John Worne, the British Council’s Director of Strategy, commented:
“It's another day of disappointment for language lovers, as we continue to see a steady decline in UK students choosing to study foreign languages at university level. One good piece of news is some students are opting to study a language alongside another degree subject – more should, it’s a particularly attractive combination for employers.
“As our ‘Languages for the Future’ report highlights, languages are really important for the UK’s future prosperity. So we need more of our young people, not fewer, to develop their language skills to a functional level for trade and export. But more than that, understanding another language is the basis for understanding another culture - and an open mind and an international outlook have never been more important for the UK's place in the world.”
For more information please contact Kristen McNicoll, British Council Press and Digital Officer, on 0207 389 4967 or kristen.mcnicoll@britishcouncil.org
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We work in more than 100 countries and our 8,000 staff – including 2,000 teachers – work with thousands of professionals and policy makers and millions of young people every year by teaching English, sharing the arts and delivering education and society programmes.
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