According to the article in The Observer, fewer and fewer British students are learning second language. You may argue that, in fact, they don't need second language since it is English that everybody uses as an international language. Still, I don't think that removing second language from the "core curriculum" is such a good idea.
Learning other languages makes people more opent and tolerant towards different cultures. When you go abroad and use the language that is used in a particular country, you show respect for the poeple who live there. When a person goes to Britain, he/she is expected to use English. Thus, shouldn't a British person who goes to France have at least a basic knowledge of French?
In Poland we are aware that knowing one foreign language is often not enough to get our dream job. Whether we like or not, we learn not only English but also other languages to increase our chances of getting a good job. For some young British people who may later decide to work abroad the knowledge of second language may also be crucial.
I know that some pepole consider learning foreign languages as a waste of time. However, others may say the same about maths, biology or history, and yet no one would ever consider removing these subjects from the curriculum. The reasons for learning these subjects are not more important than the reasons for learning second language.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
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