tag:theconversation.com,2011:/au/topics/foreign-language-26025/articlesForeign Language – The Conversation2023-02-13T12:58:47Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1996482023-02-13T12:58:47Z2023-02-13T12:58:47ZFewer Australians are learning Indonesian, and Indonesia could do far more to fix that<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/509389/original/file-20230210-22-mctb6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Australian_and_Indonesian_flags.jpg">(Wikimedia Commons/Mia Salim)</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>For more than two decades, linguists and researchers have observed a decline in Australians’ interest in learning the Indonesian language (bahasa Indonesia).</p>
<p><a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/download/1038/current-state-indonesian-language-education-australian-schools/775/document/rtf">A 2010 report</a> from a team of Australian applied linguists shows that since 2001, the number of students taking Indonesian language lessons in Australian schools had decreased by at least 10,000 per year.</p>
<p>In their 2021 independent study, linguistics researcher <a href="https://www.asiaeducation.edu.au/docs/default-source/why-indonesia-matters-in-our-schools/mkholer_lit-review_design_v2.pdf?sfvrsn=2">Michelle Kohler</a> from the University of South Australia noted that this dwindling interest also intensified <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-30/academics-renew-push-for-more-students-to-study-bahasa-indonesia/100560066">as students progress through the education system</a>: from around 14,000 students learning the language at the end of primary (elementary) school, to only around 350 at the end of high school.</p>
<p>Registrations for Indonesian language courses at the university level in 2019 had <a href="https://asaa.asn.au/the-state-of-indonesian-language-in-australian-universities-the-past-20-years/">plummeted by 63%</a> since its peak in 1992.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/506077/original/file-20230124-26-fhve9o.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/506077/original/file-20230124-26-fhve9o.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/506077/original/file-20230124-26-fhve9o.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=948&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/506077/original/file-20230124-26-fhve9o.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=948&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/506077/original/file-20230124-26-fhve9o.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=948&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/506077/original/file-20230124-26-fhve9o.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1192&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/506077/original/file-20230124-26-fhve9o.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1192&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/506077/original/file-20230124-26-fhve9o.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1192&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The School of Languages in South Australia is one of few remaining institutions still offering Indonesian language courses.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(School of Languages)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>To make things worse, in the past few years, many universities in various states such as La Trobe University, Western Sydney University, and the University of New South Wales have <a href="https://theconversation.com/closure-of-indonesian-language-programs-in-australian-universities-will-weaken-ties-between-the-two-countries-158894">closed their Indonesian language courses</a>. The University of Melbourne <a href="https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/can-australias-declining-indonesia-literacy-survive-covid-19-cuts/">predicts</a> that by 2020, there will only be 12 universities in Australia offering Indonesian language courses: nearly half that of the 22 universities in 1992.</p>
<p>A number of researchers worry this trend among Australian universities will <a href="https://theconversation.com/maraknya-penutupan-program-bahasa-indonesia-di-berbagai-kampus-australia-akan-lemahkan-hubungan-kedua-negara-159440">weaken bilateral ties between the two countries</a>.</p>
<p>However, it’s interesting to note that the concerns are largely coming from parties in Australia, not from Indonesia. </p>
<p>Studies surrounding this topic have all been authored by Australian scholars, along with <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/download/1038/current-state-indonesian-language-education-australian-schools/775/document/rtf">recommendations for the Australian government</a> to maintain Australians’ interest in the Indonesian language.</p>
<p>It seems that Indonesia has not done much to rekindle Indonesian language learning in Australia, despite arguably having the most to gain – from boosting the country’s image to improving relations with their strategic neighbour.</p>
<h2>Why interest is declining</h2>
<p>There are a number of reasons that may motivate someone to learn a foreign language. A person’s preference toward a certain language, however, has no relation to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/jul/17/what-makes-a-language-attractive">whether they find the language attractive</a>.</p>
<p>Social linguists, such as Vineeta Chand from the University of Essex, argue interest in a language is determined more by external factors such as having <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/jul/17/what-makes-a-language-attractive">positive perceptions regarding the language’s native speakers or their culture</a>. This usually relates to the perceived prestige or reputation of the language’s speakers, and the economic benefits or social mobility offered by the mastery of said language.</p>
<p>In the context of Australia, there are a number of reasons why learning Indonesian is important.</p>
<p>Indonesia is one of Australia’s most important neighbours, and is arguably key to the nation’s prosperity and security. The language is also accessible, with a linguistic structure that isn’t too complex for a foreign language, while offering <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/download/1038/current-state-indonesian-language-education-australian-schools/775/document/rtf">other personal benefits</a>, such as better understanding and literacy of Indonesian culture.</p>
<p>But Australians’ interest in the Indonesian language is <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/download/1038/current-state-indonesian-language-education-australian-schools/775/document/rtf">prone to external factors</a>.</p>
<p>From an economic perspective, for instance, <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/download/1038/current-state-indonesian-language-education-australian-schools/775/document/rtf">many Australians</a> still view Indonesia as a relatively “poor” country – even though the Southeast Asian economic giant is poised to be the <a href="https://en.tempo.co/read/1619619/jokowi-eyes-to-make-indonesia-7th-largest-economy-in-2030">seventh largest economy</a> in 2030.</p>
<p>From a cultural point of view, Indonesia is also perceived to have a conservative religious identity, which has been somewhat worsened by the Bali Bombings in 2002 and the more recent ones in Jakarta. As <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/download/1038/current-state-indonesian-language-education-australian-schools/775/document/rtf">Australian researchers have pointed out</a>: “Little is known in the Australian community about the reality of the predominantly moderate and uniquely Indonesian form of Islam.”</p>
<p>A number of Australians have even told me that they are deeply concerned about the recently revised Indonesian Penal Code – <a href="https://theconversation.com/expert-panel-indonesias-new-criminal-code-crosses-private-boundaries-is-anti-democratic-and-can-easily-jail-people-196133">largely considered to be antidemocratic</a> and in violation of personal rights. In the eyes of some Australians, this has hurt Indonesia’s image and may have made some people less interested to study Indonesian.</p>
<p>Other political events in the past few decades – from Indonesia’s human rights violations in East Timor, to the waves of asylum seekers traversing the waters between Indonesia and Australia – have <a href="https://asaa.asn.au/the-state-of-indonesian-language-in-australian-universities-the-past-20-years/">further eroded that public image</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/items/8a847ac2-2586-558d-afb4-764d0c7e069d">A 2007 doctoral dissertation</a> by Yvette Slaughter from the University of Melbourne argued the declining interest of the Indonesian language was an “extreme” example of the effects of political events on foreign language learning.</p>
<h2>Indonesia should be more proactive</h2>
<p><a href="https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/indonesian-matters-in-our-schools">The research</a> I’ve found on this topic has all been written by Australians, primarily discussing what the Australian government can do.</p>
<p>Indonesians need to do more to show greater concern in this issue. The Indonesian Embassy in Canberra compiled a report on this trend – but unfortunately it was never published.</p>
<p>The declining interest in the Indonesian language must serve as a wake-up call for many Indonesian groups. This includes the Indonesian government and its related ministries, their embassy in Canberra, Indonesian consulates across Australia, along with communities such as the <a href="https://australia-indonesia-association.com/">Australia Indonesia Association</a>, <a href="https://aiya.org.au/">Australia Indonesia Youth Association</a> and branches of the Indonesian Student Association in every Australian state and university.</p>
<p>Last October, the consulate in Sydney launched a website for the <a href="https://www.kemlu.go.id/sydney/id/news/21664/luncurkan-website-balai-bahasa-dan-budaya-indonesia-new-south-wales-perkuat-promosi-bahasa-indonesia">Indonesian Language and Culture Centre in New South Wales</a>. But these sorts of initiatives to promote bahasa Indonesia have little impact and are not the result of strategic planning.</p>
<p>This is in contrast to the promotional programs done by <a href="https://www.af.org.au/">Alliance Française</a> to promote the learning of the French language in Australia, through its five strategic pillars – including raising awareness among young people and strengthening the appeal of French culture. The Indonesian community can also take inspiration from Greek, Turkish and Vietnamese diaspora communities, which have been much more active in promoting their language through many language events and programs in Australia.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/506079/original/file-20230124-22-fdpszf.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/506079/original/file-20230124-22-fdpszf.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/506079/original/file-20230124-22-fdpszf.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/506079/original/file-20230124-22-fdpszf.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/506079/original/file-20230124-22-fdpszf.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/506079/original/file-20230124-22-fdpszf.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/506079/original/file-20230124-22-fdpszf.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/506079/original/file-20230124-22-fdpszf.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Indonesian diaspora could be more proactive in promoting the Indonesian language in Australia, such as through IndoFest 2021, pioneered by Indonesians in Adelaide, South Australia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Based on my conversations with Michelle Kohler, a colleague at the University of South Australia who also specializes in research about the Indonesian language, another important thing that can be done is improving collaborations between Indonesia and Australia in the production of fiction, TV and films to better introduce Indonesian culture to young people in Australia. Hopefully, this can help address stereotypes regarding Indonesian people and culture, and in turn nudge them to learn the Indonesian language.</p>
<p>Indonesia should feel proud that many Australian linguists and scholars are showing great attention to this problem. However, it should also be ashamed that it hasn’t done as much.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Baca juga:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/closure-of-indonesian-language-programs-in-australian-universities-will-weaken-ties-between-the-two-countries-158894">Closure of Indonesian language programs in Australian universities will weaken ties between the two countries</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/199648/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Billy Nathan Setiawan tidak bekerja, menjadi konsultan, memiliki saham, atau menerima dana dari perusahaan atau organisasi mana pun yang akan mengambil untung dari artikel ini, dan telah mengungkapkan bahwa ia tidak memiliki afiliasi selain yang telah disebut di atas.</span></em></p>Indonesia hasn’t made a strategic effort to push bahasa Indonesia in Australia. That’s in stark contrast to how French and other languages are promoted in Australia, including through cultural events.Billy Nathan Setiawan, PhD Candidate in Applied Linguistics, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1780332022-04-25T20:01:24Z2022-04-25T20:01:24Z3 barriers that stop students choosing to learn a language in high school<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/456792/original/file-20220407-28761-2dv585.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6148%2C3456&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Fewer students are choosing language electives at school, but contrary to popular perception, it isn’t purely a lack of interest causing the decline. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/RUN5UM5AYKEUR3V3THHH?target=10.1111/flan.12605">My recent study</a> suggests students want to study a language, but can’t.</p>
<p>Language electives continue to have the <a href="https://www.acara.edu.au/reporting/national-report-on-schooling-in-australia/national-report-on-schooling-in-australia-data-portal/year-12-subject-enrolments#view1">lowest enrolments</a> compared to other subjects. In 2020, only 9.5% of Year 12 students were studying languages. This is the lowest figure in the last decade.</p>
<p>Learning another language is important in our <a href="https://www.asiaeducation.edu.au/docs/default-source/research-and-policy-pdfs/senior_secondary_languages_education_research_project_final.pdf">globally connected world</a> and has personal, societal and economic <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1182083.pdf">benefits</a>. These include enhanced cognitive functions and cultural sensitivity. Language learners develop more of an understanding of the <a href="https://docs.acara.edu.au/resources/Languages_-_Shape_of_the_Australian_Curriculum_new.pdf">nature of language and communication</a> and languages <a href="https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/languages/rationale/">can improve</a> employment opportunities.</p>
<p>I conducted an online survey with over 500 students from years 9 to 12, asking about their attitudes to school and learning languages. I found there are three main barriers stopping students from reaping the rewards of language study. </p>
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<h2>1. Lack of options</h2>
<p><a href="https://asialink.unimelb.edu.au/stories/archive/saying-yes-to-languages-study-in-years-11-and-12">Not being able to study the language they preferred</a> is a key barrier. Some 55% of students surveyed in my study said their school did not offer their desired language. One boy said, “I want to learn European languages but my school offers none”.</p>
<h2>2. Timetable restrictions</h2>
<p>Students experience barriers from their school’s <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/education/why-students-are-turning-away-from-learning-foreign-languages-20160610-gpg6ek.html">timetabling arrangements</a>. One boy said he was unable to study French and Chinese because both subjects were scheduled at the same time. Another boy said, “I am interested in continuing with a second language but cannot fit it in around other subject choices”. This is because students often only have room for up to six subjects on their timetable. In Year 12, this can <a href="https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/4937742">drop to four</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/457050/original/file-20220408-25034-30ltb8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/457050/original/file-20220408-25034-30ltb8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/457050/original/file-20220408-25034-30ltb8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/457050/original/file-20220408-25034-30ltb8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/457050/original/file-20220408-25034-30ltb8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/457050/original/file-20220408-25034-30ltb8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/457050/original/file-20220408-25034-30ltb8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/457050/original/file-20220408-25034-30ltb8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The main reason students couldn’t study a language was access to their preferred language.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<h2>3. Languages are rarely a prerequisite for study</h2>
<p>In senior year levels, students start thinking about what subjects they need for future study, which leads to students prioritising some subjects over others. Although interested in a language, other subjects are seen as <a href="https://www.asiaeducation.edu.au/docs/default-source/research-and-policy-pdfs/senior_secondary_languages_education_research_project_final.pdf">more important</a> for study and career pathways. “I probably would’ve done French, but I needed a science to be applicable for studying to be a pilot,” said one boy. One girl added, “a lot of people do not study a LOTE because other subjects, such as prerequisites are more of a priority”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/learning-languages-early-is-key-to-making-australia-more-multilingual-99085">Learning languages early is key to making Australia more multilingual</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<h2>How to get more students learning languages</h2>
<p>To boost senior secondary language enrolments, languages need to be available and encouraged all the way from early learning to year 10 in order to build a <a href="https://asialink.unimelb.edu.au/stories/archive/saying-yes-to-languages-study-in-years-11-and-12">pipeline</a> of language students for senior year levels.</p>
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<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Students may be forced into subjects required by their preferred university degree.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutter</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>Ensuring students are familiar with language learning from an early age will <a href="https://theconversation.com/learning-languages-early-is-key-to-making-australia-more-multilingual-99085">set the foundation</a> for them to continue with languages later.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-your-kid-studying-a-second-language-at-school-how-much-they-learn-will-depend-on-where-you-live-155219">Is your kid studying a second language at school? How much they learn will depend on where you live</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Additionally, each state needs a language policy that requires schools to teach the recommended hours so students see a commitment to this subject area. The minimum recommended hours by the Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority are <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-your-kid-studying-a-second-language-at-school-how-much-they-learn-will-depend-on-where-you-live-155219">870 across Years 6-12</a>. As this is a recommendation, these hours are not enforced and differ between states.</p>
<p>The most popular reasons for students doing a language are:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>speaking the language when travelling</p></li>
<li><p>enjoying the challenge</p></li>
<li><p>liking the language and culture. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>Parents and teachers should emphasise these aspects if they want to ensure their children and students reap the benefits of language learning. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/thinking-of-taking-a-language-in-year-11-and-12-heres-what-you-need-to-know-164080">Thinking of taking a language in year 11 and 12? Here's what you need to know</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/178033/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stephanie Clayton does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Language electives have fewer enrolments compared to other subjects in Australia. New research suggests students are interested in studying languages, but can’t.Stephanie Clayton, Lecturer in Curriculum Studies (Primary), University of TasmaniaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1521952021-01-14T16:54:01Z2021-01-14T16:54:01ZFour tips for learning language through film and TV<p>Films and TV shows can be great tools to help you become a more competent speaker of another language. By captivating your attention and arousing your curiosity, these formats can <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228349436_Multimedia_Teaching_with_Video_Clips_TV_Movies_YouTube_and_mtvU_in_the_College_Classroom">instil a positive attitude towards learning</a>. They can also help you be a <a href="https://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JEP/article/view/6775">more active participant</a> and keep you <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319112222_Improving_English_Writing_Skills_of_Non-Native_Undergraduate_Learners_with_The_Help_Of_Movies_Supported_By_Online_Technologies">motivated to spend more time on language-related tasks</a>.</p>
<p>There are a host of wonderful and gripping series and films available at our fingertips, from Netflix’s Spanish drama <a href="https://www.netflix.com/search?q=money%20heist&jbv=80192098">La Casa de Papel</a> (Money Heist, which is the streaming site’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/anglo-centric-film-culture-and-the-continuing-resistance-to-subtitles-130245">most watched non-English language show</a>) to film classics like Federico Fellini’s <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/B07Z5H3N7P/ref=atv_sr_def_c_unkc__2_1_2?sr=1-2&pageTypeIdSource=ASIN&pageTypeId=B07Z5HN3JR&qid=1610362797">La Dolce Vita</a> or last year’s Oscar winner, the Korean film <a href="https://theconversation.com/an-oscar-for-parasite-the-global-rise-of-south-korean-film-128595">Parasite</a>.</p>
<p>Learning a language this way, however, is easier said than done. I’m sure many of us have made it to the end of a gripping Scandi noir without actually learning much. So here are four tips to help you make the most of language learning through TV and film. </p>
<h2>1. Audible sighs and body language</h2>
