UNTIL recent times, if an Irish student was asked if he or she had a second language, the only possible answer was a vaguely humorous one.

"I speak the language of love" was a popular one. "Only when I'm drunk" was another. The likelihood of encountering a student who could make himself understood in anything other than signs, gestures and English words spoken hopefully with a foreign accent was slim indeed.

The situation is changing, exemplified by DCU's 1996 annual report, which reveals that 30 per cent of the student body took a language as part of their studies. In 1997, that figure has increased again. Even subjects not usually associated with language - e.g. physics, chemistry, computational - linguistics - now boast a strong emphasis on language in their DCU incarnation.

In total, 21 of DCU's degree programmes now boast a language component, compulsory in nine cases and optional in 12. Professor Michael Townson, head of the school of applied language and intercultural studies in DCU, believes that every linguist needs to have a solid control of a foreign language if he or she is to be truly educated - but there are other reasons for his desire to see a continued growth in the language component of DCU's programmes.

"There is an increasing level of inward investment into Ireland which is creating employment," he says, but he points out that many of these jobs, including those in telebusiness and software localisation, require applicants to have a foreign language.

In addition, the idea that Irish students should spend some time abroad, whether as part of their studies or in work after graduation, is increasingly seen as a worthwhile component of their education and training. "I and my colleagues believe that all graduates should have some form of experience of working outside Ireland," Townson says. "Although we would want them to come back," he adds quickly.

While this form of emigration has traditionally been to Britain in the past, more and more students are now targeting the EU. Some go even further afield: Townson points out that there are now as many Irish in Japan as there are Japanese in Ireland. When one realises that Japan boasts a population of 110 million to our 3.5 million, the willingness of Irish people to travel abroad and the necessity for language skills to back up this mobility rapidly become apparent.

Many of the young Irish in Japan have come through DCU's own business school, which offers a Japanese language option.

In an ideal world, every Irish student would be fluent in a foreign language at graduation. Townson believes that this is unrealistic, "but at 50 per cent we would be doing very well indeed".