Study Guide > AS Level unit > Why Study

Why Study a Modern Foreign Language?

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Studying a language at AS or A Level at Oldham Sixth Form College will help students to communicate at a higher level in the chosen language, as well as enabling students to gain a greater insight into various aspects of the society of that country. In addition, the course will also develop general study skills, leading to the acquisition of vital skills that are transferable to both higher education and a future career. Whether you want to use language for work, for further study, or for leisure our courses will equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge.

The importance of foreign languages in the world of work

Language graduates in 1998 had one of the lowest unemployment rates of any subject: 4.2% for German, 4.3% for French, compared with 6% for Computing, 6.3% for Business Administration and 7.5% for Media Studies.

Graduates with language skills in their portfolio are finding that employers in the major sectors have increasingly international perspectives. There are careers centres reporting a three-fold increase in job vacancies that specify a preference for knowledge of a foreign language.

UK firms with offices abroad or with international trading patterns are clear that language skills are of vital importance. Equally, companies from outside the UK who locate here are expecting UK employees to be able to operate in the language of the parent company. A new French sportswear company, Decathlon, insists that all its UK employees are either able to speak French or demonstrate a willingness to learn.
Business Language April 2000

Year after year language graduates have lower rates of unemployment than graduates in the great majority of other subjects. They take up jobs where their mix of specialist knowledge and general abilities such as: ability in communication, personal organisation, flexibility, analysis, autonomy, teamworking and originality developed during their language courses make them more employable.

London First, the organisation responsible for attracting inward investment to the capital, has argued that it is because employers can find multilingual skills in London that they will relocate there.

There is growing evidence that our national competitors believe that language competence is a key skill for every graduate. 2001 is to be the European Year of Languages. The European Commission is arguing that "solid language skills are crucial for enterprises’ ability to exploit the potential of the Single Market and to remain competitive in an increasingly globalised and mobile economy"
Guardian March 2000

UK companies are more deficient in linguistic and cultural competence than their major European competitors. Approximately one company in five faces a cultural barrier. Between one in four and five has experienced a language barrier. About one in eight has lost business as a result.

The internationalisation of UK companies has increased significantly in response to globalisation. Knowledge of the language and culture of non-English growth markets become a crucial factor in the success of UK business.

More and more employers are recruiting multilingual executives from other countries because our own potential recruits are, all too often, simply monolingual.

It is questionable whether our present capability in languages is sufficient to sustain us in economic, political, strategic, social and cultural terms.

Companies continue to lose orders through lack of language skills.

Britain is second from bottom of the league of European companies with executives able to negotiate in a foreign language.

70% of tourists come from non-English speaking countries.

Soon the world will be saturated with English. Every area will have it as a second language and the countries with a competitive edge will be those that have another world language as well.

Inability to speak the languages of the community will render people at a great disadvantage.
(Nuffield Languages Enquiry 1999)

Some 75% of our trade goes to non-English speaking markets and the companies who have invested in languages are now enjoying a competitive edge over their rivals.
Brian Wilson (Trade Minister 1999)

Modern languages prepare you for modern life
Gary Lineker

Internationalisation is the management buzzword of the moment amd companies are focussing on developing a multicultural perspective in employees during the early years of their career.
Guardian December 1998

Many big multinational companies such as BMW and Siemens, have a policy of only employing people who speak at least two languages.

British Airways runs its own training section and in-house exam to ensure that all employees keep up their second language.
Times Educational Supplement 1999

The firm is looking for flexible staff who have gained a maturity that often comes from spending time abroad. Anyone with relevant work experience and languages will always stand out from the thousands of applications.
Graduate recruitment manager of one of the UK’s biggest recruiters(computer and IT firm Unsisys)

Genuine breadth of study - such as a language linked to a science programme - will be applauded. Hopefully, we will be able to find a way of signifying this through the way in which we construct the offer.
Liverpool John Moores University

"An exclusive survey of UK managers undertaken recently by Professional Manager magazine found that 35% of respondents said that language skills would be vital to business in the 21st century. In the same magazine, Helen Vandevelde, a business managment adviser, reflected on future job security in an increasingly global marketplace and concluded that "learning a language is an investment in lifelong employability ...it's no longer a marginal decision determined by where we spend our summer holidays".

"Every citizen of Europe has the right to set himself up in another member state where he can work and study, but to fully take advantage of this opportunity, knowledge of the host country's foreign language is essential. On a personal level learning another language opens the mind and teaches tolerance - two essential qualities for living in harmony. By learning a language, any language, we come closer to a foreign culture and learn to know and appreciate each other and to accept our differences. It is the key to building a European identity far removed from the clichés of intolerance and racism."