Alarm over decline in pupils studying languages – Education News, Education – The Independent

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A further dramatic slump in the number of pupils taking modern-languages GCSEs is alarming exam boards and teachers’ leaders.

Figures show that the take-up of French and German has fallen by 13.2 per cent in the past year to 154,221 and 60,887 respectively. It means fewer than one in four 16-year-olds now take French and one in 10 take German.

Even Spanish, which has been the only bright spot on the horizon with rising numbers in the past few years, has fallen by 2.5 per cent to 66,021. “Today’s students are at risk of failing to to meet the needs of our universities, economy and society,” said Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group, which represents 20 of the country’s top research universities.

via Alarm over decline in pupils studying languages – Education News, Education – The Independent.

Strange Random Foreign Language Quote:

Every American child should grow up knowing a second language, preferably English. – Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic’s Notebook, 1960

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Adventures with Google Translator (1 of many)

Don’t get us wrong. Google Translator has its uses and is a great tool to get a quick idea of a text. But sometimes, a machine just can’t handle the language. This example comes from a set of questions in a Sherlock Holmes graded reader. As you can see, the last few are true to the original. However, instead of “rompiendo” for “breaking”, we have “de última hora”, as in BREAKING NEWS. Tune in next week for more adventures with Google Translator …

 

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Strange Random Translation Quote:

The original is unfaithful to the translation. - Jorge Luis Borges

 

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Who still wants to learn languages? | Education | The Guardian

Image by NathanBushDesigns via Flickr

Who still wants to learn languages?

The new GCSE results show foreign languages are in severe decline – with the number of children learning French and German falling most dramatically of all. Aida Edemariam asks what this means for our universities, our economy, and the future of Britain.

The note sent last year to all staff had what is, for anyone in paid work these days, a familiar structure and a familiar tone. First there was the obligatory self-congratulation: Queen’s University Belfast was, and would continue to be, “one of the best universities on these islands”. In fact, there was a new aim – to be among the top universities in the world, with a new PPE department, more psychology, more drug research. Unfortunately, this meant some “tough decisions” also had to be made. A total of 103 staff would be let go – and the German department would cease to exist.

via Who still wants to learn languages? | Education | The Guardian.

Strange Random German Language Quote:

Some German words are so long that they have a perspective. Observe these examples:

Freundschaftsbezeigungen.

Dilettantenaufdringlichkeiten.

Stadtverordnetenversammlungen.

These things are not words, they are alphabetical processions.

- Mark Twain: Appendix D of A Tramp Abroad, “That Awful German Language”

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