This morning, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages launched its ‘Manifesto for Languages’, calling on “all political parties to make general election manifesto commitments to boost language learning”. The call for stronger commitment to MFL teaching and learning is supported by many major businesses, organisations and universities whose role in improving British language skills is said to be crucial, and the manifesto calls for “a commitment to maintaining and developing UK expertise in modern languages and cultures in university language departments”.
At the same time, the University Council of Modern Languages (UCML) is calling on all universities to make “a GCSE A*-C grade or equivalent in a modern foreign language a pre-requisite for admission to undergraduate programmes in any discipline” in order to contribute to the development of “global graduates”.
(All quotes from the THE article “University role ‘crucial’ for languages recovery“.)
The APPG’s manifesto is receiving widespread press coverage today; follow the links to some of the reports:
TES news: “Modern languages need ‘national recovery programme’, say MPs”
BBC: “Modern languages ‘recovery programme’ urged by MPs”
British Council: “The APPG launches the Manifesto for Languages today”
The Independent: “Lack of foreign-language skills ‘threatens the UK economy’“
CLaRA blog 