This document provides several reasons why studying languages is beneficial even though English is widely spoken. It notes that only 31% of Western Europeans speak English as a foreign language and 75% of the world's population does not speak English at all. Some key benefits outlined are increased opportunities for university/jobs, exposure to new cultures, improved communication and problem solving skills, and the ability to do more trade and business with other countries. Even basic language skills can make a difference, and being bilingual can boost earnings by up to 20% over a career.
2. … or do they?
94% of the world’s population do not
speak English as their first language
75% of the world’s population do not
speak English at all
Only 31% of Western Europeans speak
English as a foreign language
3. Some good reasons
to learn a language
- It will increase your chance to get into
Sixth Form college and university
- It will increase your job opportunities
- It is exciting
- It gets you places
- You can learn about new cultures
4. … but I’ll never be fluent
in another language!!!
There is no need to be fluent, a little language
goes a long way
Even basic phrases make a real difference
Language learning improves your understanding of
how other people live and think
Language learning gives you a range of other skills
too (communication, team working,
interpersonal, problem solving, organisational
skills)
5. It will get you a job …
73% of British trade is with non English
speaking countries
UK businesses trade with
over 200 counties worldwide
1 in 5 exporting companies say they are
losing business because of language and
culture barriers
6. It will give you more
money
Learning a language can boost an average
worker’s earnings by up to 20%
For a person earning the
average national salary,
that would mean an extra
£200,000 over a working life.
7. It can even improve
your love life!
A survey of 270 dating agencies found
that people who speak a foreign language
are more attractive to the opposite sex!
