UUP MEP says more must be done to encourage young people to study Modern Languages
Ulster Unionist Member of the European Parliament, Jim Nicholson today welcomed the opening of the opportunity Europe fair and exhibition at St George’s market which will be open to the public until tomorrow by saying that more must be done to encourage our young people to take up modern languages at school.
At the event, run by Belfast City Council, the British Council and the European Commission office in Belfast, you can find information about working, studying, volunteering and travelling in Europe and discover more about Northern Ireland’s links with Europe and other information.
In a statement Mr Nicholson said,
“Events like this are extremely important for educating people about how the EU works and the possibilities that exist for work, travel and study in Europe. Every year more and more of our young people take advantage of programmes like ERASMUS which allow them to study in Europe for a year and increasingly more people are taking advantage of cheap flights to Europe.
“Yet, despite all this many people fail to recognise the value of learning a foreign language.
“The competitive global economy in which we all must operate means that businesses and corporations all over the world are keen to recruit people with language skills. Recent surveys have even indicated that language graduates are less likely to be unemployed than those who study other disciplines.
“It is extremely worrying that the numbers of students taking a foreign language to GCSE level are rapidly declining. Parents and pupils must realise that studying a foreign language can significantly enhance employability and aid personal development. The Government made a serious mistake when they abolished the requirement that pupils had to study a foreign language at GCSE level and I would urge them to rethink their position. A much higher emphasis must be put, in both primary and secondary schools, on learning a modern language.”