700 Reasons: Reason #387

Reason: 387
What makes language learning essential to a child’s development and crucial to any young person’s personal and professional prospects lies first and foremost in what makes the world of today a place where political, economic and personal relations are ruled by global communication. Furthermore, plurilingualism and cultural diversity need to be safeguarded not only to protect individual identities but also to guarantee the opening of the mind to otherness
Reference:
Monsieur Daniel Bernard, S.E. l’Ambassadeur de France au Royaume-uni (record of the symposium, 'Why languages matter', held on 6 March 2002 (The English-Speaking Union, The Nuffield Foundation)
Related Keywords:
Communication, Diversity, Economic, social and political dimension, Employability, Globalisation, Identity, Intercultural competence, International relations, Multilingualism