A year after Aberdeen University announced their scrapping of single-honours modern languages degrees, Cardiff University has pitched plans to make cuts to their curricula, dropping modern languages amongst other degrees in a bid to save money.
With modern languages degrees being amongst the first to go with cuts to university programmes, it raises the important question of whether studying languages is relevant in today’s age of globalisation and technology. Do we really have that much to gain from learning a language?
Google the benefits of learning a language, and you’ll be met with the classics: language learning reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, boosts your brain power, and increases your multi-tasking abilities. Sure, they’re important, but yawn: it’s like sifting through a list of LinkedIn buzzwords that seem to have little relevance to student life today.
Language learning in secondary school, for the most part, felt like having the life sucked out of you. I found GCSE French a good time of the week to play Subway Surfers on my phone and watch other kids in my class stick chewing gum to the underside of desks. By the end of three years of French, there was no chance I’d have been able to even order a lemonade in French – and the parts of the course I did find remotely interesting were overshadowed by being drilled on the contents of a pencil case.
It’s unsurprising, then, that languages seem to attract few when it comes to degree level. With secondary school language learning falling short and the future benefits of language learning feeling way too far off, here are some real reasons why you should start (or keep up with) learning a language.
Defying the British stereotype
There is little more embarrassing than falling into the category of the classic Brit abroad, thinking that everyone can and should speak English. Although (as of 2019) there are approximately 1 billion non-native English speakers in the world, 87.5% of the world’s population do not speak English – the shock, the horror.
There’s all sorts of deep, historical and psychological readings we could discuss to try and explain why the British outlook on foreign languages can be so entangled with ignorance. But, regardless of why, I think it’s fair to say that we’re wrong to assume that everyone speaks English… because they don’t.
It is kind of embarrassing that most countries seem to have a stereotype about Brits only speaking English. My worst fear is someone thinking I’m a typical Brit abroad – saying hola, ordering in English, then saying gracias. I’m actually not like other Brits, I’m a language student.
Being able to speak the language whilst you’re abroad almost always guarantees that you’ll have a better experience: I would never have been able to find chia seeds on my year abroad, had it not been for the little Arabic I’d been able to muster! If you’re anywhere outside of Paris, people are generally extremely receptive when you attempt to speak the language. Even if you’re rubbish, at least you’re making the effort.
Access to new cultures and people
It goes without saying, but learning languages isn’t just learning new vocab and conjugating verbs, but it allows you access to entirely different cultures, histories, and ways of thinking.
I think we forget, sometimes, how intertwined language is with our identities, and learning a new language can help you understand different identities, and even your own. Maybe you have a friend or a partner who speaks a different first language, and learning that can help you to understand more about their life and their culture.
As my very wise housemate, Naomi, said, studying languages requires you to be a little less self-centred, which can be a welcome break from the very much me-me-me status of the world. That’s not to say that anyone learning a language is selfless, but the process of immersing yourself in a language or at least committing yourself to understanding more about another culture can be refreshing.
Language learning can be…fun?
I know, it’s hard to believe, but I do think learning a language can actually be quite fun. When Duo is hounding you to keep up your streak, it can feel more like a threat than an exciting challenge, but learning a language can be a really satisfying experience, especially if you get the chance to practise in real life.
Like learning an instrument, learning a language takes time and requires a lot of practise, but in a city like Manchester, there’s always the chance to speak a couple of words here and there, even if it’s just saying ‘shukran’ to the waitress at Falafel in Rusholme.
It’s never too late to start, especially at a time when it feels like the world is only becoming more and more divided. It’s cringe to say, but languages can be a tool to help rebuild our relationships with those coming from completely different backgrounds and countries. It is so important that we look outside of our bubble and try to connect with others, and I think that learning a new language is a great gateway into becoming a more open and connected individual.
And if you don’t do it for any of the more honourable reasons, do it for the year abroad (a glorified holiday, but don’t tell my tutor I said that), or at least as a way to show off to your mates.
