Professor Michael Worton, UCL

Students are increasingly keen to travel the world before or after university…
Degrees with language options are found in every discipline…
French and German are definitely not the only options…
Language skills are an advantage in the global job market…
…and 75% of the world’s population
DOESN’T speak English
…and universities are increasingly encouraging students to study abroad
…but even if that’s where you start, having one language makes it easier to learn others
…as much for what they say about a person as for their ability to communicate in another language

MFL made optional for students after 14 in 2004
Recognition that compulsion was not in the best interests of de-motivated students
Government move towards
‘personalised learning’

National Languages Strategy introduced in 2002
Support to introduce languages into primary schools
(for 7-11 year olds)
Support for curriculum development for 11-18
Introduction of the Languages Ladder – a new approach to assessment
By 2008, UK Government had invested £135m in languages education in England and Wales

Languages will be compulsory in primary schools after the next curriculum review (currently underway for introduction in
2011)
5090% of students ‘expected’ to learn a language to 16
Government definition of ‘classroom’ languages widened to include community and heritage languages
Languages Ladder and associated qualifications (Asset
Languages) starting to have a real impact

Entry requirements from 2012
Students should either: offer a language at GCSE Grade C or above on entry or be willing to undertake language study as part of their degree programme
Applies only to students seeking admission as home students
Students whose first language is not English can offer a GCSE both in their mother tongue and in English as alternative to an MFL

This decision should be understood in the context of three key priorities for UCL:
Commitment to the principle of ‘education for global citizenship’ and the value we place on attracting students with an awareness of their place in the wider world
Our responsibility to our graduates to ensure they have the skills necessary to ensure enhanced career prospects in a global economy
Our desire to show leadership on issues of importance for
UK education

Necessary that one university should be the first to make such a change – and appropriate that UCL should be that university
Decision reflects our understanding of our own character as an institution and the kind of student we wish to attract: forward-looking, globally-aware, engaged
Aligning ourselves closely with developments in Europe
– particularly the Lisbon agenda

Languages should be regarded as a general pre-requisite for a university education – particularly in a university committed to ‘global citizenship’
Language study prioritises the acquisition of skills (ability to listen well, to read unfamiliar text for sense, to communicate in unfamiliar contexts) which are relevant in all disciplines
UCL has made it a strategic priority to increase the numbers of students spending some part of their degree course abroad
The change will help us to attract students keen to embrace international opportunities
– and provide an impetus for curriculum development in order to reflect the interests of these students and to mark UCL out as a global institution
Helps us to fulfil our responsibility to ensure our students are equipped with the skills necessary for their future careers

Although we should be aware of possible negative implications for the widening participation cohort, we should not automatically assume the worst:
2004 :
Languages made optional for all post-14
BUT
2006 :
All schools required to ensure AT
LEAST 50% of students study a language to GCSE
It is reasonable to assume that schools will encourage the top 50% of each year group to continue with MFL to GCSE
We do not therefore expect to see a significant reduction in the numbers of students applying to us with a GCSE in a modern foreign language

Any reduction is likely to be temporary
Government is investing heavily in primary languages teaching
From 2010, every child in
England and Wales will be entitled to study a language from age 7
Long-term (2014+), we should expect all students to be entering secondary school with a significant grounding in a modern language
Languages will be a compulsory part of the curriculum for all 7-14 year olds from 2011
The timetable coincides with UCL’s for the introduction of an MFL requirement

4,000 Enrolments in 2008-09
1,300 students following a course-unit in a foreign language.
Most popular languages:
Spanish (345); French (327);
Italian (122); Mandarin (100)
Over 1,000 students following an evening course (the main
European languages, but also
Arabic, Icelandic, Japanese, etc)
Translation Skills in French,
German and Spanish
Academic Reading courses in
French and Spanish (for
Historians, Art Historians, etc)
Preparatory classes in Language and Culture for students going to study abroad
MA in Film Studies / Film Clubs
English for Academic Purposes

Able to recognise and value cultural difference
Critical and creative thinker
Entrepreneur with the ability to innovate
Ambitious – but also idealistic and committed to ethical behaviour
Willing to assume leadership roles
Highly employable and ready to embrace professional mobility

Not just about learning
French and German
Make lesson content fit the students, rather than the syllabus
Reconceptualise language learning in the classroom
One language is just the start…
Fluency is not necessarily the goal
Not just learning a language, but changing the way you think

Languages are for anyone interested in culture, communication, travel, people
Languages are skills as well as ‘subjects’
Languages are relevant in all disciplines and in all job sectors
Languages increase options at university: study abroad, degree courses, choice of specialisms
Languages are in demand: by employers and by universities
Languages prepare you for the challenges of being a citizen of the world

Languages Work: factsheets, presentations, arguments http://www.languageswork.org.uk/
http://www.llas.ac.uk/whystudylanguages/index.aspx
700 reasons to study languages http://www.llas.ac.uk/700reasons/orderform.aspx

Still too early to say how the changes will impact on takeup of languages at university
Can expect a temporary falling-off at all levels until primary language learning is well-established
Cautious optimism about the linguists of the future and, more importantly, about the linguistic and inter-cultural skills of graduates
UCL keen to establish language and intercultural skills as an integral part of the undergraduate ‘profile’