<p>Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of using film and TV to learn another language is that learners are provided with a visual context, which supports your learning by <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ982844.pdf">providing a visual framework</a> the language can cling to. For example, films can help people understand foreign words and phrases by giving them various <a href="https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/how-can-film-help-you-teach-or-learn-english">visual and auditory clues</a> such as facial expressions, body language and paralinguistic respiration (gasps, moans, sighs).</p>
<p>These clues can enhance the learners’ listening comprehension, and support the verbal language projected in films. Watching a scene without subtitles, you may understand a few of the words but with the help of visuals, you can grasp what’s going on, as they fill in those gaps in language.</p>
<h2>2. Inferring from sound</h2>
<p>Film and TV are more than “visual” mediums, however. Sound is quite an important component for mood and narrative progression. Changes in music, background sound or use of effects allow learners to make predictions about the development of the plot and the language being used. </p>
<p>A very useful technique to help develop listening skills would be to ignore the visuals and describe the characters and the setting based on the sounds you hear. You could also use language features such as the inflexion, pitch and intonation of the voice to identify the emotions of the characters. This not only increases your exposure to the new language but helps you understand how language and tone vary in certain emotional situations. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/six-films-that-are-better-than-their-english-language-remakes-132886">Six films that are better than their English-language remakes</a>
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<h2>3. Accurate pronunciation</h2>
<p>In conventional language learning coursebooks and texts, the conversation can seem somewhat contrived. “How are you?” says Paulo to Juan, who responds “I am good, thank you.” In real life, people don’t tend to speak in such simple or straightforward ways.</p>
<p>Through film and TV, you are exposed to the features of natural conversation across situations and the more communicative functions of the language. This can help you acquire a more natural speech flow by imitating natural language expressions. It will also teach you more about proper intonation and articulation.</p>
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<p>You can also familiarise yourself with various dialects, pronunciation and intonation types by hearing native speakers using specific pronunciation patterns and natural speech flows. Mimicking such sounds can help you with pronunciation and eventually improve it. </p>
<h2>4. Using language like a native</h2>
<p>Through exposure to dialogue, you are also introduced <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259359152_China_EFL_Teaching_with_movies">to real-life conversation and everyday-language and vocabulary</a>. So film and TV are authentic sources of varied language, providing learners with samples of language in context – the things people really say outside of the classroom.</p>
<p>While learning the grammar and vocabulary of another language is incredibly important, film and TV also introduce learners to how language is actually used. For instance, watch the French comedy <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80133335">Dix pour cent</a> (which means 10% but is known to English audiences as Call My Agent) and you’ll learn that there are many meanings for the term “n'importe quoi”. Depending on the tone of the speaker and context, this brilliant phrase can mean “anything”, “whatever”, “nonsense”, “rubbish” or even “bullshit!”</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/152195/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Neophytos Mitsigkas does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Watching a foreign film or TV show doesn’t automatically teach you the language – but there are ways to make it stick.Neophytos Mitsigkas, Lecturer in Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages (TESOL), University of EssexLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1411702020-06-28T06:00:38Z2020-06-28T06:00:38ZWatching foreign-language TV during the coronavirus pandemic can help you learn a new language<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344321/original/file-20200626-104529-hu6psh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C0%2C4913%2C3253&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Streaming services are carrying more foreign-language content. While people are stuck at home because of the pandemic, why not use the time to improve their language skills?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>With university classrooms and language schools closed because of the pandemic, language students must find new ways to practise and improve. In recent years, an increasing number of applied linguists have been advocating regular TV viewing to learn English.</p>
<p>Research shows that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9922.2009.00509.x">students are motivated to learn language through watching foreign language television programs</a>. In the world of professional sports, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/18/sports/baseball/friends-tv-show-baseball-spanish.html">baseball players</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/kristen_shilton/status/1179800441464471552">ice-hockey players</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BBCSport/videos/403182256977741/">football managers</a> have also claimed that television was a key resource for their language development. </p>
<p>Surprisingly, television has played a relatively small role in the language learning classroom. Our research has shown that students learn new <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263117000407">words</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S027226311900055X">phrases</a> through watching television, and the amount of learning may be similar to what is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263119000494">learned through reading</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344322/original/file-20200626-104543-1aqc7io.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344322/original/file-20200626-104543-1aqc7io.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344322/original/file-20200626-104543-1aqc7io.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=363&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344322/original/file-20200626-104543-1aqc7io.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=363&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344322/original/file-20200626-104543-1aqc7io.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=363&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344322/original/file-20200626-104543-1aqc7io.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344322/original/file-20200626-104543-1aqc7io.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344322/original/file-20200626-104543-1aqc7io.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Foreign language classrooms focus on written material and references.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<h2>Subbed vs. dubbed</h2>
<p>There is now increasing evidence that language learners can improve their <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263120000042">comprehension skills</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263120000029">pronunciation</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2019.1615978">grammar</a> through watching TV. </p>
<p>Research reveals that language learners who frequently watch foreign-language TV programs outside of school tend to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1075/itl.00010.pet">better at reading, listening and vocabulary</a>. This holds for language learners in primary schools, secondary schools, at university and even for young kids who have not had any English lessons yet. TV has also proven beneficial for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2019.1666150">children with more than one language to improve their English-language skills</a>.</p>
<p>A survey by the European Commission on the use of subtitles to encourage language learning and improve the mastery of foreign languages showed that <a href="https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/afc5cf17-02f8-459c-b238-1890ee5cca2b">regions that use subtitles to make foreign-language TV shows and movies accessible</a> — like Sweden, Denmark or Flanders — have substantial benefits in terms of language learning compared to dubbing countries, like France or Germany, because subtitles are more widely available, and in more languages, than dubbing.</p>
<p>Although research indicates that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1075/itl.18034.rod">simply watching television programs may contribute to second language learning</a>, initially television may be challenging for people to understand and enjoy. This is perhaps the reason why books and articles, which can be easily written or simplified according to the level of students, are recommended and used much more often for learning.</p>
<h2>TV watching for language learning</h2>
<p>The following principles were designed to <a href="https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1120&=&context=edupub&=&sei-redir=1&referer=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.bing.com%252Fsearch%253Fq%253Drodgers%252Bwebb%252Bnarrow%252Bviewing%2526form%253DPRDLR1%2526src%253DIE11TR%2526pc%253DEUPP_DCTE#search=%22rodgers%20webb%20narrow%20viewing%22">optimize the potential of television for learning</a> and encourage students to continue learning with television. </p>
<p>First, the aim of television viewing in a second language should be the same as in the first language: to inform and enjoy. It is not necessary that every word, sentence or phrase is understood. The goal should be to have an understanding sufficient to motivate further viewing. Comprehension should improve over time with greater exposure to spoken input. </p>
<p>Second, regular TV viewing is central to learning. We tend to make very small gains through encountering input, but these gains can become meaningful as they accumulate through encountering more and more input. This means that we learn very little through watching TV for an hour but can make great gains through viewing a large amount of television. For second language learning, binge watching programs is a good thing!</p>
<p>Third, because understanding television will be difficult initially, it is important to use strategies to support learning. For example, students might try to progress from viewing episodes initially with first-language subtitles, then with second-language subtitles, and finally without subtitles to support their comprehension. Another way to boost comprehension is to watch the same episode multiple times, because research shows that comprehension and language learning increase through <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02300455">repeated viewing</a> of the same content. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344320/original/file-20200626-104538-u6hjjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344320/original/file-20200626-104538-u6hjjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344320/original/file-20200626-104538-u6hjjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344320/original/file-20200626-104538-u6hjjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344320/original/file-20200626-104538-u6hjjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344320/original/file-20200626-104538-u6hjjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344320/original/file-20200626-104538-u6hjjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344320/original/file-20200626-104538-u6hjjh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Sean Connery in the 1964 film ‘Marnie,’ with Croatian subtitles.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/gruenemann/176488294/in/photolist-gAxPC-4WeqXH-dZ7x9n-sHRf-x6bxz-6vjAXh-2h9Hew5-x6bwU-dZBhmW-7SU3SU-8Fk8aC-7vTT6n-8FgSkH-8Fk4sC-8Fk4nb-8Fk3D5-8Fk7wJ-8Fk57J-8FgT2i-8FgT74-8FgTiH-8FgUHD-8FgSMP-8FgWgB-8FgWr8-8FgSGH-8Fk66q-8FgTdD-8FgUWM-8Fk8CE-8FgWmc-2gqj5kB-8Fk3Jo-8FgTSK-8FgXur-nskxn-8FgUdn-8Fk52N-8FgSAr-8Fk3UA-8Fk6uW-8FgVK8-8Fk6gC-8FgWwt-8FgTJ6-8FgUsV-8FgTsr-8Fk749-8FgUye-8FgW3e">(John W. Schulze/flickr)</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>Many parents might recognize that their children have learned new words and phrases through viewing the same movies again and again. </p>
<p>A final strategy is watching one program in sequence from the first episode. Sequential or “<a href="https://doi.org/10.5054/tq.2011.268062">narrow viewing</a>” will improve our understanding of subsequent episodes, because we quickly gain knowledge of the characters, their relationships and story arcs as they develop. By following these principles, students may achieve greater success in language learning with television.</p>
<h2>Is television the only option?</h2>
<p>There are many useful ways to learn a second language on your own during the pandemic. Language can be learned doing exercises from coursebooks and online apps, as well as through reading, listening, viewing and even playing video games. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/can-you-learn-a-language-playing-video-games-what-the-research-says-105760">Can you learn a language playing video games? What the research says</a>
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<p>Exposure to language plays a large role in vocabulary development and students should be encouraged to learn from whichever source of input they enjoy. Exposure to large amounts of input will promote learning, so watching lots of second-language television has value. </p>
<p>While we are inside during the pandemic, why not embrace television for both education and enjoyment. Learning a second language provides you with a good excuse.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/141170/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stuart Webb receives funding from the University of Western Ontario. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elke Peters receives funding from KU Leuven. </span></em></p>While staying at home during the pandemic, foreign language learners can improve their vocabulary and comprehension by watching films and television shows in the language they are studying.Stuart Webb, Professor of Applied Linguistics, Western UniversityElke Peters, Associate professor, Research group Language, Education, & Society, KU LeuvenLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1389002020-05-21T12:20:03Z2020-05-21T12:20:03ZThe Scripps spelling bee is off this year, but the controversy over including foreign words is still on<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/336091/original/file-20200519-152298-ty7qju.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=145%2C50%2C4041%2C2686&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Co-champions celebrate at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in National Harbor, Maryland, on May 31, 2019. The winning spellers made history with eight co-champions, most ever in spelling event's history.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/co-champions-sohum-sukhatankar-of-dallas-texas-saketh-news-photo/1152757579?adppopup=true">Alex Wong/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In a normal year, millions of Americans would be following closely this week as preteens showcase their knowledge of words most of us have never heard of. </p>
<p>The contestants and their families may be devastated by the cancellation of the <a href="http://spellingbee.com/">Scripps National Spelling Bee</a>. As a <a href="http://huc.edu/directory/sarah-bunin-benor">linguist</a> who studies <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/263681">languages</a> that <a href="https://becomingfrum.weebly.com/">draw</a> from multiple <a href="https://www.brandeis.edu/mandel/projects/hebrewatcamp.html">sources</a>, I’m disappointed our country is missing its annual lesson in English linguistics.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.basicbooks.com/titles/shalini-shankar/beeline/9780465094523/">social and professional benefits</a> of spelling bees are hard to ignore. The participants, including many from immigrant families, develop skills of grit and performance, and they and their parents form new social networks. An entire industry has emerged surrounding the preparation of elite contestants.</p>
<p>But it’s also worth recognizing spelling bees’ contributions to the public’s awareness of world languages. Even if the acceptable spellings of many international words are debatable, their presence highlights the multicultural past and present of the English tongue.</p>
<p>In a millennium of global expeditions and conquests, English has cast its net in diverse linguistic habitats. It has captured words from many languages, often for concepts not previously expressed in English. Linguists call these words “<a href="https://www.ruf.rice.edu/%7Ekemmer/Words/loanwords.html">loanwords</a>,” which does not mean English eventually returns them.</p>
<h2>English loanwords</h2>
<p>Many loanwords have been part of English for centuries and are not considered foreign at all. Unless they’ve studied linguistics, most people would be surprised to learn that “skirt” entered English from Old Norse, “beef” from French and “expensive” from Latin.</p>
<p>With more recent loanwords, English speakers sense their language of origin but still see them as part of English. This is especially common in the domains of <a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/The-Language-of-Food/">cuisine</a>, as with “jambalaya” (from Louisiana French, originally Provençal), natural phenomena like “tsunami” (Japanese) and specialized terminology such as “fortissimo” (Italian) in music. </p>
<p>Although there is no English language academy that makes official rulings, the spellings of such loanwords are standardized, as they are frequently used in English and have been for many years. Nobody would question their inclusion in the spelling bee.</p>
<p>Most English loanwords borrow from languages that, like English, use the <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/e/borrowed-words/">Latin alphabet</a>. These words usually maintain their original spellings, such as “schadenfreude” (German: pleasure derived from another’s misfortune) and “coup d’état” (French: violent overthrow of a government). </p>
<p>Other examples, which showed up in the <a href="https://spellingbee.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Multiple%20Champs%20declared%20for%202019%20Scripps%20National%20Spelling%20Bee%205-31-19.pdf">2019 national spelling bee</a>, include “tjaele” (Swedish: frozen ground), “imbirussú” (Portuguese: a South American tree) and “geeldikkop” (Afrikaans: a disease among southern African sheep). Some viewers might wonder if words like these should be included in the bee, but nobody would question their spellings.</p>
<p>However, English – and therefore spelling bees – also includes many words from <a href="https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/where-do-spelling-bee-words-come-from/">languages</a> not historically written in Latin characters. Sometimes the English spellings of these words adhere to conventionalized phonetic transliteration. </p>
<p>Examples include “makimono” (Japanese: a horizontal ornamental scroll), “namaz” (Persian: Islamic prayer) and “teledu” (Malay: a Javanese skunk-like animal). In other cases, many possible transliterations are used within English, even if the dictionary provides only one spelling. Is it “falafel” or “felafel”? “Pad thai” or “phad thai”?</p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlHPxDsLQxg">Last year’s competition</a> featured several such ambiguous loanwords, including “chaebol,” which could be “jaebeol” (Korean: a family-controlled industrial conglomerate) and “kooletah,” which could be “kuleta” (Greenlandic Aleut: a caribou-skin coat). In fact, four of the five most <a href="https://twitter.com/FiveThirtyEight/status/1133783192861847553/photo/1">difficult</a> languages of origin in spelling bees are written in non-Latin letters.</p>
<h2>Wrangling over loanwords</h2>
<p>Of course, difficulty should not disqualify a word from being included in spelling bees. But such loanwords have generated <a href="https://newsfeed.time.com/2013/06/05/knaidel-v-kneydl-debating-the-winning-spelling-bee-word/">controversy</a> in recent years, especially from <a href="https://thewordmavens.wordpress.com/2018/09/25/spelling-bee-mishegoss-yiddish-for-craziness/">word mavens</a> in the Jewish community upset about the spellings of the bee’s many <a href="https://forward.com/news/national/425240/yiddishkeit-scipps-spelling-bee-yiddish-jewish-words/">words from Hebrew and Yiddish</a>. </p>
<p>Some Hebrew and Yiddish sounds have multiple possible transliterations, and Jews of different backgrounds have different spelling preferences. To represent this diversity, when I moderate Hebrew and Yiddish entries in the crowdsourced <a href="https://jel.jewish-languages.org/">Jewish English Lexicon</a>, I list several spellings – sometimes more than a dozen.</p>
<p>A Hebrew example is “keriah” (Jewish ceremonial garment rending), spelled “correctly” by 13-year-old Rishik Gandhasri, one of the eight champions in 2019. This word has <a href="https://jel.jewish-languages.org/words/1473">many attested spellings</a>, including “kria,” “kriyah” and “qeri’ah.” “Kriah,” according to Google, is the most common spelling in English. But the E.W. Scripps Company, which has run the bee since 1941, allows only “keriah.” Why? Because that’s the spelling espoused by Merriam-Webster, <a href="http://spellingbee.com/sites/default/files/inline-files/Contest_Rules_of_the_2018_Scripps_National_Spelling_Bee.pdf">Scripps’ authoritative dictionary</a>. </p>
<p>Gandhasri advanced to another round in the bee with the Yiddish-origin word “yiddishkeit” (Jewishness). In a <a href="http://www.yiddishwit.com/transliteration.html">standard system</a> for transliterating Yiddish words, it’s spelled “yidishkayt.” However, a Yiddish culture organization in Los Angeles spells it “Yiddishkayt.” These spellings represent different ideologies regarding Yiddish and its relationship to German. And many who use them believe wholeheartedly that only their spelling is correct.</p>
<p>In the 2013 bee, the winning word was also from Yiddish: “knaidel” (Passover dumpling). I <a href="https://jewishjournal.com/culture/229899/linguists-take-knaidel-kneydl-controversy/">wrote</a> then that, if I had been a contestant: “I would have given 10 possible spellings, explained what various spellings indicate about the people who write them and then protested the English spelling bee’s use of loanwords from a language that does not use Latin script. Clearly, I would have lost.” </p>
<h2>Benefits of a growing lexicon</h2>
<p>Since then, I have recognized the benefits of including such loanwords. First, while contestants must learn the spelling and transliteration conventions of dozens of languages, the major skill tested is who can memorize more of the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/31/us/spellpundit-scripps-spelling-bee.html">472,000 words</a> in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary. The competition emphasizes this skill by including loanwords without standardized English spellings.</p>
<p>Second, the ubiquity of loanwords expands Americans’ awareness of new cultural domains. The broad media coverage of recent spelling bees has introduced Americans to a Brazilian drum, “atabaque” (from Portuguese, influenced by Arabic), a Norse merman, “marmennill” (from Icelandic) and a Polynesian chief or noble, “alii” (from Hawaiian).</p>
