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Word of Mouth

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

Series exploring the world of words and the ways in which we use them

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Word of Mouth: Foreign Language Learning

Foreign Language Learning

19/07/2011

BBC Radio 4 - Word of Mouth, Foreign Language Learning

Students are no longer choosing to study foreign languages. What will be the impact?

Students at schools and universities are no longer choosing to study foreign languages. In the first of a new series, Chris Ledgard asks how much this really matters.

Students are no longer choosing to study modern foreign languages. In the first of a new series of Word of Mouth, Chris Ledgard asks how much this matters. 

In 2001, 78% of pupils in England did a language GCSE. By last year that had fallen to just 43%. Chris Ledgard talks to Andy Burnham, Shadow Secretary of State for Education; Vivienne Hurley of the British Academy; Professor Andrew Hussey of the University of London Institute in Paris; John Rushforth, Deputy Vice Chancellor of UWE; Swansea University language student Catherine Rendle; Luke Young, President of the NUS in Wales and Glyn Hambrook, a former language lecturer, to find out the true picture and ask if it really matters.

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