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LEARNING THE LINGO

READING UP: Knowledge of a foreign language can be a great asset when travelling abroad

Tuesday May 13,2008

By Alison Coleman

STUDYING a foreign language can boost your career prospects and make overseas travel more enjoyable, yet it is something that fewer people seem to want to do.

The last few years have seen a steady decline in the take-up rates of foreign languages at A-level and beyond, yet, according to a new survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), language skills are highly valued and
sought–after by employers.

The CBI Edexcel Education and Skills Survey 2008, revealed that conversational ability in languages was considered highly desirable by 75 per cent of senior executives, who see this as a means of building relationships and showing
businesses abroad that UK firms are prepared to make the effort.

Forty-eight per cent of firms are recruiting people specifically for their language skills. The main demand is still for European languages, the most popular being French, German and Spanish. However, 43 per cent are interested in Mandarin or Cantonese as they look to break into new markets.

Many language trainingproviders offer flexible courses that can be studied alongside work and family commitments.

Many holidaymakers want to learn continental languages, such as Italian, French and Spanish, to conversational level.

Others may want to brush up their language skills because they are taking an exam, or are planning to combine a language course with an overseas work placement.

One of the most popular ways of learning is via a distance-learning course. Many training companies also provide online tuition.

If you want to combine training and travel, there are companies that run overseas languages courses in destination countries. For example, you could study French in France, German in Germany or Greek in Greece.