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“Polyglots required if we want a place in the global academy”

Times Higher Education has published an article discussing the need for polyglots if the UK wants a place in the ‘global academy’. “English cannot be the only acceptable language of scholarship, says Toby Miller. It’s arrogant, impractical and anti-intellectual. The signs are all there: the future domination of English as the major language of international diplomacy, business and education seems assured. Continue reading →

Centre for Global Englishes lecture: “Global communicative competence in business – the role of Business English as a Lingua Franca”

The Centre for Global Englishes is hosting a lecture on Wednesday 13th March, 5.00-6.30pm, Lecture Theatre C, Avenue Campus, as part of the Institute of Language and Culture’s visiting scholar programme. The lecture is entitled “Global communicative competence in business – the role of Business English as a Lingua Franca” and will be delivered by Anne Kankaanranta from Aalto University, Finland. Continue reading →

Languages mapped: what do people speak where you live?

The 2011 census reveals the main language spoken in 34,753 ‘output areas’ across England Wales, each of 1,500 people. While only 0.3% of the population cannot speak English, 4m people do not speak it as their main language. This map shows the country’s patchwork quilt of languages: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/interactive/2013/jan/30/languages-mapped-england-wales-census?zoom=11&lat=50.91500386380311&lng=-1. Continue reading →

The many languages of London

The London Evening Standard has reported on statistics from the 2011 Census showing that 78 per cent of the capital’s residents speak English as their main language, with the remaining 22 per cent, equivalent to just over 1.7 million people, speaking another first language. The most striking finding is that, according to the Office for National Statistics, there are 53 ‘main’ languages in the capital spoken by at least 0.1 per cent of residents. Continue reading →

Polish now England’s second language

The Guardian newspaper has reported that Polish is now the main language spoken in England and Wales after English and Welsh, according to figures from the 2011 census released by the Office of National Statistics. Language-speaking figures were recorded for the first time in the census of 56.1 million people in England and Wales. Of these, the census data reveals that 545,000 speak Polish, making Polish the second main language in England. Continue reading →

Japanese students exchange Kyoto for Southampton

Seven Japanese students from Doshisha University in Kyoto have recently headed home after spending a year studying at the University of Southampton. The undergraduate students combined classes in English language with courses in Humanities, studying alongside fellow second year students from the UK, European Union and around the world. This was the first visit by students from Japan as part of Southampton’s partnership with Doshisha University. Continue reading →

Ten easiest languages to learn for English speakers

The Telegraph has published an article on the ten easiest languages to learn for English speakers. The article claims that, given the links that English has with other European Germanic languages and the quantity of words it contains from other languages, in particular Latin and French, when it comes to language study, English speakers are not starting from scratch. Continue reading →

Ten easiest languages to learn for English speakers

The Telegraph has published an article on the ten easiest languages to learn for English speakers. The article claims that, given the links that English has with other European Germanic languages and the quantity of words it contains from other languages, in particular Latin and French, when it comes to language study, English speakers are not starting from scratch. Continue reading →

Children in Europe are learning languages earlier

A new report by the European Commission entitled ‘The Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe 2012’ has shown that children are starting to learn foreign languages at an increasingly early age in Europe. Many countries have lowered the starting age for compulsory language learning over the past 15 years and some are beginning to offer it at pre-school level. Continue reading →

Children in Europe are learning languages earlier

A new report by the European Commission entitled ‘The Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe 2012’ has shown that children are starting to learn foreign languages at an increasingly early age in Europe. Many countries have lowered the starting age for compulsory language learning over the past 15 years and some are beginning to offer it at pre-school level. Continue reading →