<p>Even when the dictionary’s one accepted spelling is debatable, members of immigrant, indigenous and religious groups <a href="https://www.kveller.com/this-yiddish-word-kicked-off-the-scripps-national-spelling-bee-finals/">are generally proud</a> when spelling bees feature their community’s language in such a public way. </p>
<p>Although 2020 news headlines won’t feature 13-year-olds’ spelling feats, we can still marvel, not only at the accomplishments of our youth, but also at the richness of the English lexicon. Whether loanwords are from Icelandic, Korean or Hebrew, they remind us of the layered history of our language and the increasingly interconnected nature of our world.</p>
<p>[<em>You’re too busy to read everything. We get it. That’s why we’ve got a weekly newsletter.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/weekly-highlights-61?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=weeklybusy">Sign up for good Sunday reading.</a> ]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/138900/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah Bunin Benor does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The Scripps National Spelling Bee highlights the richness of the English lexicon by picking some tough entries with foreign roots.Sarah Bunin Benor, Professor of Contemporary Jewish Studies and Linguistics, Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1328862020-03-04T11:59:58Z2020-03-04T11:59:58ZSix films that are better than their English-language remakes<p>From new episodes of the never-ending <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/k7epqw/stop-it-star-wars">saga of Star Wars</a> to Disney’s desire to <a href="https://www.marketplace.org/2019/07/29/why-disney-is-hooked-on-remaking-its-animated-classics/">remake every classic cartoon as a live action film</a>, Hollywood has a penchant for <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-reject-the-movie-remake-sometimes-its-worth-it-22028">recycling existing material</a>. An aspect of this rinse-and-repeat approach that has irritated some cinephiles is the remaking of successful films from world cinema in the English-language. </p>
<p>The most recent example of this is Downhill, the Will Ferrell, Julia Louis-Dreyfus American reinvention of the 2014 Swedish hit Force Majeure. The Swedish original has received critical acclaim and won several awards, including best foreign language film at the 2015 Golden Globes. Downhill, meanwhile, has received lukewarm reviews and was judged to be “an unnecessary (and hugely inferior) version” of the original, in one negative review by <a href="https://observer.com/2020/02/downhill-review-will-ferrell-julia-louis-dreyfus-rex-reed/">New York Observer’s Rex Reed</a>.</p>
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<p>There are, however, a selection of English-language remakes that have been held up as quality films in their own right. Martin Scorsese’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ3yVffNyMk">The Departed</a> (2006) for example – a remake of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4R3nHkqyfM">Infernal Affairs</a> (Andrew Lau, Alan Mak, 2002) – as well as Steven Soderbergh’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvm7WMbXfeY">Solaris</a> (2002) from the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_f2soxk1go">Andrei Tarkovsky film</a> of the same name (1972) and Sergio Leone’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X2DtiE7VLw">Fistful of Dollars</a> (1964) – a loose remake of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzFq5hOlZ5s">Yojimbo by Akira Kurosawa</a>’s (1961). </p>
<p>While these are stellar examples, supporters of international cinema should be concerned about letting US remakes eclipse the original non-English language films.</p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/parasite-at-last-the-oscars-jumps-the-one-inch-subtitles-barrier-131576">Parasite: at last the Oscars jumps the 'one-inch' subtitles barrier</a>
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<p>Remakes either erase or shine a light on their original. Many people will only know the Hollywood-ised remake and not the source, while other remakes can bring attention to its predecessor. This depends on the level of critical attention paid to the original as well as the availability of the film and audience engagement with it. </p>
<p>There is no doubt that cinema audiences are missing out on some cinematic gems by remaining ignorant of the originals. So here are a selection of great films that should not be eclipsed by their Hollywood remakes. </p>
<h2>1. Force Majeure (2014)</h2>
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<p>This is a Swedish Danish, French, Norwegian co-production directed by the Swedish director Ruben Östlund who also made the critically acclaimed and award-winning film <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUzRjRv0Ib0">The Square</a> (2017). </p>
<p>Force Majeure, set in an Alpine ski resort, is visually stunning and existentially profound. The film takes us to the heart of the frailties of the human condition through a study of a “model” middle class family.</p>
<h2>2. Abre los ojos (1997)</h2>
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<p>Directed by the Chilean Spanish director Alejandro Amenábar, Open Your Eyes is a wonderfully inventive Spanish sci-fi drama about dream realities, cryogenic future selves and virtual new realities. </p>
<p>This was the first Spanish film to have a Hollywood remake – transformed into Cameron Crowe’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k09OX40NLUw">Vanilla Sky</a> (2001), featuring Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz, who reinterpreted the role of the idealised woman she played in Open Your Eyes. The use of Cruz and overt references to the original drew attention to the Spanish classic, rather than eclipsing it.</p>
<h2>3. Der Himmel über Berlin (1987)</h2>
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<p>Wings of Desire is a timeless classic by the German auteur Wim Wenders. The film tells the story of two angels, Damiel (Bruno Ganz) and Cassiel (Otto Sander), who provide us with an angels’ eye view of a divided Berlin. A quirky feature of the film is the presence of Columbo’s Peter Falk, an ex-angel, who can sense Damiel’s presence and his longing for mortality and love. </p>
<p>Its remake, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3wlRju_Y0Q">City of Angels</a> (1998) – directed by Brad Silberling and starring Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan – turned this masterpiece into a functional romance.</p>
<h2>4. El secreto de sus ojos (2009)</h2>
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<p>The Secret in Their Eyes (Juan José Campanella) is a compelling Argentine and world cinema political thriller and love story starring Ricardo Darín and Soledad Villamil. It straddles the art cinema and commercial divide, and raises important questions about (in)justice, memory and revenge through its treatment of Argentine recent history. </p>
<p>The shifts in context to a post 9/11 United States in the star-studded remake <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3b0PFCrayE">Secret in Their Eyes</a> (Billy Ray, 2015) with Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman and Chiwetel Ejiofor, results in the loss of the original’s political and social weight in favour of a human drama that unfolds amid a muddled storyline of an Islamic terrorist plot against Los Angeles.</p>
<h2>5. Old Boy (2003)</h2>
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<p>Old Boy is a classic of South Korean cinema directed by Park Chan-wook and the second film in his “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6SYb3zsNv4">Vengeance Trilogy</a>”. It follows the imprisonment and “liberation” of its protagonist Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik). It is a hard but thrilling watch; a film that shocks as it entertains, while presenting a disturbing take on the human condition. Old Boy is filled with wildly imaginative twists and turns that fully illustrate its themes of revenge, sadism, despair, love and frustrated hope. </p>
<p>Its remake (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKz_AUF0GcU">Oldboy 2013</a>) was unusually <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/dec/08/oldboy-review-spike-lee-brolin">poorly received for a Spike Lee film</a>, suggesting perhaps that he should not have attempted to remake the cult Korean classic.</p>
<h2>6.Män som hatar kvinnor (2009)</h2>
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<p>Directed by the Danish director Niles Arden Oplev, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was the first of the trilogy of Nordic adaptations of the award-winning Millenium crime series by Stieg Larsson. Following brilliant but troubled hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) as she helps the Swedish journalist Mikael Blomkvist uncover some dark secrets. This action-packed film demonstrated that European cinema can break out of the art film festival circuit and secure global release. </p>
<p>The remake by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqQe3OrsMKI">David Fincher in 2011</a> and starring Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig, was well reviewed, but was – arguably – unnecessary considering the international reach of the original.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/132886/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Deborah Shaw does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>There are lots of movies labelled as “world cinema” that have been unfairly eclipsed by their inferior English remakesDeborah Shaw, Professor of Film and Screen Studies, University of PortsmouthLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1123692019-12-17T13:55:56Z2019-12-17T13:55:56Z7 reasons to learn a foreign language<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/305970/original/file-20191209-90588-1ca656s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">America lags when it comes to being able to speak more than one language. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/iot-internet-things-translation-technology-concept-659756344?src=0a636271-8ab7-4cb4-8f8e-5182552b6ce7-1-23">Monopoly919/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.francoisgrosjean.ch/myths_en.html">Half of the world population is bilingual</a>, but only <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/1825/about-one-four-americans-can-hold-conversation-second-language.aspx">25%</a> of Americans can hold a conversation in another language. </p>
<p>Changing that is one of the goals of language advocacy efforts, such as the <a href="https://www.leadwithlanguages.org/">Lead with Languages</a> campaign. As the author of a book on what I refer to as <a href="https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ALvmDAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR5&dq=kathleen+stein+smith&ots=JMm-7CTLzv&sig=8HueHqOYVXazLs8jF1DYcmmjhJs#v=onepage&q=kathleen%20stein%20smith&f=false">America’s language deficit</a>, here are what I see as seven of the best reasons for America’s young to speak a language besides English.</p>
<h2>1. Makes you smarter</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.actfl.org/advocacy/what-the-research-shows">Research has shown</a> that knowledge of more than one language is associated with better <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/02/speak-another-language-more-rational/">reasoning</a>, problem-solving skills and creativity. It also helps people deal with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfexuSBeWbI">unknown and unfamiliar</a> situations. Use of another language tends to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17125807">delay the onset of dementia</a></p>
<h2>2. Boosts academic achievement</h2>
<p>Language learning <a href="https://www.actfl.org/advocacy/what-the-research-shows#academic_achievement">supports academic achievement</a>. This is true for English-speaking students studying a foreign language, as well as English language learners in bilingual and immersion programs. It also <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/43935694">boosts academic outcomes at the college level</a>.</p>
<p>Being bilingual has also been <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4070309/">shown to especially benefit low-income children</a> in terms of “their ability to direct and focus their attention when distractions were present.” Another study found that kids whose families spoke a second language at home <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29318589%20https://srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cdev.13032">scored better</a> on cognitive tests than those whose family only spoke one language.</p>
<h2>3. Provides professional and career advantages</h2>
<p>Foreign language skills are associated with increased <a href="https://research.newamericaneconomy.org/report/not-lost-in-translation-the-growing-importance-of-foreign-language-skills-in-the-u-s-job-market/">job opportunities</a>.<br>
Research has shown that demand for bilingual workers in the United States has <a href="https://research.newamericaneconomy.org/report/not-lost-in-translation-the-growing-importance-of-foreign-language-skills-in-the-u-s-job-market/">doubled</a> from 2010 to 2015. About <a href="https://www.trade.gov/mas/ian/oceahome/tg_ian_003063.asp">11 million U.S. jobs</a> are related to exports, and <a href="https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/highlights/top/index.html#2018">most of the top trading partners of the U.S.</a> use languages other than English. While not all positions in export necessarily requires a second language, it is important to remember that <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/12/14/number-of-u-s-workers-employed-by-foreign-owned-companies-is-on-the-rise/">6.8 million</a> American workers are employed by international companies operating in the United States.
<a href="https://www.leadwithlanguages.org/language-advocacy/publications/">Nine out of 10</a> U.S. employers rely on employees with language skills other than English, and [one in four] U.S. employers <a href="https://www.leadwithlanguages.org/language-advocacy/publications/">lost business</a> due to a lack of language skills.</p>
<h2>4. Provides broader access to education and information</h2>
<p>If you speak another language, you could earn a degree in another country, which could end up being a less expensive way to get a college education. If nothing else, it at least enables you to better enjoy studying abroad and to learn more than you would if you only spoke English. </p>
<p>The same is true when it comes to the news media. Those who only speak English cannot directly access news and perspectives in parts of the world where other languages are predominant.</p>
<h2>5. Gives you more social and global skills</h2>
<p>As <a href="https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2013/acs/acs-22.html">more than 60 million </a> people in the U.S. speak a language other than English at home, those who only speak English miss out on being able to directly communicate in the mother tongue of many friends and neighbors. Language learners also tend to develop a <a href="https://www.actfl.org/advocacy/what-the-research-shows/what-the-research-shows-about-students%E2%80%99-attitudes-and-language-learning">more positive attitude</a> toward both the language and the culture of the country where it is spoken.</p>
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<p>In the case where a language may be part of our own cultural heritage and identity, building on the knowledge of that language makes it possible for us to reconnect with the experience of past generations of family.</p>
<p>Speaking another language also opens up opportunities to do business and work in other parts of the world. Overall, <a href="https://www.britishcouncil.org/organisation/policy-insight-research/research/the-english-effect">75% of the world population</a> does not speak English. Those who only speak English may also be limited and less inclined to collaborate with others around the world to address global issues.</p>
<h2>6. Increases national security</h2>
<p>On the <a href="https://www.cfr.org/event/link-between-foreign-languages-and-us-national-security">national security</a> front, various <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-112shrg75214/pdf/CHRG-112shrg75214.pdf">federal agencies and departments</a> concerned with national security, including the FBI, CIA, and the Departments of State, Homeland Security, and Defense, need more agents and employees who can speak and understand another language. This need was underscored in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, when it surfaced that lack of Arabic linguists led the U.S. to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/books/chapters/chapter-unfriendly-fire.html">miss critical messages</a> sent by al–Qaida about the 9/11 attacks a day before they occurred.</p>
<h2>7. Life is more interesting</h2>
<p>Think of all the people here in the U.S. (well <a href="https://www.citylab.com/equity/2013/08/geography-americas-many-languages/6438/">over 60 million</a>), around the world (<a href="https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-policy-insight/policy-reports/the-english-effect">75%</a> of the world population), and <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/262946/share-of-the-most-common-languages-on-the-internet/">online</a> whom we are able to talk to if we speak their languages.</p>
<p>[ <em>Deep knowledge, daily.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=deepknowledge">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter</a>. ]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/112369/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kathleen Stein-Smith does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Better job prospects and richer lives are among the many reasons to learn a foreign language, an expert on foreign language instruction writes.Kathleen Stein-Smith, Associate University Librarian; Adjunct Faculty, Fairleigh Dickinson University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1248392019-10-21T12:17:46Z2019-10-21T12:17:46ZYour political views can predict how you pronounce certain words<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297586/original/file-20191017-98678-nfzj9h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">How do you pronounce 'Muslim'? What about 'spiel'?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/contemporary-art-collage-concept-set-colorful-1483872332?src=nvVwg4FLG-JLkP5UIAaKQQ-1-35">Linda Staf/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Politics can predict <a href="https://theconversation.com/liberals-and-conservatives-have-wildly-different-tv-viewing-habits-but-these-5-shows-bring-everyone-together-118898">the TV shows we watch</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/partisan-divide-creates-different-americas-separate-lives-122925">the shops we frequent and the places we live</a>. </p>
<p>But what about the way we speak?</p>
<p>In a 2019 study, I was able to show how your political orientation can influence how you pronounce certain words. </p>
<p>How members of America’s two parties view the country – and its place in the world – might explain this phenomenon. </p>
<h2>A tale of two presidents</h2>
<p>You may have noticed former President Donald Trump had a unique way of saying the names of foreign places. </p>
<p>For example, he’s pronounced “Tanzania” as “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/apr/27/donald-trump-tanzania-foreign-policy-speech">tan-zay-nee-uh</a>,” as opposed to “tan-zuh-nee-uh,” and “Namibia” as “<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2017/09/21/africa/trump-nambia-un-africa-trnd/index.html">nam-bee-uh</a>” instead of “na-mih-bee-uh.”</p>
<p>At the other end of the spectrum, President Barack Obama was a “<a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2009/07/obama-a-stickler-for-pronunciation-024466">stickler</a>” for saying foreign words in a way that more closely mimicked the pronunciation of native speakers. He was even thanked for it: Pakistanis <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2009/07/obama-a-stickler-for-pronunciation-024466">reportedly expressed appreciation to the White House</a> for his pronunciation of “Pakistan” as “pock-ee-stahn,” rather than using a pronunciation like “<a href="https://youtu.be/4-cIrJ_5Z0A?t=101">pack-iss-stan</a>.”</p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/1b8BEkCKuxg">My own research</a> has found that this pronunciation difference isn’t relegated to presidents. Speakers who identify as Democrats are likelier to use these kinds of pronunciations of foreign words than those who identify as Republicans.</p>
<h2>A speech pattern emerges</h2>
<p>In my study, I had participants read random sentences out loud, some of which included the names of foreign places, and others that included English words borrowed from foreign languages. </p>
<p>Then I asked them questions about their political identities, views and opinions. I compared their responses to these questions with their pronunciations.</p>
<p>I found that, when compared with Republicans, Democrats are more likely to pronounce</p>
<ul>
<li>“Iraq” as “ear-rock,” rather than “eye-rack”</li>
<li>“Chile” as “chee-lay,” rather than “chill-ee”</li>
<li>“Muslim” as “moose-limb,” rather than “muzz-lum”</li>
<li>“spiel” as “shpeel,” rather than “speel”</li>
<li>“foyer” as “foy-ay,” rather than “foy-er.”</li>
</ul>
<p>In each case, Democrats pronounced the words in ways that mimicked the way native speakers would say them. For example, pronouncing “spiel” – which comes from German – as “shpeel” more closely replicates how the word is said in Germany.</p>
<p>Why does this happen and why does it matter?</p>
<p>Today’s Republicans and conservatives tend to align more strongly with <a href="https://nationalinterest.org/feature/trump-vs-hillary-nationalism-vs-globalism-2016-16041">an ideology of nationalism</a>.</p>
<p>This term has been used more in political discourse over the past few years, often <a href="https://www.cjr.org/language_corner/nationalist-supremacist.php">in ways that aren’t clearly defined</a>.</p>
<p>In social psychology, however, this ideological bent can have multiple dimensions. </p>
<p>Someone who’s more “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/02/06/true-or-false-real-americans-are-christian-speak-english-and-were-born-in-the-u-s/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.4260b3079045">ardently nationalist</a>” might believe that diversity makes it more difficult for a nation to have a shared identity. They’re also more likely to believe their nation is superior to others.</p>
<p>Democrats are <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/02/06/true-or-false-real-americans-are-christian-speak-english-and-were-born-in-the-u-s/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.4260b3079045">less likely</a> than Republicans to identify as ardently nationalist. Someone who’s less nationalistic also tends to have <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-globalism-a-counterculture-that-could-redraw-the-world-map-69390">more interest or willingness to interact with foreign people, places or cultures</a>. </p>
<p>This difference may explain the political pronunciation pattern: In my study, Democrats usually scored lower on a nationalism scale. And this score correlated with speakers’ pronunciations, too.</p>
