Why Study Languages

1
Why Study Languages
When Everyone Speaks English?
Adapted from a presentation by the Subject Centre
for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
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Sex Goda Skäl FörAtt Studera Språk
Du kan få ett jobb Du har nytta av det ute i
världen Du kommer att träffa mycket folk Du lär
känna dig själv bättre Du kan uppleva nya
kulturer Det är spännande
Did you understand?
3
Six Good Reasons forStudying Languages
Itll get you a job Its exciting It gets you
places Youll meet loads of new people Youll
find out more about yourself You can enjoy new
cultures
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Itll Get You a Job
A few facts about language graduates and
employability
But first which of the following subjects do
YOU think have the best job prospects?
Physical Sciences German Law Computing Biological
Sciences English Education Business
Studies French Engineering Media Studies Medical
Sciences
5
Itll Get You a Job
Being able to speak other languages is a skill
that gets you ahead
The UK trades with over 200 countries worldwide
(Source Trade Partners UK, 2002) Businesses
large, medium and small need employees with
foreign language skills They also need people
who are happy operating across cultures
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Itll Get You a Job
Its not just language skills either
Employers say they value the key skills developed
by language learners these include
communication skills team working skills
interpersonal skills presentational skills
problem solving skills organisational skills
good learning strategies
can you think of any more?
7
It Gets You Places
Living abroad is an experience
Going to university was amazing but going to
Mexico was the best experience in my entire life
it was absolutely fantastic. It was the Mexican
culture and generally being in such a fantastic
country it was just so different to being in
the UK
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It Gets You Places
You learn so much
You arrive and you have to learn about new
customs and where people live. You learn to deal
with new people. You have to think about every
word you speak until suddenly you are fluent. It
makes you appreciate home too Says Suzanne, who
is going back abroad after her final year to
marry her Mexican boyfriend
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Youll Meet Loads of New People
Ive made lots of new friends, its really
widened my horizons
Using a language is a social activity and
language learning leads to encounters with people
from many backgrounds
10
Youll Find Out More About Yourself
Most people find their experiencesvery rewarding
at a personal level
Its a challenge Its enriching you develop
yourself It opens your mind to understanding
other people but it also affects you in your own
life You learn to get on with your surroundings
you become less judgemental
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You Can EnjoyNew Cultures
You find out about and experience different
cultures whilst reflecting on your own
I really enjoy meeting people with different
perspectives on life with different values
different traditions Meeting other cultures,
you start to think about your own country and
background You dont realise that even the most
basic things can be different
12
Its Exciting
Languages you can choose include
French German Italian Portuguese
Spanish Russian Japanese Arabic Chinese
and many more
13
Its Exciting
I find Spanish very challenging and really
relevant to my career choice
Route 3 Take a joint degree and combine language
study with another discipline e.g.
Languages Internet Systems Law and French
Marketing and Languages International Relations
and Languages
Look in prospectuses to discover more options
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And If You Still Need Convincing
Studying languages means
Maximum Career ProspectsYou will be very
employable Maximum ExperienceThere are lots of
personal benefits Maximum ChoiceThere are many
languages and courses to choose from Maximum
FunIts certainly not all work and no play