The value of languages
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Global opportunities
We live in a multilingual, multicultural world. Our engagement with the rest of the world will remain superficial and one-sided unless we develop our capacity in other languages too.
By being able to communicate in more than one language you will be able to seize the global opportunities increasingly available today. Your enhanced ability in languages will put you on a par with your multilingual international peers. Learning a new language today, or building on what you already know, will make you more successful in your academic and future career in the global economy, and will have a profound benefit to the quality of your life, socially and intellectually.
One language is not enough, even if it is English. [i]
[i] Only 6% of the world's population speak English as a first language. 75% of the world's population don't speak any English (http://www.cilt.org.uk/making_the_case.aspx)
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Intercultural competence
Learning a language with IWLP it is not just about being able to speak it, but also about getting to know the culture of the people who speak it, including their attitudes and their values. By understanding cultural differences you will become more aware of your own culture and more appreciative of diversity. You will interact better with people from different backgrounds and will adjust to new environments more easily. This set of skills and attitudes is highly desirable not only in the global marketplace but also to contribute to a better society for all.
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Academic and transferable skills
The ability to communicate in another language develops a number of competencies, skills and attitudes which are critical for your success at university and beyond. In other words, studying with IWLP will help you become a better student now, a more employable graduate later and a more adaptable global citizen for the rest of your life. To the cultural and intercultural competences mentioned earlier we can add the development of analytical and critical skills: critical thinking, comparing and contrasting (cultures, language features), gathering, analyzing and assessing information, and the ability to conduct research. By learning another language you become more aware of your own and, more generally, a more effective communicator, both in writing and when speaking. Language learners develop organizational and time management skills, attention to detail and observational skills. In terms of attitude, language learners are flexible, able to work well with others and to take risks , willing to overcome obstacles, all of which are highly rated by lecturers and employers alike.
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Employability
Languages appeal to employers. A recent survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI)[i] confirmed that European languages, in particular French and German, are highly sought after by employers, with Chinese, Spanish and Russian becoming increasingly popular. The CBI's survey reported that 36% of employers recruit employees specifically for their language skills. Employers value language skills for their potential to open up new markets and the ability to communicate with customers and clients in their own language. However this does not always mean you need to achieve native-speaker fluency. A little language goes a long way. Some 74% of employers are looking for people with conversational competence because it helps their business to be able to communicate, even at a basic level, with customers and clients. Any business which trades abroad, whether based in the UK or overseas, can use a member of staff with language skills. The CBI research shows that language skills are valued in all sectors, especially when developed alongside other skills and specific competencies. The IWLP courses taken as option modules in your degree programme or as a non-credit module will help you to achieve exactly this.
[i] CBI Education and Skills Survey 2009, http://www.cbi.org.uk/pdf/20090406-cbi-education-and-skills-survey-2009.pdf
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Multicultural experience
Nearly 25% of IWLP students are international students, who already speak two or more languages. Most of the IWLP teaching staff come from a country where the language they teach is spoken. Sit in any IWLP classroom and you'll find yourself immersed in a multilingual, multicultural environment where you engage with people from different backgrounds, with different behaviours, customs and values, working together to achieve a common goal. An IWLP class offers you a global environment not dissimilar to the one many employers seek graduates to work in. It is also an enjoyable experience which gives you the opportunity to make friends with people from around the world.