<p>So Democrats are often more receptive and accommodating to foreign people and cultures. And the way they pronounce foreign words reflects this attitude.</p>
<p>In cognitive linguistics research, we see this pattern a lot: People tend to speak <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/40925791?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents">more like others</a> when they have <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0074746">more positive attitudes toward them</a>.</p>
<p>Perhaps that’s why Obama was thanked for pronouncing “Pakistan” more like how Pakistanis do. It wasn’t for anything specifically political. The Pakistanis simply reacted in the way someone who hears their name spelled or <a href="https://www.bustle.com/p/hasan-minhaj-explained-on-ellen-how-mispronouncing-his-name-speaks-to-a-double-standard-17018808">pronounced the way they prefer</a> would react; they heard it as a sign of respect.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/124839/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Zachary Jaggers receives funding from the National Science Foundation. </span></em></p>How members of America’s two parties view the country – and its place in the world – might explain this phenomenon.Zachary Jaggers, Postdoctoral Scholar of Linguistics, University of OregonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1022352019-02-06T11:43:39Z2019-02-06T11:43:39ZForeign language classes becoming more scarce<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/257103/original/file-20190204-193192-kkemi1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Only 1 in 5 American students take a foreign language before college.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-woman-man-headphones-learning-different-1173570004">pathdoc from www.shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Of all the skills that a person could have in today’s globalized world, few serve individuals – and the larger society – as well as knowing how to speak another language. </p>
<p>People who speak another language <a href="https://www.actfl.org/advocacy/what-the-research-shows/studies-supporting">score higher on tests and think more creatively</a>, have access to a <a href="https://research.newamericaneconomy.org/report/not-lost-in-translation-the-growing-importance-of-foreign-language-skills-in-the-u-s-job-market/">wider variety of jobs</a>, and can more fully <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED276305">enjoy and participate</a> in other cultures or converse with people from diverse backgrounds.</p>
<p>Knowledge of foreign languages is also vital to America’s <a href="https://www.cfr.org/report/us-education-reform-and-national-security">national security</a> and <a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-1046T">diplomacy</a>. Yet, according to the U.S Government Accountability Office, nearly one in four Foreign Service officers <a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-17-318">do not meet the language proficiency requirements</a> that they should meet to do their jobs. </p>
<p>Despite all these reasons to learn a foreign language, there has been a <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/01/24/research-documents-decline-languages-offered-over-three-year-period">steep decline</a> in foreign language instruction in America’s colleges and universities. Researchers at the Modern Language Association recently found that colleges <a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/Colleges-Lose-a-Stunning-/245526?cid=wcontentgrid_6_32ad_5&utm_source=activity_mailer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=notification_email">lost 651 foreign language programs</a> from 2013 to 2016 – dramatically more than the one foreign language programs that higher education lost between 2009 and 2013. <a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/Colleges-Lose-a-Stunning-/245526?cid=wcontentgrid_6_32ad_5&utm_source=activity_mailer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=notification_email">Reasons given</a> for the trend include the lingering effects of the Great Recession, declining enrollment and <a href="https://www.mla.org/Resources/Research/Surveys-Reports-and-Other-Documents/Teaching-Enrollments-and-Programs/The-MLA-Survey-of-Postsecondary-Entrance-and-Degree-Requirements-for-Languages-Other-Than-English-2009-10">more colleges dropping language requirements</a>. For the purpose of the Modern Language Association study, programs are <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/01/24/research-documents-decline-languages-offered-over-three-year-period">course offerings</a> during a given semester, not entire departments.</p>
<p>At the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point, for instance, officials <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2018/03/06/u-wisconsin-stevens-point-eliminate-13-majors">announced plans to eliminate 13 majors</a> – including French, German and Spanish – as part of an effort to cut costs.</p>
<p>As an <a href="https://view2.fdu.edu/faculty-staff-profile-pages/kathleen_stein-smith/">author</a> who has written extensively about the United States’ <a href="https://www.palgrave.com/us/book/9783319341583">foreign language deficit</a>, I’m concerned.</p>
<h2>Scarce in schools</h2>
<p>Part of the problem I see is that so few students in the United States – just <a href="https://www.americancouncils.org/sites/default/files/FLE-report-June17.pdf">20 percent</a> – study a foreign language at the K-12 level. At the college level, the number drops even lower, with only <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/03/07/study-finds-sharp-decline-foreign-language-enrollments">7.5 percent</a> of students enrolled in a foreign language course. And that percentage has been <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/03/07/study-finds-sharp-decline-foreign-language-enrollments">steadily declining</a> in recent years. It could be due to the fact that more colleges have <a href="https://www.mla.org/Resources/Research/Surveys-Reports-and-Other-Documents/Teaching-Enrollments-and-Programs/The-MLA-Survey-of-Postsecondary-Entrance-and-Degree-Requirements-for-Languages-Other-Than-English-2009-10">dropped</a> foreign language requirements. Or students simply may not see the potential career benefits of studying a foreign language.</p>
<p>To put those statistics into perspective, consider the fact that in Europe, studying a foreign language is a “<a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/08/06/most-european-students-are-learning-a-foreign-language-in-school-while-americans-lag/">nearly ubiquitous experience</a>.” This is because most European countries – unlike the United States – have <a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/08/06/most-european-students-are-learning-a-foreign-language-in-school-while-americans-lag/">national-level mandates</a> that require foreign language instruction.</p>
<h2>New way of thinking</h2>
<p>Research shows that Americans’ attitudes toward language instruction may be holding them back. In his book, “Educating Global Citizens in Colleges and Universities,” historian Peter Stearns has written that Americans are <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Educating-Global-Citizens-in-Colleges-and-Universities-Challenges-and/Stearns/p/book/9780415990240">“legendary”</a> for being reluctant to learn another language. I suspect this may stem from knowledge of the fact that English is widely spoken and studied throughout the world. However, the fact remains that <a href="https://www.britishcouncil.org/organisation/policy-insight-research/research/the-english-effect">75 percent</a> of the world population does not speak English.</p>
<p>Research shows that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/mar/19/language-learning-motivation-brain-teaching">motivation is essential</a> to learning another language, whether that motivation stems from the desire to communicate with a relative or loved one in a foreign culture, or to better understand literature or works of art, such as an opera, that were originally produced in another language.</p>
<h2>Timing is crucial</h2>
<p>Another important consideration is the age at which students begin to study a foreign language. Brain scientists say that in order to speak a language as well as a native speaker, children must begin to <a href="http://news.mit.edu/2018/cognitive-scientists-define-critical-period-learning-language-0501">study the language by age 10</a>. A 2018 study found that this ability to more easily learn a language <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010027718300994">lasts until about age 17 or 18</a> – which is longer than previously thought – but then begins to decline. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.amacad.org/content/publications/publication.aspx?d=22429">Most students</a> in the U.S. begin language study in middle or high school. Only 58 percent of middle schools and 25 percent of elementary schools offer a foreign language in 2008, according to a 2017 report by the Commission on Language Learning, which was formed in response to a request by Congress to look deeper into foreign language learning in the United States. And those figures are lower than the 75 percent and 31 percent, respectively, that they were in 1997.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/life-bilingual/201401/cognitive-advantages-second-language-immersion-education">Language immersion programs</a> – growing in popularity since <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/second-language-instruction">their introduction</a> in bilingual Canada through the Official Languages Act of 1969 – represent one way to teach foreign language to children earlier. Research has shown that immersion students in Canada <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/81-004-x/200406/6923-eng.htm">score higher in reading literacy</a> than non-immersion students.</p>
<p>Research also shows immersion programs in general <a href="http://carla.umn.edu/immersion/documents/ImmersionResearch_TaraFortune.html">have many educational and cognitive benefits</a>, as well as cultural, economic and social benefits both locally and globally. They have also been shown to be <a href="https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/edcentral/new-study-examines-costs-dual-language-immersion-programs/">cost-effective</a>.</p>
<p>Although the number of immersion programs is rapidly increasing, up from three in 1971, there were only <a href="http://webapp.cal.org/Immersion/">448</a> immersion schools in the United States as of 2011, the latest year for which I could find data. The number of programs is increasing to meet demand from parents and communities, with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/09/nyregion/dual-language-programs-are-on-the-rise-even-for-native-english-speakers.html">180 dual-language public school programs</a> in New York City alone in 2015.</p>
<h2>Teacher shortage</h2>
<p>Another issue is there aren’t enough qualified teachers available to teach foreign languages and immersion programs.</p>
<p>“One of the biggest obstacles to improved language learning is a national shortage of qualified teachers,” according to <a href="https://www.amacad.org/publication/americas-languages-investing-language-education-21st-century">a 2017 report</a>. The report cites <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/pol/tsa.pdf">federal statistics</a> showing that 44 states and Washington, D.C. have a shortage of qualified foreign language instructors at the K-12 level for the 2016–2017 school year. </p>
<p>Equity, or social justice, is another important consideration. Recent studies have shown that <a href="https://www.languagemagazine.com/2018/01/12/bilingualism-benefits-low-income-children/">bilingualism benefits low-income children</a>. In order to make foreign language accessible to all children, it is essential to offer more of it in the nation’s public schools.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/102235/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kathleen Stein-Smith does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Despite increasing globalization, foreign language programs in US colleges have become less common. A foreign language expert says America needs to step up its efforts to turn things around.Kathleen Stein-Smith, Associate University Librarian; Adjunct Faculty, Fairleigh Dickinson University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1066782018-11-13T11:45:47Z2018-11-13T11:45:47ZMore American students are studying abroad, new data show<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244861/original/file-20181110-116853-j3uytf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Students who study abroad gain a competitive edge in the job market, research shows.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/portrait-graduating-female-student-holding-world-115841302?src=SV-5Wm2MNoK_Q0w6CsoMOw-7-17">Dan Korsmayer/www.shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Kelsey Hrubes knew she had a challenge on her hands when she visited Germany as a study abroad student back in 2015.</p>
<p>“I was forced to adapt to cultural norms I had never considered before and try to comprehend everything in a new language,” recalls Hrubes, a <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelseyhrubes/">software engineer at Microsoft</a> and 2017 Iowa State graduate in German and computer science.</p>
<p>Hrubes says if she hadn’t studied abroad and learned to adjust to new surroundings, she wouldn’t be nearly as confident as she is in her career.</p>
<p>Stories such as this are part of what’s behind the increasing number of university students who are studying abroad – many of whom are trying to gain valuable experience that will benefit them in their personal and professional lives.</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://www.iie.org/opendoors">new data</a> released Nov. 13 by the Institute of International Education, more than 332,000 U.S. students studied abroad during the 2016-2017 academic year, an increase of 2.3 percent over the previous year.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244888/original/file-20181110-38373-19oweky.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244888/original/file-20181110-38373-19oweky.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244888/original/file-20181110-38373-19oweky.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244888/original/file-20181110-38373-19oweky.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244888/original/file-20181110-38373-19oweky.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244888/original/file-20181110-38373-19oweky.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244888/original/file-20181110-38373-19oweky.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244888/original/file-20181110-38373-19oweky.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">More minority students are studying abroad than a decade ago.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/beautiful-female-backpacker-tourist-buys-ticket-507218665?src=kM--EVjXUhT40GR5_qY7iw-1-62">guruXOX/shutterstock.com</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>The institute’s annual Open Doors data also show gains in study abroad among minority students, who now make up 29 percent of all American students abroad. A decade ago, that figure stood at just 18 percent.</p>
<p>As a scholar who specializes in cross-cultural knowledge, business practices and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=9NCNmwUAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">student learning by means of study abroad</a> – and as co-director of a <a href="https://language.iastate.edu/valencia/about/">summer program in Valencia, Spain</a> – I see a few factors that have likely contributed to these increases.</p>
<h2>More options and motivating factors</h2>
<p>First, there has been a huge <a href="https://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ihe/article/download/8005/7156">increase in funding</a> for students to go abroad. Many of those funds are directed at students with financial need or who have <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/23/boost-minority-students-study-abroad/3171991/">minority status</a>.</p>
<p>Second, there are <a href="https://www.aifsfoundation.org/pdf/Destinations.pdf">more options</a> to study abroad in a variety of places and for different lengths of time.</p>
<p>Students are also beginning to recognize on their own the benefits of experiencing other cultures for professional reasons or future career advancement.</p>
<p>Research and experience demonstrate that students who are fully immersed in cultures abroad and who learn another language are <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/foreign-language-improve-decisions/">better-equipped</a> to function in the global workforce. They become strategic thinkers and problem solvers, and excellent communicators in more than one language.</p>
<p>Many programs connect students’ disciplinary interests with an understanding of other people and cultures in order to create well-prepared and competitive students who will be global leaders in their professional fields.</p>
<p>Such an interdisciplinary focus was not always the norm in study abroad. Decades ago, faculty-led study abroad programs focused on one area, usually language study, or a particular academic discipline in <a href="https://frontiersjournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/MOHAJERINORRIS-STEINBERG-FrontiersXVII-DoesLanguageMatter.pdf">English-speaking countries</a>. Today, more students are seeking ways to take coursework in their major by combining it with <a href="https://compact.org/changingfacestudyabroad/">unique hands-on experience</a>, such as international internships or service learning experiences abroad.</p>
<p>According to the 2018 Open Doors report, Europe remains a top destination of such programs, with around 32 percent of all students choosing the United Kingdom, Italy or Spain. However, other regions such as Asia, Africa and the Middle East continue to attract attention. In 2016-2017, interest in these regions together increased by 26 percent, according to Open Doors. Much of this interest comes from students interested in working on community-based sustainability projects in fields such as engineering or agriculture.</p>
<h2>Employers value experience abroad</h2>
<p>While students now have access to more funding to study abroad and a wider selection of destinations, corporate interest is factor driving the increase in students who study abroad.</p>
<p>Several major U.S. technology firms, such as Dell, Google and Microsoft, have stressed the need to find employees who are better-equipped to understand the <a href="https://www.iie.org/employability">global marketplace</a>. Study abroad, particularly programs in which students <a href="https://hbr.org/2012/08/speak-to-global-customers-in-t">learn another language</a>, help achieve that end.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244889/original/file-20181110-116853-11i7468.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244889/original/file-20181110-116853-11i7468.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244889/original/file-20181110-116853-11i7468.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244889/original/file-20181110-116853-11i7468.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244889/original/file-20181110-116853-11i7468.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244889/original/file-20181110-116853-11i7468.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244889/original/file-20181110-116853-11i7468.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Research shows international experience gives graduates a leg up in the job market.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-female-candidate-laughing-job-interview-743911858?src=xVHHmlnOINVVpPVg2JX8Jw-1-31">Mangostar/www.shutterstock.com</a></span>
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<p>My <a href="https://works.bepress.com/chad_gasta/27/">own research</a> over 10 years shows that students who study abroad are better critical thinkers and problem solvers, more entrepreneurial and have better communication skills. They are also more tolerant and understanding. They have a greater appreciation for the arts, social issues and world events. They gain more insight into themselves and their lives.</p>
<p>Study abroad makes students <a href="https://money.cnn.com/2013/10/30/news/economy/job-skills-foreign-language/index.html">more marketable</a> for top jobs. And students are now reporting that their experience abroad is one of the first things they are asked about in <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2017/10/02/survey-study-abroad-tool-land-jobs">job interviews</a>. In fact, students who study abroad for a meaningful period of time make as much as 20 percent <a href="https://www.economist.com/prospero/2014/03/11/johnson-what-is-a-foreign-language-worth">more money</a> over the course of their careers. Additionally, students in many fields are <a href="https://www.iie.org/Research-and-Insights/Publications/Gaining-an-Employment-Edge---The-Impact-of-Study-Abroad">promoted</a> at a faster rate, and they are likely to get prime international assignments, perhaps in <a href="https://www.iesabroad.org/system/files/2008%20JSIE_How%20SA%20Shapes%20Global%20Careers%20%28Norris%2C%20Gillespie%29.pdf">more than one country</a>.</p>
<p>College graduates routinely acknowledge that their time abroad was one of the most <a href="https://www.iesabroad.org/study-abroad/benefits/alumni-survey-results">important and beneficial things</a> they did as a student. The thought of an international career is almost too good to pass up. Given such factors, participation in study abroad programs, particularly by minority students and women, should continue to grow.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/106678/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chad M. Gasta does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>In an effort to get a competitive edge in the global jobs market, more US college students are choosing to get international experience, an expert on study abroad says.Chad M. Gasta, Professor of Spanish and Chair, Iowa State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/803522017-08-02T01:19:10Z2017-08-02T01:19:10ZThe true failure of foreign language instruction<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179076/original/file-20170720-23983-47qtgn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Far fewer Americans speak a second language than in most other developed countries – and the problem starts in the classroom.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/high-school-students-working-on-international-654280111?src=jkDOykIkSecBAUlQfAJ_LQ-1-2">Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A <a href="https://www.amacad.org/multimedia/pdfs/publications/researchpapersmonographs/language/Commission-on-Language-Learning_Americas-Languages.pdf">recent report</a> from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences calls for more attention to language teaching in the U.S. The report notes that U.S. students have much less access to foreign language instruction than students in other economically developed countries, and that Americans are thus much less likely to be bi- or multilingual.</p>
<p>As an <a href="https://www.gse.harvard.edu/faculty/catherine-snow">expert on language and literacy development in children</a>, I’ve talked to many immigrant parents who expect their children to grow up bilingual, only to be surprised that they end up as monolingual English speakers. Meanwhile, foreign language learning opportunities for English speakers are limited. Why is the U.S. so bad at producing bilinguals?</p>
