As a Brit, I admit that we are not generally known for our ability in foreign languages. I often enjoy seeing the surprised looks on people’s faces in Berlin when I speak to them in German. But, according to research, we are getting better. As Anne Merritt writes in the Telegraph:
According to the survey, 59 per cent of British holiday-goers try to use the local language while travelling abroad. But we’re not just struggling to remember our GCSE French; more and more British travellers actively study the local language.’
I am encouraged that only one-in-ten responded that there is no need to speak the local language because everyone speaks English. But it’s not all good news. Recent figures from the Higher Education Funding Council for England show that the number of students accepting places to study modern languages has declined. We might be happy to learn a couple of words to help us order ice cream, but there is clearly a long way to go before the UK can celebrate its plurilingualism. I would love to see the interest tourists show in languages continue once they are back home. Maybe language departments should recruit on the beaches?
Whatever your holiday plans, I hope you are having a great summer and have the opportunity to learn a new language. And if you are one of the hundreds of thousands planning on taking in some shows during the Edinburgh Festivals (the Fringe opens today, the International Festival on 9 August, and the Book Festival on the 10th), you might enjoy a light-hearted introduction to some Scottish words that I wrote for British Council Germany earlier in the summer.
Happy holiday!
