`Irish fifth-worst at languages in EU" was the headline in an article by Emmet Oliver in last Tuesday's Irish Times. The article was based upon a major new survey by Eurobarometer, which compared the level of language skills in European countries. From an Irish perspective it made depressing reading. Put bluntly, the survey clearly showed Ireland as the fifth-worst country in European languages, with almost 50 per cent of the population stating they cannot speak a second language and many not seeing any reason to so do.
I would argue that there are economic, social, political and cultural reasons to significantly change our approach to language education. If the prevailing attitude is that we don't really need other languages, this is a grave mistake and we must take immediate remedial steps.
How can we redress this situation? Of course we can expand the level of language training and education in second and third-level education; however, most of us would agree that the earlier we start educating our young people the more likely we are to yield positive results. Earlier this year the employer's organisation IBEC called on the Government to take immediate steps to introduce on a compulsory basis the teaching of modern European languages into primary schools. According to IBEC, it is unacceptable for a modern first-rate education system to have a second-rate approach to the teaching of languages; as the Eurobarometer survey showed, we are falling behind our European neighbours in our approach.
According to IBEC, it is imperative that as Irish business meets the challenge of increased competition and globalisation we have in place people with the necessary language skills to allow us to compete effectively on the world stage. While English is undoubtedly the major business language, a lack of broader language skills is a clear disadvantage to Irish business and could hamper our economic progress.
Currently, a pilot project is in operation in 281 of Ireland's 3,186 primary schools to introduce students to four European languages. The project provides for a limited amount of teaching of French (141 schools), German (70 schools), Spanish (50 schools) and Italian (20 schools).
The evidence suggests that there is a significant demand from schools to engage in language teaching. When the pilot project was announced in October, 1997, more than 1,300 schools applied to be included, yet only 20 per cent were accommodated. The amount of teaching provided is also miniscule - only 1.5 hours per week teaching is being provided and such teaching is confined to fifth- and sixth-year students.
Apart from the obvious potential benefits to business there are other significant advantages in young people learning new languages. Learning a language can develop self-esteem and confidence and enhance cultural awareness. Younger children are very receptive to new experiences and there is an educational value in that more time spent on a language leads to better pronunciation skills and communicative competence. There is also the fact that the Ireland we know today is going to change dramatically over the next five to 10 years. Two factors will drive this change: the impact of technology and the changing diversity of the Irish workforce.
The Government estimates that more than 350,000 people will come to Ireland over the next five years. These people will come from over 150 countries and bring with them different cultures, languages, music and foods. Such a rapid change in our society will pose serious challenges to our traditional views and attitudes. Another argument in favour of introducing our children to early language training is that it assists them to develop an understanding and appreciation of different cultures from an early age, thereby promoting international understanding and friendship.
The business arguments to support improved language skills are obvious. The Irish market for goods and services is extremely small. Many Irish companies outgrow the Irish market in a short period of time and must look further afield for new customers and clients. While Britain is an obvious market, its non-participation in the euro and the associated risk of currency swings has greatly reduced its attractiveness. Therefore Europe must be looked at. Europe is now playing a much greater part in Irish economic and social life and as the enlargement process proceeds, the influence of Europe on our daily lives will further increase. Against this inevitability you can see the disadvantage in not preparing our children for the challenges that lie ahead.
While we have enjoyed tremendous economic progress over the past number of years, we must also be aware that as a small open economy we have to compete effectively on world markets. While we have enjoyed increased exports into Britain and the US by over 20 per cent per annum in the past few years, the comparative figure for increased exports into Europe at 6 per cent is far from spectacular and could be attributed in part to language skill deficiencies. The most successful small economies in the EU - Denmark, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands - display high levels of language skills.
Economically, politically, socially and culturally, Ireland is increasingly operating in a world where increased knowledge of languages is a basic work and life-skill for the average citizen. The education system carries the main responsibility for meeting this need.
If we are serious about the improvement of language skills among our young people, it is absolutely vital that we significantly increase the extent of language training in primary schools. The only real way to ensure this happens is to make such courses a compulsory part of the curriculum - and this should happen sooner rather than later.
As the current pilot project in our primary schools comes to an end, a window of opportunity presents itself. Let us seize the opportunity and create a win-win situation for business, teachers, parents, students and society.
Brendan Butler is IBEC's director of social policy. He can be contacted at brendan.butler@ibec.ie or tel: 016051634
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