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<h2>Native language loss</h2>
<p>The dismal state of bilingual and multilingual fluency in the U.S. has a couple of sources. Notably, far too many of the children with the greatest potential to become good bilinguals – the children of immigrants – lose fluency in their parents’ language. It’s estimated that by the third generation, immigrants have <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED335176">completely lost fluency</a> in their heritage languages.</p>
<p>Ongoing support (political and social as well as educational) for maintenance of minority languages <a href="https://www.amacad.org/multimedia/pdfs/publications/researchpapersmonographs/language/Commission-on-Language-Learning_Americas-Languages.pdf#page=34">is limited</a>. Bilingualism can be impeded by a general sense that it’s <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/dec/31/why-english-should-be-official-language-united-sta/">more important for immigrants to learn English</a> than to maintain their first language, and that these are somehow in conflict with one another.</p>
<p>In my view, it’s ironic that we have students walking up staircases at one end of their school building to attend Spanish foreign language classes while at the other end of the same building native Spanish speakers are being taught English and content in ways that <a href="https://languageattrition.org/">lead to their loss</a> of Spanish.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179083/original/file-20170720-942-1496yjb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179083/original/file-20170720-942-1496yjb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179083/original/file-20170720-942-1496yjb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179083/original/file-20170720-942-1496yjb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179083/original/file-20170720-942-1496yjb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179083/original/file-20170720-942-1496yjb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179083/original/file-20170720-942-1496yjb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Anti-immigrant sentiment can be a driving force behind opposition to native language retention.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/donotlick/4616365374">Jennifer Morrow</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Foreign language classes ‘fail’</h2>
<p>The other factor contributing to a lack of bilingual proficiency in the U.S. may be low expectations. Too many Americans accept the claim that foreign language instruction is a dismal failure, that a very large percentage of students will <a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/07/13/learning-a-foreign-language-a-must-in-europe-not-so-in-america/">never become fluent</a> in another language and that investing in foreign language learning is likely to be <a href="http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/2012/08/the_marginal_pr.html">a waste of time</a>.</p>
<p>How do we explain, then, that l00 percent of students in Germany, Scandinavia, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Singapore and many other places achieve <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/repository/languages/policy/strategic-framework/documents/language-survey-final-report_en.pdf">high levels of competence in English</a> – and typically in at least one or two other languages as well? Is the U.S. student population afflicted with some peculiar block to foreign language learning?</p>
<p>I would argue that we as Americans do have a block to successful foreign language learning: our deeply unrealistic expectations about how it works. Can a few years of experience in middle school or high school classrooms (experience that likely adds up to less than 600 total hours of instruction) generate excellence in another language? Frankly, no – at least <a href="https://www.amacad.org/multimedia/pdfs/publications/researchpapersmonographs/language/Commission-on-Language-Learning_Americas-Languages.pdf#page=20">not for most students</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179086/original/file-20170720-942-1sfyc56.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179086/original/file-20170720-942-1sfyc56.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179086/original/file-20170720-942-1sfyc56.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179086/original/file-20170720-942-1sfyc56.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179086/original/file-20170720-942-1sfyc56.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179086/original/file-20170720-942-1sfyc56.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179086/original/file-20170720-942-1sfyc56.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">U.S. students typically get only a few years of foreign language classes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.marsoc.marines.mil/Photos/igphoto/28425/">Sgt. Steven King</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Moving forward through opportunity</h2>
<p>Despite the current limitations of most curricula, such classroom experience can, however, form a solid foundation for truly learning a foreign language.</p>
<p>This is particularly true when a genuine communicative opportunity arises. Some lucky students get that opportunity on <a href="http://www.nafsa.org/Policy_and_Advocacy/Policy_Resources/Policy_Trends_and_Data/Trends_in_U_S__Study_Abroad/">trips abroad</a>. Others might seek it out by volunteering in <a href="https://www.gobeyondtravel.com/">refugee centers</a> or programs serving <a href="https://volunteer.uwkc.org/need/detail/?need_id=214442">immigrant youth</a>, or by seeking <a href="https://www.language-exchanges.org/">digital contacts</a> with native speakers.</p>
<p>Many efforts to rethink the traditional foreign language classroom experience have been tried. These efforts include immersion, <a href="http://www.cal.org/twi/">dual immersion</a> and <a href="https://www.nap.edu/catalog/24677/promoting-the-educational-success-of-children-and-youth-learning-english">other bilingual school programs</a>. Such programs typically recruit kindergartners and build second language skills by teaching content through the second language.</p>
<p>They often work well, but starting at kindergarten is not a requirement for ultimate fluency. Immersion programs are effective and, in fact, generate equivalent learning in less time if started at later grades. Late immersion may be more efficient just because older students are <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232600201_A_comparison_of_early_and_late_second_language_learning">better learners</a>, and are generally more likely to have had a say in choosing the immersion program – thus they’re also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0261927X8500400102">more motivated to learn</a>. </p>
<p>With such opportunities to improve foreign language instruction, let’s not <a href="https://qz.com/309143/a-case-for-cutting-foreign-languages-from-us-schools/">give up on it entirely</a> – let’s figure out how to complement it with the experiences that enable students to exploit it optimally!</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179087/original/file-20170720-15106-169zjsc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179087/original/file-20170720-15106-169zjsc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179087/original/file-20170720-15106-169zjsc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179087/original/file-20170720-15106-169zjsc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179087/original/file-20170720-15106-169zjsc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179087/original/file-20170720-15106-169zjsc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179087/original/file-20170720-15106-169zjsc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Foreign travel – for those who can afford it – can be a path to effective and lasting language learning.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Daniel_Oerther_posing_with_students_during_a_study_abroad_trip_to_Gujarat,_India.jpg">Oertherdb</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/80352/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Catherine Snow does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Whether it’s due to native language loss or unsupported high school curricula, the lack of bilingualism in the US is notable. Why can’t more Americans speak another language? How should that change?Catherine Snow, Professor of Education, Harvard UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/775372017-06-15T10:06:25Z2017-06-15T10:06:25ZWhy just speaking English isn’t going to cut it anymore<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/173776/original/file-20170614-24820-34qz5t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shuttertsock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Britain is facing an uncertain future and an uneasy relationship with Europe after Brexit and the latest general election. Among other things, a key determiner of the success of Brexit will be the UK’s ability to conduct negotiations without language barriers. But the country’s <a href="http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/key_data_series/143EN_HI.pdf">woeful inability to learn languages</a>, and the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/sep/11/uk-languages-teaching-crisis">decline in foreign language learning</a> among school and university students across Britain, does not bode well.</p>
<p>Of course, <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/schools/mind-your-minority-language-welsh-gaelic-irish-and-cornish-are-staging-a-comeback-8454456.html">Welsh, Gaelic, Irish and Cornish</a> are already spoken in some parts of the UK. And while it’s great to see many of these minority languages experiencing something of a revival over recent years, when it comes to life after Brexit it’s languages from further afield that will <a href="https://theconversation.com/prepare-british-children-for-life-after-brexit-teach-them-another-language-74941?sa=google&sq=life+after+brexit&sr=1">likely be most useful to Brits</a>.</p>
<p>Many people in the UK may well ask “why we need languages” when “everyone in Europe speaks English anyway”. Indeed, all Brexit negotiations will be conducted in English. But given that the UK’s lack of foreign language skill is estimated to cost the nation up to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/dec/10/language-skills-deficit-costs-uk-economy">£48 billion a year</a>, this isn’t something that can just be ignored. Especially considering this figure is unlikely to decrease in post-Brexit Britain. </p>
<p>Then there is the fact that <a href="http://schoolsweek.co.uk/brexit-will-be-top-challenge-for-schools-in-coming-years/">30% of the UK’s language teachers are from Europe</a>, so Brexit might actually deepen the current language teacher recruitment crisis – currently, half of modern foreign language teacher training posts <a href="https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-news/nearly-half-mfl-teacher-training-places-are-left-unfilled-ucas">remain unfilled</a>. </p>
<p>It has also been estimated that 3,500 more teachers are needed if the government really wants to stick to its aim of <a href="http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06045/SN06045.pdf">90% of students achieving the English Baccalaureate</a> by 2025.</p>
<h2>A look at the issue</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/271941189_Writing_in_French_in_secondary_schools_in_England_and_Germany_are_the_British_really_'bad_language_learners'">Recent studies</a> have blamed the UK’s language problem on the current teaching methods and <a href="http://www.baal.org.uk/proc08/tschichold.pdf">materials</a> used – indicating poor performance is a consequence of the system rather than the students. But there’s a lot more to it than that. </p>
<p>One of the main issues is that at GCSE level, schools often employ a <a href="http://educationdatalab.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2015-Educationfurniture-04.pdf">policy of entering only higher attaining students</a>, who are expected to pass with a good grade. This divides students into two groups: those likely and those not likely to get a good language GCSE. And this is detrimental to overall motivation and creates a two-tier system.</p>
<p>Such grouping also inevitably coincides with the different socioeconomic backgrounds of students – with students from more advantaged backgrounds more likely to be entered for languages.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/173777/original/file-20170614-21334-1sikhh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/173777/original/file-20170614-21334-1sikhh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173777/original/file-20170614-21334-1sikhh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173777/original/file-20170614-21334-1sikhh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173777/original/file-20170614-21334-1sikhh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173777/original/file-20170614-21334-1sikhh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173777/original/file-20170614-21334-1sikhh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Learning the basics.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Research has also shown that the higher the proportion of students eligible for <a href="https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/language_trends_survey_2016_0.pdf">free school meals</a>, the more likely a school is to withdraw certain groups of students from language lessons. So while 84% of students in selective schools are entered for a language GCSE, only 48% of their peers in comprehensive schools are. </p>
<p>A lot of this may well come down to the fact that at exam level, language subjects have been shown to be marked much more <a href="https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/language_trends_survey_2016_0.pdf">harshly</a> than other subjects. So not only are schools choosing not to enter “less able” students, but also pupils aiming for the best results and a place at a top university are also more likely to shun languages. This is because they don’t want to risk reducing their chances of getting high grades. </p>
<h2>Making languages great again</h2>
<p>This is a sad state of affairs, given that <a href="https://pure.york.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/teaching-languages-to-instil-the-love-of-learning(8234c421-b2a9-4657-95f3-d118b2cbabec).html">evidence suggests</a> that students are generally curious about languages – including ones not offered at school.</p>
<p>Recent research also shows that students are more driven to take a language at GCSE when they perceive a <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/modl.12146/abstract">personal relevance</a>. And engaging students’ sense of personal importance may also mean thinking outside the box, or rather the entrenched languages of French, Spanish and German. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/173778/original/file-20170614-21331-8jsn1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/173778/original/file-20170614-21331-8jsn1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=433&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173778/original/file-20170614-21331-8jsn1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=433&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173778/original/file-20170614-21331-8jsn1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=433&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173778/original/file-20170614-21331-8jsn1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=544&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173778/original/file-20170614-21331-8jsn1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=544&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173778/original/file-20170614-21331-8jsn1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=544&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Could this be the future?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The 2013 <a href="https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/languages-for-the-future-report-v3.pdf">Languages for the Future</a> report highlights ten languages – Spanish, Arabic, French, Mandarin Chinese, German, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Turkish and Japanese – which are of most use to the UK. And although it is not yet clear what impact Brexit may have on the nation’s language needs, this provides a good basis for creative thinking. </p>
<p>But language teachers can only work within the framework set by the exam boards, so it may be that the shifting of power and loyalties that Brexit brings will provide a perfect opportunity to rethink language provision for all.</p>
<h2>More than one choice</h2>
<p>It cannot be denied that Europe is busier than ever learning English, and that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/may/05/brexit-english-is-losing-its-importance-in-europe-says-juncker">English is used widely as a medium of discussion</a> across Europe. English will of course continue to be an <a href="http://www.aca-secretariat.be/fileadmin/aca_docs/images/members/2008_Beyond_2010_-_Priorities_and_challenges_for_higher_education_in_the_next_decade.pdf#page=15">important EU working language</a> <a href="https://ideas.repec.org/p/pab/wpaper/17.07.html">post-Brexit</a>, not because of the need to trade with Britain, but because many Europeans find it a convenient lingua franca. </p>
<p>But let’s remember that multilingual Europe has a choice of language – as recently demonstrated by European Commission president <a href="http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-06-28/juncker-refuses-speak-english-address-eu-parliament">Jean-Claude Juncker</a> – unlike monolingual Britain. </p>
<p>The use of English by the UK’s trading and political partners depends largely on their choice and preference. And while other nations are busying themselves to become more and more bilingually functional, monolingual <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249048802_Are_the_British_really_bad_at_learning_foreign_languages">Britain risks increasing isolation</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/77537/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Everyone should learn another language.Abigail Parrish, Associate Lecturer in Languages, University of YorkUrsula Lanvers, Lecturer in Language Learning and Teaching, University of YorkLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/749412017-04-10T11:27:51Z2017-04-10T11:27:51ZPrepare British children for life after Brexit – teach them another language<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/164655/original/image-20170410-8834-19kj93a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Just speaking English isn't going to cut it anymore.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The formal negotiations to untangle the UK from the intricacies of the European Union are now well underway. And it is clear that looking forward, Britain’s new relationship with the EU will necessitate conducting trade and political communications in a new dynamic – one which is unlikely to be done in the medium of English. </p>
<p>When the UK leaves the EU there will be no member state remaining where English is the lead official language. “Ah”, you say, “what about Ireland, they speak English there”. Yes they do, but in Ireland, Irish Gaelic is <a href="https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/posts/the-national-language-of-ireland-and-the-irish-who-don-t-speak-it">considered the first official language</a>. </p>
<p>So to trade with the EU, the UK will need high-level negotiators fluent in German, French and Spanish, which it currently does not have. </p>
<p>Additionally, leaving the EU will result in a <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-britains-post-brexit-immigration-policy-could-look-like-74488">restriction of immigrant</a>s from across EU member states. The need for visas will drastically reduce the number of workers who can come to the UK to fill jobs British people are either unwilling or unable to do.</p>
<p>And recognising this gap, the Foreign and Common Wealth office and the Ministry of Defence have <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/sep/30/foreign-office-opens-language-centre">opened in-house training centres</a> to provide lessons in up to 80 different languages for their staff.</p>
<h2>Global English</h2>
<p>Much of this lack of language skill can be put down to the fact that children in UK schools do not learn foreign languages <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2013/may/13/languages-uk-schools">with the same intensity</a> as their European neighbours. </p>
<p>In England in particular, languages are seen as boring, irrelevant or too hard – turning many off learning a language at a young age. And the “false-friend” of <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-native-english-speakers-fail-to-be-understood-in-english-and-lose-out-in-global-business-54436">global English</a> provides a fertile foundation for these ideas. </p>
<p>In contrast young people in the rest of Europe understand the need to speak at least one other language for their future prospects and they are supported by a strong holistic language education system. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/164664/original/image-20170410-8861-1tjegtx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/164664/original/image-20170410-8861-1tjegtx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164664/original/image-20170410-8861-1tjegtx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164664/original/image-20170410-8861-1tjegtx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164664/original/image-20170410-8861-1tjegtx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164664/original/image-20170410-8861-1tjegtx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164664/original/image-20170410-8861-1tjegtx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Children outside the UK are taught the importance of speaking more than one language.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Since 2002, there has been a <a href="http://www.ucml.ac.uk/languages-education/he-languages">16% decrease in applications</a> to study a language at British universities. At secondary school level, there has been an even bigger decline – the number of pupils studying for a GCSE in a language has dropped 41%.</p>
<p>The number of young people taking French, German, and Spanish at A-level has also gone down by 22% <a href="http://www.ucml.ac.uk/languages-education/primary-secondary-languages">in the past 14 years</a>. <a href="http://www.jcq.org.uk/examination-results/gcses/2016/gcse-other-mfl-entries-2015-2016">German is the worst hit language</a> – it has seen a decline in students taking it at A-Level of 45%. </p>
<h2>Language learning</h2>
<p>A <a href="http://schoolsweek.co.uk/3500-more-language-teachers-needed-for-ebacc-to-work/">lack of qualified teachers</a> – almost 3,500 more language teachers are needed to meet current demand in Britain – along with a reduction in provision and resources, are just some of the reasons for this national decline in young people choosing to study a language at secondary level. </p>
<p>This comes despite the fact that language provision at primary level is available in some form in almost <a href="http://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/language_trends_survey_2016_0.pdf">all schools in England</a>.
