"Learn 1,000 words in a new language urges campaign"

This headline was publicised on the BBC website earlier today due to new concerns that a lack of linguistic skill in England is contributing to “a worrying divide”, separating England from Europe. This divide may be preventing England from doing trading internationally and could minimise the amount of jobs available to British people.

The figure of 1,000 words is an estimate for the minimum amount for someone to be able to sustain a simple conversation. Although it varies a lot, the native speaker tends to use 2,000 words in their everyday lexicon. This is a lot larger than the number recommended by the BBC, showing that in order to make a big difference, people need not know everything. The most important aspect of language for a novice to learn is basic grammar and simple but specialised vocabulary for the situation that the language will be required.

As quoted from their website:

“We are not expecting instant fluency. Yet if everyone were capable of at least 1,000 words in a new language, social attitudes and economic prospects would be significantly enhanced”

In 2004, the Labour government made it no longer compulsory to study a language at GCSE. Although initially there was a decline of students choosing to study languages, this pattern has now reversed.  For example the amount of GCSE entries of modern languages has increased by 16.9% since last year. But do students learn 1,000 words in a language GCSE? 60% of the examinations are in coursework form. This includes both the writing and speaking aspects, where pupils have to write a draft and then simply memorise it – showing no skill of using the language spontaneously or any real knowledge of what they are saying! For preparing for the listening/ reading exam, students learn a lot of vocabulary. However, this is a genuine question from a past paper, showing the foundation tier of GCSE Spanish:

You are going on an exchange to Barcelona. This is Ana, the person you are going to stay with.

¡ Hola !

What does Ana say?

Therefore, I think that it’s very unlikely that anyone only studying a language GCSE will be able to even ‘hold a simple conversation.’ In order to produce a generation of linguists, they need to advance their skills to A-level.  According to the article, the number of students studying French and German at A-level are in a steady decline. This could be for a range of reasons, maybe some students aren’t encouraged enough or they may not know the benefits it would bring to their future career. It could also because fewer students manage to get high grades in languages in comparison to sciences and humanities. Only 6.9% of language students achieved an A* in summer 2013, where as 8.4% managed to achieve the same grade in the sciences. This possible shows that languages are harder A-levels than other subjects, which may put some prospective students off,  since grades are often more important than the subjects studied.

To conclude, in order to eradicate the stereotype that Brits do not learn languages and to make a noticeable change within society and business, we need to encourage students to continue their studies so that they are able to communicate efficiently.

The original webpage: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-24231822