On one level, it seems like good news for modern languages. According to figures published by the Scottish Government yesterday, language graduate numbers increased by more than one-third last year. Given the decline in the number of pupils taking modern languages at Standard Grade and Higher level in secondary schools, and the reduction in the size and number of university language departments, a rise of this magnitude is something to shout from the rooftops, in any foreign tongue.
If only it were so straightforward. A closer examination of the figures - gleaned from information collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency to show how many students graduated in the 2005-6 academic year in Scotland, what they studied and what they did next - confirms the widely-held suspicion that modern languages learning is not in a healthy state. Too few Scots are immersing themselves in the bath of modern languages. Some 86% of the increase reported yesterday comes from activity at two further education colleges: Central College of Commerce in Glasgow and Telford in Edinburgh. Passes achieved by students were in higher education units not leading to a national certificate. To describe them as graduates is wrong.
In addition, some of the students were learning English which, in the circumstances, is itself classified as a foreign language. A bucket, rather than a pinch, of salt would be the appropriate unit of measurement to apply to an analysis of the figures for modern languages. It is a matter of regret that more care was not taken in preparing the announcement on graduates and their destinations, as it concerned modern languages. This is not simply because the figures as presented are confusing and could lead to a misleading picture of the true position of modern languages in Scotland being painted.
There are already confusing messages about modern languages. Schoolchildren start learning a foreign language in primary six, aged 10. However, changes to the secondary curriculum mean they can drop a foreign language after second year - a different message entirely. What is optional in this country after four years is mandatory in other European countries, for many more years of school education. Can we really afford to be monolingual in a global economy where business is looking for graduates to have skills not just in European languages but in Mandarin, Russian, Urdu and other tongues? Linguistic proficiency can be the difference between winning and losing a contract in the dynamic economies of China, India and elsewhere.
The other danger in presenting the figures in a simplistic way is of a false impression leading to complacency about the fate of modern languages. Given the challenges that face Scotland today and will do so even more in the future global economy, complacency is the last thing we should tolerate. D'accord?
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