The <a href="https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/language_trends_survey_2016_0.pdf">failure of the English Baccalaureate</a> to fully engage young people with languages has also been pinpointed as another contributing factor.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/164658/original/image-20170410-8869-17nkhx1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/164658/original/image-20170410-8869-17nkhx1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164658/original/image-20170410-8869-17nkhx1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164658/original/image-20170410-8869-17nkhx1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164658/original/image-20170410-8869-17nkhx1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164658/original/image-20170410-8869-17nkhx1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164658/original/image-20170410-8869-17nkhx1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The number of students studying languages has dropped.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Motivating young people is also a big challenge for teachers. At a time when morale is already low among language teachers, it can be hard to get young people to see the relevance of language learning in their own lives and future employment. Getting pupils to see the enjoyment of learning a language can also be difficult.</p>
<p>Part of the challenge is the perceived difficulty of the GCSE and A-Level examinations. As the <a href="http://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/language_trends_survey_2016_0.pdf">British Council highlights</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The comparative difficulty of exams in languages in relation to other subjects, and widely reported harsh and inconsistent marking, are deeply demotivating for both pupils and teachers. </p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Transferable skills</h2>
<p>Yet, with more investment in language provisions in secondary schools, the need to later train adults in languages while they work would not be necessary. </p>
<p>This lack of language skills across all employment sectors is costing the UK economy an estimated <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/dec/10/language-skills-deficit-costs-uk-economy">£48 billion each year</a>, and the British Chambers of Commerce lists <a href="http://www.britishchambers.org.uk/INTERNATIONAL%20TRADE_SD%20V5.pdf">making language learning compulsory in secondary schools</a> as one of its main factors for economic growth.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/164661/original/image-20170410-8861-w4o0e5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/164661/original/image-20170410-8861-w4o0e5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164661/original/image-20170410-8861-w4o0e5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164661/original/image-20170410-8861-w4o0e5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164661/original/image-20170410-8861-w4o0e5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164661/original/image-20170410-8861-w4o0e5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/164661/original/image-20170410-8861-w4o0e5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">All secondary school pupils should learn a language.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It’s at this point that I’m usually asked, “but if Britain is leaving the EU, then why do languages matter anymore?” And my answer is always the same, it is precisely because Britain is leaving the EU that languages matter even more. Not only to avoid <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/federico-moscogiuri/isolationism-brexit_b_11796190.html">isolationist attitudes</a> evolving further, but to ensure that young people have the skills they need to succeed in a global jobs market. </p>
<p>And it’s not just about learning a language – <a href="http://www.britac.ac.uk/sites/default/files/1.%20About%20Born%20Global_0.pdf">languages open doors</a>, improving mobility, intercultural awareness, empathy, and confidence for the young people who study them. </p>
<p>The benefit of the transferable skills young people gain from learning a language is perhaps more valuable than the language itself. And limiting the access young people have to languages simply means not preparing them for a new post-Brexit world.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/74941/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kim Ridealgh receives funding from Germany Embassy, AHRC, ESRC.</span></em></p>The importance of speaking other languages in a post-Brexit world.Kim Ridealgh, Lecturer in Sociolinguistics, University of East AngliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/722632017-02-24T02:06:46Z2017-02-24T02:06:46ZHow Iranian filmmakers like Asghar Farhadi defy the censors<p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/20/insider/political-drama-at-this-years-oscars-yes-very-likely.html?_r=0">Politics loom</a> over this year’s Oscars, with many bracing for what the winners will – or won’t – say when they ascend the stage before millions of television viewers on Feb. 26. </p>
<p>One nominee, however, has already made a statement.</p>
<p>Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi’s “The Salesman” is one of five films nominated for Best Foreign Language Film. But last month, after President Trump issued an executive order temporarily banning immigrants from seven Muslim majority countries – Iran included – Farhadi decided to boycott the annual awards ceremony. </p>
<p>“To humiliate one nation with the pretext of guarding the security of another is not a new phenomenon in history and has always laid the groundwork for the creation of future divide and enmity,” he <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/29/movies/trump-immigration-oscars-iranian-director-asghar-farhadi.html?_r=0">wrote</a>. “I hereby express my condemnation of the unjust conditions forced upon some of my compatriots and the citizens of the other six countries trying to legally enter the United States of America and hope that the current situation will not give rise to further divide between nations.”</p>
<p>Given the attention Farhadi has received for his act of protest, it’s worth looking at how Iranian film has evolved under a regime that seeks to quell criticism – and how filmmakers like him navigate these restrictions to produce powerful, politically potent art.</p>
<h2>A bipolar movie culture</h2>
<p>Before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, an independent film sector existed alongside government-financed film production. Revolutionaries, however, <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Iranian_Cinema_in_a_Global_Context.html?id=5T-DBAAAQBAJ">viewed the film industry as a symbol of cultural corruption</a>, and during the revolution set fire to hundreds of movie theaters.</p>
<p>Beginning in 1982, Iranian cinema began to regroup. The government wanted to construct a national film culture that would express the ethics of Islam and the unique history of the Iranian state. But this goal often clashed with filmmakers who had strong ties to Iran’s literary culture and wanted to be able to portray modern Iran in critical terms. As a result, Iran’s movie culture is bipolar, with apolitical, domestic melodramas outnumbering art films that critique everyday life. </p>
<p>Today, Iranian cinema reveals some of the contradictions of life under a theocracy. Yes, filmmakers <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Iranian_Cinema_in_a_Global_Context.html?id=5T-DBAAAQBAJ">must adhere to strict guidelines</a>: The Ministry of Culture forbids unflattering portrayals of Islam, women, the nation and its history. <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Iranian_Cinema_in_a_Global_Context.html?id=5T-DBAAAQBAJ">But these rules are vague</a>, and censorship of Iranian films is inconsistent, often based on the tastes of individual officials. </p>
<p>Nonetheless, the art cinema of filmmakers like the late <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/jul/04/abbas-kiarostami-palme-dor-winning-iranian-film-maker-dies">Abbas Kiarostami</a>, <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/jafar-panahis-remarkable-taxi">Jafar Panahi</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1715454/">Mohsen Amiryoussefi</a> has received worldwide acclaim. Since the mid 2000s, Iranian films have won awards at prestigious festivals such as Cannes, Venice and San Sebastian.</p>
<p>The extraordinary overseas success of Iranian films has further complicated the censorship picture. It was the Iranian government, for instance, that approved the script of “The Salesman,” and determined that the film would be the country’s official entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category. </p>
<p>Perhaps authorities give films like “The Salesman” a pass because their depiction of Iran’s social realities is subtle, not strident. Literal-minded officials are often unable to find obvious examples of blasphemy or criticism of the political regime. </p>
<h2>Gentle – but forceful – criticism</h2>
<p>In “The Salesman,” for instance, a couple, Ranaa and Emad, are performers who are rehearsing for a production of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman.” </p>
<p>Their own home, however, is collapsing, the result of faulty construction. They’re forced to rent an apartment, which, they soon discover, had previously been occupied by a prostitute. Her clients continue to show up, creating a whole host of new problems for Ranaa and Emad. </p>
<p>In its elliptical treatment of Iran’s civil society as a “crumbling building” – and its depiction of the conflicting social and religious roles Iranian women must grapple with – the film subtly manages to be critical of modern life in Iran. In “The Salesman,” Islam is not the problem; rather, the film insists that repressive institutions – cultural, economic or religious – are what narrow the possibilities for humane communication and equality. These, Farhadi seems to argue, are the true dangers to any society. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_hHUkvNG7iU?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The trailer for ‘The Salesman.’</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Meanwhile, female filmmakers like <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/apr/03/features.weekend">Samira Makhmalbaf</a> – joined by other female actors, writers and directors – bring a muted feminism to an industry that exists at the sufferance of a patriarchal government. </p>
<p>What scholar Hamid Naficy <a href="http://publicculture.dukejournals.org/content/3/2/29.short">calls</a> a “cinema of the averted gaze” has emerged. Both male and female filmmakers obliquely confront the terms of female subservience – as well as the hidden sources of female cultural power – in a patriarchal society.</p>
<h2>Defying the censors</h2>
<p>Even though the criticism of the theocracy is often so gentle that it’s hardly noticeable, that hasn’t stopped the government from banning some Iranian films for domestic audiences. “Circle” (2000) was banned for its depiction of runaway girls, a social problem that’s at least partially the result of religious laws. Official regulators of culture in Iran have long seen themselves as fighting modernity and globalism, which they stereotypically connect with a hostile, decadent West – just the kind of xenophobia that, unfortunately, Trump’s blanket indictment of Islam echoes.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, Iran’s leaders haven’t been able to fully halt the forces of globalism they despise, and art films have been able to examine the ways in which international capital and conflict impact Iranian lives. “Surviving Paradise” (2001), the story of two young Iranian refugees lost in the streets of Los Angeles, was the first English-language Iranian-American film to be distributed in America. Several festivals of Iranian cinema also continue to take place each year around the world, part of a pattern of cultural exchange that predates the 1979 revolution. </p>
<p>Iranian cinema has also undercut the monolithic narrative that the theocratic state seeks to communicate.</p>
<p>For example, an Iranian war film like “Duel” (2004) doesn’t simply broadcast patriotic messages. Instead, it makes a powerful statement about the trauma of the Iran-Iraq War, using the memory of the conflict as a lens through which to understand modern Iran. Marjane Satrapi’s animated film of her own graphic novel “Persepolis” (2007) is perhaps the most outspoken and direct cinematic revision of the government’s version of the 1979 Revolution. (This film, however, was made in France.) </p>
<h2>Looking ahead to the Oscars</h2>
<p>Farhadi’s personal boycott is significant because it shows that rash and punitive U.S. immigration policies can be counterproductive, limiting some of the most liberal and cosmopolitan voices in the Muslim world. </p>
<p>Farhadi previously won an Academy Award for directing “A Separation” (2011), a film about a marriage that dissolves over the question of whether or not to leave Iran. Credited as the writer, producer and director of “The Salesman,” <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Iranian_Cinema_in_a_Global_Context.html?id=5T-DBAAAQBAJ">he is widely regarded</a> as a luminary of world cinema, and has joined a handful of living directors – Martin Scorsese, Pedro Almodovar, Wong-kar Wai and Alfonso Cuaron – as auteurs who are making lasting contributions to the art. </p>
<p>If the contentious statements from the podiums of the <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/awards/meryl-streep-takes-donald-trump-golden-globes-n704571">Golden Globes</a>, <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/sag-awards-stars-slam-trump-immigration-ban-speeches-article-1.2959112">Screen Actors Guild Awards</a> and the <a href="http://deadline.com/2017/02/donald-trump-travel-ban-dga-immigration-la-la-land-1201902761/">Director’s Guild Awards</a> are any indication, the Oscars will culminate a unique post-election season of cultural politics – and a rejection of the cultural assumptions inherent in Trump’s brand of politics. Farhadi referred to the Oscars as “this great cultural event.” But with Farhadi absent and his film present, he will be able to contribute to the political undertones of this year’s Oscars in a way that American movie stars ascending the stage can’t. </p>
<p>In his statement, Farhadi also wrote that “Hard-liners, despite their nationalities, political arguments and wars, regard and understand the world in very much the same way…via an ‘us and them’ mentality.” In this sense, he seems to be equating the Trump administration with Iran’s ruling regime.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.avclub.com/article/oscar-nominated-director-asghar-farhadi-barred-att-249281">Some have urged</a> the Oscar organizers to use Skype to at least allow Farhadi to be present visually, if not politically. In either case, if “The Salesman” ends up winning the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, it could be seen as yet another repudiation of Trump’s xenophobic, “us versus them” platform. </p>
<p>After all, as Farhadi subtly points out, his executive order is comparable to the very Iranian extremism his policies claim to contain.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/72263/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kevin Hagopian does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Their critiques may be more gentle, their attacks more circumspect – but they are resonant nonetheless. And when filmmakers like Farhadi confront Trump, they’re on familiar turf: They’ve seen his type back home.Kevin Hagopian, Senior Lecturer of Media Studies, Penn StateLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/684722016-12-12T03:40:46Z2016-12-12T03:40:46ZHow learning a new language improves tolerance<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/149303/original/image-20161208-31364-1yz4g47.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Why learn a new language?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sixteenmilesofstring/2598192209/in/photolist-4XAq2p-83mCTV-bewrH8-9JamX4-mgbWGP-8xNEMQ-bUYTaW-e6k6Qv-e6k6A2-aJhdL4-gcghxh-bewKfg-qUWDX-ej9BUW-ej9Agf-ej9sWQ-ej3RYi-ej9AFu-dUn1sw-5PKagb-nHmFbh-e4k2Pt-4G4hBb-nFX3cL-ej3Pj4-nHd4PN-ej9swh-afSwLV-9CCTtH-dUn227-4xhMS4-Jy7pjg-ej9x2q-bKVqsV-dUn2MJ-dUgpr4-PZidp-DkkCB-4G4hff-dUmYHb-93GdcW-4b9F1g-ktM8z8-ej3M7T-ej3END-4ua1Pa-8TuLSe-ej3E6k-qBxFz-ej3Q6V">Timothy Vollmer</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>There are many <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/the-benefits-of-bilingualism.html">benefits</a> to knowing more than one language. For example, it has been shown that <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bilingualism-language-and-cognition/article/bilingualism-and-cognition/CCC95B8238C4CDDD92B3ABFFCD0CF2AE#">aging adults</a> who speak more than one language have less likelihood of developing dementia. </p>
<p>Additionally, the bilingual <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3322418/">brain</a> becomes better at filtering out distractions, and learning multiple languages improves <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292250731_Multilingualism_and_Creativity">creativity</a>. Evidence also shows that <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2013.12034.x/abstract">learning subsequent languages</a> is easier than learning the first foreign language. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, not all American universities consider <a href="https://www.mla.org/About-Us/Governance/Executive-Council/Executive-Council-Actions/2011/Learning-Another-Language-Goals-and-Challenges">learning foreign languages</a> a worthwhile investment. </p>
<p>Why is foreign language study important at the university level?</p>
<p>As an <a href="http://languages.usf.edu/people/athompson/">applied linguist</a>, I study how learning multiple languages can have cognitive and emotional benefits. One of these benefits that’s not obvious is that language learning improves tolerance.</p>
<p>This happens in two important ways. </p>
<p>The first is that it opens people’s eyes to a way of doing things in a way that’s different from their own, which is called “cultural competence.” </p>
<p>The second is related to the comfort level of a person when dealing with unfamiliar situations, or “tolerance of ambiguity.”</p>
<h2>Gaining cross-cultural understanding</h2>
<p>Cultural competence is key to thriving in our increasingly globalized world. How specifically does language learning improve cultural competence? The answer can be illuminated by examining different types of intelligence. </p>
<p>Psychologist <a href="http://www.human.cornell.edu/bio.cfm?netid=rjs487">Robert Sternberg’s</a> <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=ZmiggcC-RxoC&pg=PA13&lpg=PA13&dq=The+theory+of+successful+intelligence+and+its+implications+for+language-aptitude+testing&source=bl&ots=slAeTCHgb3&sig=Ho64-KctbU1CM92J9qvbrS_NGVQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjQysz6tePQAhWDPiYKHbfUDvMQ6AEIJTAB#v=onepage&q&f=false">research on intelligence</a> describes different types of intelligence and how they are related to adult language learning. What he refers to as “practical intelligence” is similar to social intelligence in that it helps individuals learn nonexplicit information from their environments, including meaningful gestures or other social cues. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/149343/original/image-20161208-31402-1x1dulb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/149343/original/image-20161208-31402-1x1dulb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/149343/original/image-20161208-31402-1x1dulb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/149343/original/image-20161208-31402-1x1dulb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/149343/original/image-20161208-31402-1x1dulb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/149343/original/image-20161208-31402-1x1dulb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/149343/original/image-20161208-31402-1x1dulb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Learning a foreign language reduces social anxiety.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/codnewsroom/16375464297/">COD Newsroom</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Language learning inevitably involves learning about different cultures. Students pick up clues about the culture both in language classes and through meaningful immersion experiences. </p>
<p>Researchers <a href="http://de.hpu.edu/hnguyen/">Hanh Thi Nguyen</a> and <a href="https://www.kapiolani.hawaii.edu/directory/gkellogg/">Guy Kellogg</a> have shown that when students learn another language, they develop new ways of understanding culture through <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2009.00983.x/full">analyzing cultural stereotypes</a>. They explain that “learning a second language involves the acquisition not only of linguistic forms but also ways of thinking and behaving.” </p>
<p>With the help of an instructor, students can critically think about stereotypes of different cultures related to food, appearance and conversation styles. </p>
<h2>Dealing with the unknown</h2>
<p>The second way that adult language learning increases tolerance is related to the comfort level of a person when dealing with “tolerance of ambiguity.” </p>
