘(functional) language skills’ vs
‘language (-based) studies’
Increased awareness of availability – driving
student choice to other subjects with a
language on the side
Contribute to the closure of degree
programmes – shift in university/senior
management decisions about language
provision to IWLP only
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single/joint honours
degree in/with
languages (languagebased study)
language departments
language +
cultural/area studies
compulsory year
abroad
small numbers of high
level specialists
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combinations of X +
language(s)
IWLP only (some
language learning for
credit/extra-curricular)
language centres
language only/some
embedded culture?
optional outward
mobility
large numbers with lowlevel skills
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“Employers don’t want a graduate who has
spent 3 years reading medieval French
literature” [Chair of the Board of a major global company,
Nov 2014]
Or the direct opposite:
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“Employers think a Chinese studies degree is
only about learning the language, without any
study of contemporary China” [UCML East Asian
studies representative report to plenary 2014]
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Degrees in languages are incredibly varied and
multidisciplinary:
◦ Literature, film, contemporary/popular culture
◦ Society, social sciences, economics, history, business,
international relations, politics
◦ Linguistics, translation studies
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… and develop wide and important skills
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High level language skills (near native)
Intercultural competence and awareness
(Translation, interpreting and teaching skills)
International study / work experience
Personal maturity and resilience
Team-work, communication skills, the ability to process,
summarise and analyse text etc etc etc
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Evidence from fMRI scans etc
Increased grey matter
Brain plasticity
Cognitive processing skills in a number of
different contexts including creativity,
problem solving etc
Not just of relevance to ‘bilinguals’ from
childhood but constantly developing in all L2
learners/users (in contrast to monolinguals)
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Studying (whether via Erasmus or in nonEuropean universities)
Language Assistantships
Work experience (paid/unpaid – wide variety)
More than one type of experience
More than one country
Wide range of destinations globally
Recommended site:
www.thirdyearabroad.com
… but with invaluable
added extras!
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High for graduate linguists nationally – wide variety of
sectors, good transferable skills
◦ Need to decide what career they want and sell their employability
skills for that primarily
◦ Language and intercultural skills set them apart, but putting them
centre stage can be counter-productive (unless for specialist
language careers like translating, interpreting, teaching)
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Mixed messages from employers
◦ Damage to economy of lack of language skills, particularly SMEs
and export opportunities
◦ BCC has called for compulsory languages at least to GCSE,
preferably through 14-19 education
◦ High dissatisfaction from CBI members about graduate/schoolleaver language skills
◦ Don’t always understand what graduates in and with languages
are and can do
◦ Don’t routinely specify language skills in person specifications
◦ Rarely call for policy changes (can and do hire from abroad)
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National languages policy conference/round table Oct
2015 (Cambridge) with multiple civil servants: formal
statement to come
UCML writing to Ofqual re severe/unreliable grading
National conference/round table Feb 2016 on
reconceptualising language degrees (BA)
Regular comments in the press
Forthcoming Routes into Languages publication on
employability (n.b. Routes finishes Jul 2016)
Forthcoming Born Global report (BA)
Numerous comments in press, public statements,
blogs…
New AHRC Open World Initiative research projects
with major goal of transforming understanding and
public engagement
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We need linguists – not just those with language
skills on the side but those with specialist, high
level competence and deep cultural knowledge
We need language teachers, translators and
interpreters
Studying languages is inherently fascinating
Language graduates are highly employable
High functioning linguists have more powerful
brains
HE linguists need to do more to demonstrate the
value of our disciplines; we also need support
from school teachers and to support you