Edengene

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Routes Into Languages Urdu Research Stephen Toal
Associate Director Aspect Market Research
091112
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About Us

• Established in 1996
• Offices in Manchester and Dubai
• Qualitative and Quantitative research conducted
• Team of four with over 500 field staff
• Research projects cover UK, Western Europe, N.
  American and Middle East
• Broad client base across a number of public and
  private sector organisations
• Central Office of Information Roster Agency
• Research among niche and difficult to reach
  samples

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Background

• Urdu the most widely used community language in
  England
• Nearly 6,000 entries at GCSE level in 2007
• Of which a quarter from within the North West
• Over 500 entries at A-level
• Routes Into Languages North West (RIL) proposing
  a combined degree (based at the University of
  Manchester) consisting of
• Urdu Language and Culture combined with a choice
  of Sciences and Psychology, Social Sciences or
  Built Environment
• RIL wanted to determine the level of demand for
  such a degree among specific target groups in the
  North West
• Aspect commissioned to conduct research among the
  target groups

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Objectives

• To understand the decision making process for
  course selection
• To look at awareness of language courses at
  universities
• To gain reactions to the Urdu degree pathway
• To measure levels of interest in the course and
  likely uptake
• To identify ways to maximise uptake of the course

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Methodology

• Two-stage project
• Qualitative stage - friendship paired depth
  interviews with students of Urdu at GCSE /
  A-Level
• Quantitative stage - Online survey among target
  audience (on-going)
• Male and female respondents
• Qualitative fieldwork took place September 2009

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Qualitative Research Findings
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Interview structure
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Choice of Subjects
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Choice of Subjects

• The reason I felt confident about picking
  Business is that I know people whod already done
  it
• I spoke to my Urdu teacher and he was one of the
  best in the UK so I knew I would come out with an
  A under his influence
• My dads a businessman and its naturally there
  its like a family thing

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Educational Ambitions
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Educational Ambitions

• All respondents likely to continue into further /
  higher education
• Most had idea of subjects they would study going
  forward
• However, choice often dependant upon grades
  earned or projected
• A-Level students more aware of courses available
  at various universities than GCSE students
• GCSE students more focussed on next stage of
  education (i.e. A-Levels)
• Main reasons for choice of university are / would
  be
• Course availability
• Proximity to home
• Recommendation from family
• Reputation of university

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Educational Ambitions (cont)

• Male respondents more likely to move away to
  university as helped to gain more independence

• Female respondents less keen on moving away to
  university
• Valued support network of family
• Less confident in adapting to new surroundings
• Recognised financial benefits of remaining at home

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Educational Ambitions (cont)

• Increased likelihood of moving if relatives in
  close proximity to university
• Choice of course (and university) often
  influenced by family members who had studied
  course already
• Gave both course and university credibility
• Reduced risk of disliking university / course
• Parents a major influence however some
  reluctance to admit extent of influence
• Incidences of parents vetoing universities they
  had visited and disliked
• Teachers also key influence - pass on benefit of
  experience along with knowledge of institutions

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Educational Ambitions

• I want to feel independence and feel
  responsibility so if I do get a place in all the
  good universities where my course is available
  then Ill probably move out
• I know a couple of cousins who have been there
  (Liverpool) and they do recommend it
• I would rather stay closer to home

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Attitudes Towards Learning Urdu
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Attitudes Towards Learning Urdu

• Urdu studied for a number of reasons
• Spoken at home for many years and had good levels
  of oral ability
• Easier to gain formal qualification
• Parents wanted children to learn more about Urdu
  language and culture
• Urdu considered more formal compared with
  languages such as Punjabi (more slang)
• Consequently, felt to help to communicate in more
  formal (i.e. work) situations

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Attitudes Towards Learning Urdu (cont)

• Urdu enjoyed by most
• Liked teachers
• Not as difficult as other subjects
• Mixed views on continuing Urdu at university
• Not enjoyed enough by some
• Preferred other (vocational?) subjects
• However all saw benefits of learning languages in
  the context of careers
• For example, Urdu considered useful in careers
  involving regular contact with public where
  English not first language (e.g. medicine,
  dentistry, law)
• Many would consider Urdu if linked to a
  vocational degree

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Attitudes Towards Learning Urdu

• My mum wanted me to learn as I speak Punjabi and
  thats less formal Urdus very formal for when
  you speak to adults
• I want to be a psychiatrist so if I had to work
  with someone who didnt know English they teach
  two languages here, Urdu and Arabic, and if they
  knew those languages I could talk to them in
  that
• If you know the language and can communicate
  with people then thats an advantage