<p>Someone with a high <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-6494.1962.tb02303.x/abstract">tolerance of ambiguity</a> finds unfamiliar situations exciting, rather than frightening. My research on <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13670050.2014.985631?journalCode=rbeb20">motivation</a>, <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13670050.2012.713322">anxiety</a> and <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14790718.2014.973413?journalCode=rmjm20">beliefs</a> indicates that language learning improves people’s tolerance of ambiguity, especially when more than one foreign language is involved.</p>
<p>It’s not difficult to see why this may be so. Conversations in a foreign language will inevitably involve unknown words. It wouldn’t be a successful conversation if one of the speakers constantly stopped to say, “Hang on – I don’t know that word. Let me look it up in the dictionary.” Those with a high tolerance of ambiguity would feel comfortable maintaining the conversation despite the unfamiliar words involved. </p>
<p>Applied linguists <a href="http://www.bbk.ac.uk/linguistics/our-staff/academic-staff/jean-marc-dewaele">Jean-Marc Dewaele</a> and <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/dcal/team/accordion/associatesadmin/liwei">Li Wei</a> also study tolerance of ambiguity and have indicated that those with experience learning more than one foreign language in an instructed setting have more <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bilingualism-language-and-cognition/article/is-multilingualism-linked-to-a-higher-tolerance-of-ambiguity/2C909C4C33BB214F162367B713B9CD7B">tolerance of ambiguity</a>.</p>
<h2>What changes with this understanding</h2>
<p>A high tolerance of ambiguity brings many advantages. It helps students become less anxious in <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10400419.2013.783762">social interactions</a> and in <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13670050.2012.713322">subsequent language learning</a> experiences. Not surprisingly, the more experience a person has with <a href="https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=189138">language learning</a>, the more comfortable the person gets with this ambiguity. </p>
<p>And that’s not all.</p>
<p>Individuals with higher levels of tolerance of ambiguity have also been found to be more <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296315000739">entrepreneurial</a> (i.e., are more optimistic, innovative and don’t mind taking risks). </p>
<p>In the current climate, universities are frequently being judged by the <a href="http://www.flbog.edu/about/budget/docs/performance_funding/Overview-Doc-Performance-Funding-10-Metric-Model-Condensed-Version.pdf">salaries of their graduates</a>. Taking it one step further, based on the relationship of tolerance of ambiguity and entrepreneurial intention, increased tolerance of ambiguity could lead to <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/groupthink/2013/01/03/does-it-pay-to-become-an-entrepreneur/#511534db585b">higher salaries</a> for graduates, which in turn, I believe, could help increase funding for those universities that require foreign language study. </p>
<p>Those who have devoted their lives to theorizing about and the teaching of languages would say, “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMxX-QOV9tI">It’s not about the money</a>.” But perhaps it is. </p>
<h2>Language learning in higher ed</h2>
<p>Most American universities have a minimal language requirement that often varies depending on the student’s major. However, students can typically opt out of the requirement by taking a placement test or providing some other proof of competency. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/149432/original/image-20161209-31402-nwdcfb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/149432/original/image-20161209-31402-nwdcfb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/149432/original/image-20161209-31402-nwdcfb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/149432/original/image-20161209-31402-nwdcfb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/149432/original/image-20161209-31402-nwdcfb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/149432/original/image-20161209-31402-nwdcfb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/149432/original/image-20161209-31402-nwdcfb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Why more universities should teach a foreign language.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sarspri/5280711519/">sarspri</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>In contrast to this trend, Princeton <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/11/02/princeton-proposal-would-require-all-students-even-those-already-proficient-study">recently announced</a> that all students, regardless of their competency when entering the university, would be <a href="http://www.princeton.edu/strategicplan/files/Task-Force-Report-on-General-Education.pdf">required</a> to study an additional language. </p>
<p>I’d argue that more universities should follow Princeton’s lead, as language study at the university level could lead to an increased tolerance of the different cultural norms represented in American society, which is desperately needed in the current political climate with the wave of <a href="http://www.chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/heres-a-rundown-of-the-latest-campus-climate-incidents-since-trumps-election/115553">hate crimes</a> sweeping university campuses nationwide. </p>
<p>Knowledge of different languages is crucial to becoming global citizens. As former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan <a href="http://www.ed.gov/news/speeches/education-and-language-gap-secretary-arne-duncans-remarks-foreign-language-summit">noted</a>, </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Our country needs to create a future in which all Americans understand that by speaking more than one language, they are enabling our country to compete successfully and work collaboratively with partners across the globe.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Considering the evidence that studying languages as adults increases tolerance in two important ways, the question shouldn’t be “Why should universities require foreign language study?” but rather “Why in the world wouldn’t they?”</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/68472/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amy Thompson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Language learning can make people more open to seeing a new way of doing things and develop a greater level of comfort with unfamiliar situations.Amy Thompson, Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics, University of South FloridaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/653802016-10-06T16:27:10Z2016-10-06T16:27:10ZHow mentoring can improve modern languages uptake in schools<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/140764/original/image-20161006-32708-twnrhz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">School pupils can learn far more about modern languages than just words with the support of mentoring.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-85474405/stock-photo-serious-students-looking-at-a-book-in-a-library.html?src=Y1rn-648WTTlZjLXTGk4IA-1-27">wavebreakmedia/www.shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>For some time, there have been many stories told of the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-36027905">“crisis” in modern languages</a> in secondary schools and <a href="https://theconversation.com/only-one-in-65-new-students-chooses-a-modern-language-degree-we-need-a-rethink-37768">universities</a>. There is <a href="http://schoolsweek.co.uk/language-teaching-sees-dip-in-gcse-and-a-level-entrants/">hard evidence to support this</a>. Even though there have been upsurges in modern languages provision – following the <a href="http://www.naldic.org.uk/eal-advocacy/eal-news-summary/140312.html">introduction of the English Baccalaureate</a> for example – pupil numbers continue to fall.</p>
<p>In Wales, where modern languages are still an optional choice at GCSE, research shows that the number of pupils studying a foreign language declined by 44% between 2002 and 2015. The number of pupils taking French in 2015 was <a href="https://wales.britishcouncil.org/en/language-trends-wales">less than half those who took it in 2002</a>.</p>
<p>But why are pupils put off taking a language at GCSE level, and how can we improve attitudes to the subjects? As a bilingual country, it seems counter-intuitive that Welsh pupils cannot see the benefits of studying languages. However, <a href="http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/modern-languages/about-us/engagement">research from an engagement project</a> we have recently been running suggests a range of things are influencing pupils’ decisions not to study a language.</p>
<h2>Choosing languages (or not)</h2>
<p>The <a href="http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/modern-languages/about-us/engagement">mentoring project</a> saw undergraduate modern language students from four Welsh universities trained to work with year eight and nine pupils (aged 13 and 14) in 28 schools. The students helped the pupils to practice their language, build confidence and knowledge, and teach them how modern languages can aid personal and professional development. </p>
<p>Our work was part of a push by the Welsh government, <a href="http://gov.wales/topics/educationandskills/publications/guidance/global-futures-a-plan-to-improve-and-promote-modern-foreign-languages-in-wales/?lang=en">to arrest and reverse</a> the decline in modern languages study by 2020.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z436D6X_rS8?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<p>In its first year, with 32 students mentoring 254 pupils, the project had a clear impact not only on the schoolchildren who were mentored, but on whole cohorts within the project schools. Over half of the schools reported increased numbers for GCSE language classes, including one school where a modern language GCSE class is now running for the first time in three years. </p>
<p>When surveyed, the main “push” factors for the 13 and 14-year-old pupils to choose language study were: their preference for other subjects, given the curriculum squeeze and the small number of option choices available to them; their belief that they would not need a language for the jobs that they wanted to do in the future; lack of confidence in their linguistic ability; and negative attitudes about the long-term usefulness of languages, sometimes reinforced by parents and family. </p>
<p>What was most striking was that for many pupils who were dropping languages when choosing GCSE subjects, their view of languages were focused on the transactional benefits of learning a language. For them, the focus was on languages as communication tools rather than the benefits of learning a language to access and understand other cultures. What we might call the intercultural benefits of language learning were far less evident to these pupils.</p>
<h2>Mentoring and uptake</h2>
<p>Though the first year of the project has only just been completed, we can already pinpoint specific ways in which mentoring has made a difference. First, by interacting with university undergraduate linguists, pupils have been able to understand the personal enjoyment and sense of achievement that interacting with other cultures brings. Languages as a way to access other cultures and their world views is made “live” to them by inspiring role models.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/140569/original/image-20161005-14236-1bxkxoj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/140569/original/image-20161005-14236-1bxkxoj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/140569/original/image-20161005-14236-1bxkxoj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/140569/original/image-20161005-14236-1bxkxoj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/140569/original/image-20161005-14236-1bxkxoj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/140569/original/image-20161005-14236-1bxkxoj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/140569/original/image-20161005-14236-1bxkxoj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The project inspired pupils both on and off the course.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<p>Being in small mentoring groups, outside the formal classroom structure, also helps improve confidence. By talking about the ups and downs of language learning with university students who have experienced similar education, pupils can appreciate the journey of language learning and build resilience and self belief. Working with mentors also helps school pupils understand more about the varied career opportunities that languages can support. </p>
<p>More generally, student mentoring has had a positive impact on pupils’ aspirations and ambitions. A number of teachers in project schools have reported that pupils from poorer backgrounds have been inspired to think about “realising their dreams” and going to university after being mentored by a young modern linguist.</p>
<p>In the wake of the UK vote to leave the European Union, the importance of promoting the value of modern languages is particularly urgent. Our student mentoring project has highlighted that pupils have often absorbed a narrow view of the benefits of language learning. As the country faces an uncertain future in the global economy, now more than ever, young people need to develop intercultural skills that will develop them professionally and personally. Speaking other languages is one of the first steps towards this wider world.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/65380/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Claire Gorrara receives funding from the Welsh Government through its Global Futures plan for the following project: Raising the Profile of Modern Foreign Languages: A Mentoring Initiative, 2015-17. She is the Academic Director of Routes into Languages Cymru, a pan-Wales network that promotes the benefits of modern languages for young people.</span></em></p>A unique mentoring project has helped school pupils learn the cultural, professional and personal benefits of languages.Claire Gorrara, Professor of French Studies, Cardiff UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/617692016-07-04T08:48:46Z2016-07-04T08:48:46ZBritain may be leaving the EU, but English is going nowhere<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/129007/original/image-20160701-18331-1oy1oep.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Lingua franca. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Socolov Alexandru/www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>After Brexit, there are various things that some in the EU hope to see and hear less in the future. One is <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-european-parliament-speech-heckled-brexit-eu-referendum-a7107131.html">Nigel Farage</a>. Another is the English language.</p>
<p>In the early hours of June 24, as the referendum outcome was becoming clear, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, left-wing MEP and French presidential candidate, <a href="https://twitter.com/JLMelenchon/status/746300956577505280">tweeted</a> that “English cannot be the third working language of the European parliament”. </p>
<p>This is not the first time that French and German opinion has weighed in against alleged disproportionate use of English in EU business. In 2012, for example, a <a href="http://www.euractiv.com/section/languages-culture/news/commission-denies-english-language-favouritism/">similar point</a> was made about key eurozone recommendations from the European Commission being published initially “in a language which [as far as the Euro goes] is only spoken by less than 5m Irish”. With the number of native speakers of English in the EU set to drop <a href="http://languageknowledge.eu/">from 14% to around 1%</a> of the bloc’s total with the departure of the UK, this point just got a bit sharper. </p>
<h2>Translation overload</h2>
<p>Official EU language policy is multilingualism with equal rights for all languages used in member states. <a href="http://www.europarl.europa.eu/atyourservice/en/displayFtu.html?ftuId=FTU_5.13.6.html">It recommends</a> that “every European citizen should master two other languages in addition to their mother tongue” – Britain’s abject failure to achieve this should make it skulk away in shame.</p>
<p>The EU recognises 24 “official and working” languages, a number that has mushroomed from the original four (Dutch, French, German and Italian) as more countries have joined. All EU citizens have a right to access EU documents in any of those languages. This calls for a translation team numbering around 2,500, not to mention a further 600 full-time interpreters. In practice most day-to-day business is transacted in either English, French or German and then translated, but it is true that English dominates to a considerable extent.</p>
<p>The preponderance of English has nothing to do with the influence of Britain or even Britain’s membership of the EU. Historically, the expansion of the British empire, the impact of the industrial revolution and the emergence of the US as a world power have embedded English in the language repertoire of speakers across the globe. </p>
<p>Unlike Latin, which outlived the Roman empire as the lingua franca of medieval and renaissance Europe, English of course has native speakers (who may be unfairly advantaged), but it is those who have learned English as a foreign language – “<a href="http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=125584&fileId=S0266078401004023">Euro-English</a>” or “<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-971X.2009.01582.x/abstract;jsessionid=16AE55089FD1D1F37390E68675283539.f02t04">English as a lingua franca</a>” – who now constitute the majority of users.</p>
<p>According to the <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_386_en.pdf">2012 Special Eurobarometer on Europeans and their Languages</a>, English is the most widely spoken foreign language in 19 of the member states where it is not an official language. Across Europe, 38% of people speak English well enough as a foreign language to have a conversation, compared to 12% speaking French and 11% in German. </p>
<p>The report also found that 67% of Europeans consider English the most useful foreign language, and that the numbers favouring German (17%) or French (16%) have declined. As a result, 79% of Europeans want their children to learn English, compared to 20% for French and German.</p>
<h2>Too much invested in English</h2>
<p>Huge sums have been invested in English teaching by both national governments and private enterprise. As the demand for learning English has increased, so has the supply. English language learning worldwide <a href="http://www.ednetinsight.com/news-alerts/voice-from-the-industry/the-global-english-language-learning--ell--market.html">was estimated</a> to be worth US$63.3 billion (£47.5 billion) in 2012, and it is expected that this market will rise to US$193.2 billion (£145.6 billion) by 2017. The value of English for speakers of other languages is not going to diminish any time soon. There is simply too much invested in it.</p>
<p>Speakers of English as a second language outnumber first-language English <a href="https://www.ethnologue.com/language/eng">speakers by 2:1</a> both in Europe and globally. For many Europeans, and especially those employed in the EU, English is a useful piece in a toolbox of languages to be pressed into service when needed – a point which was evident in a <a href="http://www.degruyter.com/view/product/433577">recent project</a> on whether the use of English in Europe was an opportunity or a threat. So in the majority of cases using English has precisely nothing to do with the UK or Britishness. The EU needs practical solutions and English provides one.</p>
<p>English is unchallenged as the lingua franca of Europe. It has even been suggested that in some countries of northern Europe it has become a second rather than a foreign language. Jan Paternotte, D66 party leader in Amsterdam, <a href="http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2008/08/make_english_second_official_l/">has proposed</a> that English should be decreed the official second language of that city. </p>
<p>English has not always held its current privileged status. French and German have both functioned as common languages for high-profile fields such as philosophy, science and technology, politics and diplomacy, not to mention Church Slavonic, Russian, Portuguese and other languages in different times and places. </p>
<p>We can assume that English will not maintain its privileged position forever. Who benefits now, however, are not the predominantly monolingual British, but European anglocrats whose multilingualism provides them with a key to international education and employment.</p>