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Reactions To Urdu Combined Degree
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Reactions To Urdu Combined Degree Option A

• URDU LANGUAGE AND CULTURE combined with ONE of
  the following
• SCIENCES AND PSYCHOLOGY (e.g. biology, maths)
• SOCIAL SCIENCES (e.g. economics, anthropology)
• BUILT ENVIRONMENT (e.g. geography, planning)

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Reactions To Urdu Combined Degree Option B

• URDU LANGUAGE AND CULTURE combined with ANY of
  the following
• HISTORICAL STUDIES (Classical, Holocaust studies)
• LANGUAGES AND LINGUISTICS
• LITERARY STUDIES AND DRAMA
• FILM STUDIES
• PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES
• SCIENCES AND PSYCHOLOGY
• SOCIAL SCIENCES

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Reactions To Urdu Combined Degree Option A

• Preferred option of the two combined degree
  pathways
• Positive reaction to combined with single
  subject
• Gave greater depth to qualification
• More tailored to a specific career
• Sciences and Psychology most closely linked to
  careers being pursued (e.g. Medicine, Psychiatry
  etc)
• Little interest in Built Environment only
  considered of relevance to those interested in
  architecture / planning
• Respondents wished to see specific vocational
  subjects included such as
• Pharmacy
• Medicine
• Law
• IT

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Combined Degree Option A

• It would have to be vocational
• If I could speak Urdu fluently I would totally
  pick Urdu and Biology
• I think theyre really really good

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Reactions To Urdu Combined Degree Option B

• Less positive response of appeal only to those
  with more general / non-vocational interests
• Studying a number of topics considered too
  time-consuming - could lead to students being
  spread too thin
• Sciences and Psychology again of most interest as
  relevant to career ambitions
• Desire for further information and clarification
  on degree elements

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Combined Degree Option B

• Sciences yes definitely
• If youve got loads of subjects including
  Science its a lot of pressure
• If youve gone away from home and they expect
  you to get good results and you havent come back
  with anything

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Reactions To Urdu Language and Culture

• URDU LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
• URDU LANGUAGE COURSE UNIT IN EACH YEAR OF STUDY
• ONE OR MORE COURSES PER YEAR IN AREAS SUCH AS
• WORLD LANGUAGES
• TRANSLATION STUDIES
• HISTORY / RELIGION
• CULTURAL DIVERSITY, CHANGING SOCIETY and
  GLOBALISATION
• EASTERN STUDIES (Islam, Muslim societies, Indian
  Philosophy, South Asian Art)
• URDU LANGUAGE COMPONENT WOULD BE OFFERED AT A
  RANGE OF LEVELS INCLUDING BEGINNER, POST-GCSE AND
  POST-A LEVEL

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Reactions To Urdu Language and Culture

• Generally positive response considered
  comprehensive with interesting study areas
• Translation Studies of greatest interest
  recognised career opportunities
• Islam and Muslim Societies elements important to
  put language into context and to understand
  Urdus role in Islam
• Positive response to degree being open to all
  levels of ability opened up to wider range of
  people
• Mixed views as to whether Culture element should
  focus on Urdu in a UK or international context

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Reactions To Urdu Language and Culture

• When you learn a language, its not just about
  learning the language its about understanding
  the culture
• (The range of abilities) is really good you
  need to be appealing to a wide variety of people
• Ive never seen anything like this

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Promoting Degree
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Conclusions

• Respondents all likely to continue into Further /
  Higher education
• Parents / family play a key role in subject
  choices at all levels
• Proximity to home a key consideration in choice
  of university
• Urdu chosen as a subject as students already
  familiar with language and have level of ability
• Recognition of benefits of language skills within
  careers
• Generally positive response to Urdu Language and
  Culture degree pathway
• Preference for combined degree focused on fewer
  number of study areas ideally vocational
  subjects
• School / college visits by course leaders one of
  a number of methods in promoting course

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Next Stage

• Online survey among
• Students of Urdu at GCSE / A-Level
• Parents of Urdu students at GCSE / A-Level
• Prize draw to win a Nintendo Wii
• For a link to the survey contact
• Aspect Market Research 0161 831 7171
• Routes Into Languages North West 0161 247 3940

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Contact Details
Aspect Market Research Limited 54-56 Bridge
Street Manchester M3 3BW Tel [phone]
7171 Fax [phone] Contact Stephen
Toal stephen_at_aspectmr.com www.aspectmr.com