<p>Much about the EU may be about to change, but right now an anti-English language policy so dramatically out of step with practice would simply make the post-Brexit hangover more painful.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/61769/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Linn has received funding from the Leverhulme Trust and from the Arts and Humanities Research Council for work on English in Europe. </span></em></p>Calls for English to be dropped as one of the official languages of the EU are likely to fall on deaf ears.Andrew Linn, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of WestminsterLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/594242016-06-09T13:20:28Z2016-06-09T13:20:28ZThree reasons why foreign language cinema is struggling in the UK<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125887/original/image-20160609-7090-b29ilc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/15082599@N08/2710899029/in/photolist-58y4Qr-2gpxYG-mLck1c-HQZBa-7NUYJa-5di6N-6qqPWj-6mujSm-9cfhLR-549ymY-545jcM-bdH8Jr-5cALdo-pCp7qu-545j6e-7Fu9Ba-97MTJh-eyv93H-7C7jmJ-7M42Hc-7M3DWT-bdHx7r-bdHwFZ-7M3DWV-68FYMe-884pCW-7B4trJ-68FY9X-bdHa6T-bdH9fa-bdHBMM-bdHC4H-bdHaur-8hDdvH-dPSitY-bdHw9t-7M7PhS-7M7SrC-7eiaoY-7M7SrJ-68Leds-96SG6N-7eiaoS-bdHajc-7AZQjK-aqDXb7-874kCc-bdHycX-7AZQjr-89Eqk1">15082599@N08/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Earlier this year, German-language spy drama <a href="https://theconversation.com/skinnydipping-spies-and-shortages-deutschland-83-brilliantly-evokes-life-in-east-germany-52935">Deutschland ‘83</a> made TV history when it became the UK’s <a href="http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/deutschland-83-becomes-uks-highest-rated-foreign-language-drama">highest rated</a> foreign language television drama with 2.5m viewers.</p>
<p>The stylish Cold War thriller is one of several successful TV imports – <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1637727/">The Killing</a>, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03bnc34">The Bridge</a> and <a href="http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-returned">The Returned</a> are other examples – that have dispelled the myth that Britons don’t do subtitles. Capitalising on the growing appetite for subtitled content, Channel 4 has even launched a new video-on-demand (VOD) service, <a href="http://www.channel4.com/programmes/walter-presents">Walter Presents</a>, with over 600 hours of free-to-view programming.</p>
<p>But while foreign language TV dramas are <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/jan/02/foreign-tv-drama-bbc-channel4-netflix">enjoying unprecedented success</a>, foreign language films have seen a dramatic slump at the box office. </p>
<p>Though overall cinema admissions have remained relatively stable for the last decade, admissions for non-English language films have declined by 56%, from 7.9m in 2004 to 3.5m in 2014, according to <a href="http://www.bfi.org.uk/education-research/film-industry-statistics-research/statistical-yearbook">data from the British Film Institute (BFI)</a>. Excluding Bollywood films, ticket sales fell by 82%, from 6.2m to only 1.1m – just 0.7% of the total UK box office.</p>
<p>A decade ago, four non-Bollywood foreign language films – <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0441909/">Volver</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457430/">Pan’s Labyrinth</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387898/">Caché</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0446059/">Fearless</a> – managed to take over £1m at the UK box office. Last year, there were none, with Argentinian comedy <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3011894/">Wild Tales</a> the highest-grossing title with <a href="http://www.screendaily.com/news/bfi-launches-scheme-to-support-foreign-language-films/5098915.article">£728,000</a>.f</p>
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<p>Some audiences may be choosing to watch foreign language films at home online rather than in cinemas. <a href="https://www.netflix.com/gb/">Netflix</a> offers a fairly large catalogue of international movies for a fraction of the cost of a cinema ticket, as do more specialised VOD platforms, such as <a href="https://mubi.com/">MUBI</a>, <a href="https://www.curzonhomecinema.com/">Curzon Home Cinema</a> and the <a href="http://player.bfi.org.uk/">BFI Player</a>. But there are three more important factors behind the decline in foreign language cinema admissions. </p>
<h2>1. Arthouse Hollywood</h2>
<p>Arthouse cinemas, the traditional champions of foreign language film, are increasingly showing mainstream Hollywood films, partly to attract the growing number of older, wealthier cinemagoers who tend to shun teen-orientated multiplexes. “You get cinemas which a few years ago would show a solid arthouse/independent programme suddenly showing The Hobbit,” complains Robert Beeson of art-house distributor New Wave.</p>
<p>This is particularly the case within the so-called “arthouse” chains – such as <a href="https://www.picturehouses.com/">Picturehouse</a>, <a href="http://www.everymancinema.com/">Everyman</a> and <a href="http://www.curzoncinemas.com/">Curzon</a> – which have emerged in recent years. In 2013, <a href="http://www.cineworld.co.uk/">Cineworld</a>, which owns 21 Picturehouse cinemas, was forced to sell three cinemas in Cambridge, Aberdeen and Bury St Edmunds after the Competition Commission <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9f78f9f0-3006-11e3-9eec-00144feab7de.html#axzz490z3h19U">ruled</a> there was “considerable overlap” between the audiences and screenings at its multiplex and Picturehouse venues.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, multiplex cinemas, which account for 40% of the country’s cinemas and 76% of screens, show few foreign language films other than Bollywood movies, which mainly appeal to Britain’s South Asian community. In 2005, the UK Film Council <a href="http://www.bfi.org.uk/film-industry/lottery-funding-distribution/closed-award-schemes/digital-screen-network">introduced a scheme</a> that persuaded one in four multiplexes to programme foreign language and other specialised films in return for a £50,000 digital projector. But with the UK Film Council’s abolition in 2011, most have reverted back to showing mainly Hollywood movies.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125901/original/image-20160609-7096-1d7h4yh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125901/original/image-20160609-7096-1d7h4yh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125901/original/image-20160609-7096-1d7h4yh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125901/original/image-20160609-7096-1d7h4yh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125901/original/image-20160609-7096-1d7h4yh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125901/original/image-20160609-7096-1d7h4yh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125901/original/image-20160609-7096-1d7h4yh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Taking over.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/94595772@N04/8614585128/in/photolist-e8f12N-bGdmJV-4zXbuq-7GULNz-7jdvHx-DJ9WkV-72PJuv-ffiXPK-cc7mhm-juR1Ts-jCvjke-8FGq65-juRgo9-9pdjL5-8FGq4U-a5wVpK-efwdq3-5te1CD-ei4nTt-9XHyao-juPiB3-7XxM8h-4swdia-gBbwJG-fLyDtW-CcQU52-a2p6Pk-pRnwNX-eQ3Biz-CP98q6-BeWXqi-6sRPEW-hi7B4j-e5tU6d-DzTCut-ipbHmt-eVocCq-e5tTEL-2JQG3t-8sAsW-juR9sf-juR4hW-6wHQzn-qe59mg-juP6j6-juP1Gk-ecKgDB-nBPy4-bGFsKi-fjTCoy">94595772@N04/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<h2>2. Too many movies</h2>
<p>Foreign language films are facing more competition than ever. Over the past decade, the number of cinema releases has almost doubled, from 451 in 2004 to 712 in 2014, according to <a href="http://www.bfi.org.uk/education-research/film-industry-statistics-research/statistical-yearbook">BFI statistics</a>. In an average week, there are now 14 new releases, making it harder for smaller titles in particular to stand out. “The big weekly film release tends to get quite a lot written about it while everything else gets a couple of paragraphs,” says Beeson.</p>
<p>The constant churn of new releases also hinders audiences developing through positive word-of-mouth. On average, subtitled films remain only four weeks in cinemas, down from six weeks in 2012. Many only receive a one-off screening during off-peak hours, as with the Picturehouse “<a href="https://www.picturehouses.com/cinema/Ritzy_Picturehouse/Whats_On?filter=Discover%20T">Discover Tuesday</a>” or “<a href="https://www.picturehouses.com/cinema/York_Picturehouse/Whats_On?filter=Vintage%20Su">Vintage Sundays</a>” slots.</p>
<h2>3. Audience appeal</h2>
<p>Thirdly, funding bodies are providing less support for foreign language films with mainstream audience appeal. In 2003, the UK Film Council introduced a scheme to support the marketing and distribution of specialised movies, including subtitled films. But while spending on foreign language film distribution has stayed at around <a href="http://www.bfi.org.uk/film-industry/funding-awards">£1m per year</a>, there has been a slight change of emphasis since the BFI took over the scheme in 2011. </p>
<p>Whereas the more commercial-oriented UK Film Council tended to prioritise subtitled films with wide audience appeal, such as the German-comedy <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0301357/">Good Bye Lenin!</a> or the Chinese martial arts film <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0385004/">House of Flying Daggers</a>, the culturally-orientated BFI has favoured more challenging films by critically-acclaimed directors or festival winners. Earlier this year, for example, the BFI announced <a href="http://www.screendaily.com/news/bfi-launches-scheme-to-support-foreign-language-films/5098915.article">£100,000 in distribution support</a> for six foreign language films, including the Chilean documentary <a href="http://www.indiewire.com/2015/03/kino-lorber-acquires-silver-bear-winning-the-pearl-button-248060/">The Pearl Button</a>, which won the Silver Bear for Best Script at the Berlin Film Festival, and the Oscar-nominated Turkish-language drama <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/may/19/mustang-review-the-virgin-suicides-in-istanbul-is-a-turkish-delight">Mustang</a>, directed by Deniz Gamze Ergüven.</p>
<p>Yet, as the BFI’s own <a href="http://www.bfi.org.uk/film-industry/lottery-funding-distribution/insight-reports-case-studies-audience-research/exit-polls">cinema exit polls</a> indicate, foreign language film audiences actually care more about the film’s story or genre than whether it won an award or appeared at a festival. The director, meanwhile, is a key draw only in a minority of cases (such as Pedro Almodóvar or Lars von Trier).</p>
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<p>The BFI should perhaps look more closely at the success of subtitled TV drama if they really want to boost foreign language film admissions. Part of the reason why shows like The Bridge and Deutschland ’83 have been so popular is the emphasis they place on story and characters over directorial style. They also stick to formats (such as the police procedural) that British viewers are familiar with.</p>
<p>Providing more support for subtitled films with mainstream audience appeal – such as comedies, action and thrillers – might be one way to revive foreign language cinema admissions.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/59424/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Huw David Jones is part of the 'Mediating Cultural Encounters through European Screens' (MeCETES) research project. MeCETES is financially supported by the HERA Joint Research Programme (<a href="http://www.heranet.info">www.heranet.info</a>) which is co-funded by AHRC, AKA, BMBF via PT-DLR, DASTI, ETAG, FCT, FNR, FNRS, FWF, FWO, HAZU, IRC, LMT, MHEST, NWO, NCN, RANNÍS, RCN, VR and The European Community FP7 2007-2013, under the Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities programme. More info: <a href="http://www.mecetes.co.uk">www.mecetes.co.uk</a></span></em></p>While foreign language TV dramas are enjoying unprecedented success in the UK, foreign language films have seen a dramatic slump at the box office.Huw David Jones, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Film, University of YorkLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/548052016-03-28T10:07:01Z2016-03-28T10:07:01ZCould the language barrier actually fall within the next 10 years?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/116474/original/image-20160325-17840-l4cqce.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C57%2C1280%2C869&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Pieter Bruegel the Elder's 'The Tower of Babel' (1563).</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Pieter_Bruegel_the_Elder_-_The_Tower_of_Babel_(Vienna)_-_Google_Art_Project_-_edited.jpg/1280px-Pieter_Bruegel_the_Elder_-_The_Tower_of_Babel_(Vienna)_-_Google_Art_Project_-_edited.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Wouldn’t it be wonderful to travel to a foreign country without having to worry about the nuisance of communicating in a different language?</p>
<p>In a <em>Wall Street Journal</em> <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-language-barrier-is-about-to-fall-1454077968">article</a>, technology policy expert <a href="http://bit.ly/1o4BRIp">Alec Ross</a> argued that, within a decade or so, we’ll be able to communicate with one another via small earpieces with built-in microphones.</p>
<p>No more trying to remember your high school French when checking into a hotel in Paris. Your earpiece will automatically translate “Good evening, I have a reservation” to <em>Bon soir, j’ai une réservation</em> – while immediately translating the receptionist’s unintelligible babble to “I am sorry, Sir, but your credit card has been declined.”</p>
<p>Ross argues that because technological progress is <a href="http://www.kurzweilai.net/the-law-of-accelerating-returns">exponential</a>, it’s only a matter of time.</p>
<p>Indeed, some parents are so convinced that this technology is imminent that they’re wondering if their kids should even learn a second language.</p>
<p>Max Ventilla, one of <a href="https://www.altschool.com/about-us#about-us">AltSchool</a> Brooklyn’s founders, <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/03/07/altschools-disrupted-education">told <em>The New Yorker</em> </a> </p>
<blockquote>
<p>…if the reason you are having your child learn a foreign language is so that they can communicate with someone in a different language twenty years from now – well, the relative value of that is changed, surely, by the fact that everyone is going to be walking around with live-translation apps.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Needless to say, communication is only one of the many advantages of learning another language (and I would argue that it’s not even the most important one).</p>
<p>Furthermore, while it’s undeniable that translation tools like <a href="https://www.bing.com/translator/">Bing Translator</a>, <a href="https://www.babelfish.com/">Babelfish</a> or <a href="https://translate.google.com/">Google Translate</a> have improved dramatically in recent years, prognosticators like Ross could be getting ahead of themselves. </p>
<p>As a language professor and translator, I understand the complicated nature of language’s relationship with technology and computers. In fact, language contains nuances that are impossible for computers to ever learn how to interpret.</p>
<h2>Language rules are special</h2>
<p>I still remember grading assignments in Spanish where someone had accidentally written that he’d sawed his parents in half, or where a student and his brother had acquired a well that was both long and pretty. Obviously, what was meant was “I saw my parents” and “my brother and I get along pretty well.” But leave it to a computer to navigate the intricacies of human languages, and there are bound to be blunders.</p>
<p>In 2016, when asked about <a href="https://twitter.com/">Twitter</a>’s translation feature for foreign language tweets, the company’s CEO <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Dorsey">Jack Dorsey</a> <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/03/28/celebrities-fund-best-school-day">conceded</a> that it does not happen in “real time, and the translation is not great.”</p>
<p>Still, anything a computer can “learn,” it will learn. And it’s safe to assume that any finite set of data (like every single work of literature ever written) will eventually make its way into the cloud.</p>
<p>So why not log all the rules by which languages govern themselves?</p>
<p>Simply put: because this is not how languages work. Even if the Florida State Senate <a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2016/0468/BillText/e1/HTML">ruled</a> that studying computer code is equivalent to learning a foreign language, the two could not be more different.</p>
<p>Programming is a constructed, formal language. Italian, Russian or Chinese – to name a few of the <a href="http://www.linguisticsociety.org/sites/default/files/how-many-languages.pdf">estimated 7,000 languages</a> in the world – are natural, breathing languages which rely as much on social convention as on syntactic, phonetic or semantic rules.</p>
<h2>Words don’t indicate meaning</h2>
<p>As long as one is dealing with a simple written text, online translation tools will get better at replacing one “signifier” – the name Swiss linguist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_de_Saussure">Ferdinand de Saussure</a> gave to the idea that a sign’s physical form is distinct from its meaning – with another.</p>
<p>Or, in other words, an increase in the quantity and accuracy of the data logged into computers will make them more capable of translating <em>“No es bueno dormir mucho”</em> as “It’s not good to sleep too much,” instead of the faulty “Not good sleep much,” as <a href="https://translate.google.com/#es/en/No%20es%20bueno%20dormir%20mucho.">Google Translate</a> still does.</p>
<p>Replacing a word with its equivalent in the target language is actually the “easy part” of a translator’s job. But even this seems to be a daunting task for computers.</p>
<p>So why do programs continue to stumble on what seem like easy translations? </p>
<p>It’s so difficult for computers because translation doesn’t – or shouldn’t – involve simply translating words, sentences or paragraphs. Rather, it’s about translating <em>meaning</em>. </p>
<p>And in order to infer meaning from a specific utterance, humans have to interpret a multitude of elements at the same time.</p>
<p>Think about all the contextual clues that go into understanding an utterance: volume, pitch, situation, even your culture – all are as likely to convey as much meaning as the words you use. Certainly, a mother’s soft-spoken advice to “be careful” elicits a much different response than someone yelling “Be careful!” from the passenger’s seat of your car.</p>
<p>So can computers really interpret?</p>
<p>As the now-classic book <em><a href="http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/M/bo3637992.html">Metaphors We Live By</a></em> has shown, languages are more metaphorical than factual in nature. Language acquisition often relies on learning abstract and figurative concepts that are very hard – if not impossible – to “explain” to a computer. </p>
<p>Since the way we speak often has nothing to do with the reality that surrounds us, machines are – and will continue to be – puzzled by the metaphorical nature of human communications.</p>
<p>This is why even a promising newcomer to the translation game like the website <a href="https://unbabel.com/">Unbabel</a>, which defines itself as an “AI-powered human-quality translation,” has to rely on an army of 42,000 translators around the world to fine-tune acceptable translations.</p>
<p>You need a human to tell the computer that “I’m seeing red” has little to do with colors, or that “I’m going to change” probably refers to your clothes and not your personality or your self.</p>
<p>If interpreting the intended meaning of a written word is already overwhelming for computers, imagine a world where a machine is in charge of translating what you say out loud in specific situations.</p>
<h2>The translation paradox</h2>
<p>Nonetheless, technology seems to be trending in that direction. Just as “intelligent personal assistants” like <a href="http://www.apple.com/ios/siri/">Siri</a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Amazon-SK705DI-Echo/dp/B00X4WHP5E">Alexa</a> are getting better at understanding what you say, there is no reason to think that the future will not bring “personal assistant translators.”</p>
<p>But translating is an altogether different task than finding the nearest Starbucks, because machines aim for perfection and rationality, while languages – and humans – are always imperfect and irrational.</p>
<p>This is the paradox of computers and languages.</p>
<p>If machines become too sophisticated and logical, they’ll never be able to correctly interpret human speech. If they don’t, they’ll never be able to fully interpret all the elements that come into play when two humans communicate. </p>
<p>Therefore, we should be very wary of a device that is incapable of interpreting the world around us. If people from different cultures can offend each other without realizing it, how can we expect a machine to do better?</p>
<p>Will this device be able to detect sarcasm? In Spanish-speaking countries, will it know when to use “tú” or “usted” (the informal and formal personal pronouns for “you”)? Will it be able to sort through the many different forms of address used in Japanese? How will it interpret jokes, puns and other figures of speech?</p>
<p>Unless engineers actually find a way to <a href="http://www.jpost.com/Business/Business-Features/For-artificial-intelligence-pioneer-Marvin-Minsky-computers-have-soul-352076">breathe a soul into a computer</a> – pardon my figurative speech – rest assured that, when it comes to conveying and interpreting meaning using a natural language, a machine will never fully take our place.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/54805/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Arbesú does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>While translation technology has improved dramatically, there are some significant hurdles.David Arbesú, Assistant Professor of Spanish, University of South FloridaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.