MAKING THE CASE  FOR  LANGUAGES

LANGUAGE LEARNING AND GRADUATE CAREER PROSPECTS: 
MYTHS AND REALITIES

1. EVERYONE SPEAKS ENGLISH: 
 THE BRITISH DON’T NEED TO LEARN 
 OTHER LANGUAGES	

2. LANGUAGES ARE TOO DIFFICULT: 
YOU’LL GET BETTER A-LEVEL GRADES IN OTHER SUBJECTS	

3.YOU HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF GETTING INTO UNIVERSITY IF YOU DO AN EASY SUBJECT	

4. GETTING A DEGREE ISN’T WORTH THE MONEY	

5. IT'S MORE DIFFICULT TO GET A JOB                 WITH A LANGUAGE DEGREE 	

6. YOU HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF A JOB
 IF YOU DO A VOCATIONAL SUBJECT	

7. THE ONLY JOBS FOR LINGUISTS ARE 
TEACHING AND TRANSLATING	

MAKING THE CASE FOR MODERN LANGUAGES
	
MYTH: 
EVERYONE SPEAKS ENGLISH: 
THE BRITISH DON’T NEED TO LEARN OTHER LANGUAGES

REALITY:

•	75% OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH

•	OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES ARE AIMING FOR SKILLS IN THREE LANGUAGES

•	60% + OF BRITISH TRADE IS WITH 
    NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRIES

•	BUY IN YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE
        SELL IN THE CUSTOMER’S LANGUAGE

•	BRITISH BUSINESS HAS THE POOREST LANGUAGE SKILLS IN EUROPE

•	BRITISH BUSINESSES LOSE £MILLIONS  EVERY YEAR BECAUSE THEY CAN'T SPEAK THEIR CUSTOMERS' LANGUAGES – USUALLY WITHOUT REALISING IT!

Keith Marshall, Department of Modern Languages, University of Wales Bangor            September 2001
k.marshall@bangor.ac.uk

MAKING THE CASE FOR  LANGUAGES

MYTH:
LANGUAGES ARE TOO DIFFICULT :
YOU’LL GET BETTER A-LEVEL GRADES 
IN OTHER SUBJECTS	

REALITY(2001)

•	MODERN LANGUAGES AS A WHOLE HAD 
       MORE ‘A’ PLUS ‘B’ GRADES THAN ANY 
       OTHER SUBJECT EXCEPT CLASSICS 

•	GERMAN HAD MORE ‘A’ GRADES THAN ANY  
       OTHER SUBJECT EXCEPT MATHS 

•	PUPILS HAD A BETTER CHANCE OF A GOOD     
       GRADE IN A MODERN LANGUAGE A-LEVEL    
       THAN IN VIRTUALLY ANY OTHER SUBJECT
	
Keith Marshall, Department of Modern Languages, University of Wales Bangor       September 2001
k.marshall@bangor.ac.uk

MAKING THE CASE  FOR  LANGUAGES

MYTH
YOU HAVE A GREATER CHANCE 
OF GETTING INTO UNIVERSITY
 IF YOU DO AN’ EASIER’  SUBJECT	

REALITY (2000)

•	THE RATIO OF APPLICANTS TO PLACES,   
     ACROSS ALL MODERN LANGUAGES, IS    
     BETTER, FOR THE  APPLICANT, THAN IN ANY  
     OTHER SUBJECT AREA

•	APPLICANTS HAVE A MUCH BETTER CHANCE 
         OF GETTING INTO A MODERN LANGUAGE 
         DEGREE THAN A DEGREE IN MEDIA STUDIES, 
         BUSINESS STUDIES, PSYCHOLOGY OR LAW

Source: UCAS Annual Statistical Tables 2000 Entry
Keith Marshall, Department of Modern Languages, University of Wales Bangor       k.marshall@bangor.ac.uk
C:\MyDocs\recruit\presmat\schools 7myths 99 data for use 00‑01 nov 00 dr3.wpd

MAKING THE CASE FOR MODERN LANGUAGES

MYTH:

 GETTING A DEGREE
 ISN’T WORTH THE MONEY	

REALITY:	

UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE 
NOT AT UNIVERSITY in 2000
9.0% (approx)

UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG NEW GRADUATES IN 2000: 
 5.5%	

GRADUATES EARN 61% MORE THAN 
NON-GRADUATES IN THEIR LIFETIME

PEOPLE WITH HIGH LEVEL EDUCATION AND SKILLS WILL GET THE BEST JOBS IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Keith Marshall, Department of Modern Languages, University of Wales Bangor       September 2001
k.marshall@bangor.ac.uk

MAKING THE CASE  FOR  LANGUAGES

MYTH

IT'S MORE DIFFICULT TO GET A JOB WITH A LANGUAGE DEGREE

REALITY:  

UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG 
NEW GRADUATES IN THE UK
(2000)

ALL UK GRADUATES                                       5.5%

UK MODERN LANGUAGE GRADUATES     4 .3%       

Keith Marshall, Department of Modern Languages, University of Wales Bangor       September  2001
k.marshall@bangor.ac.uk

MAKING THE CASE  FOR  LANGUAGES
MYTH:
YOU HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF JOB
 IF YOU DO A VOCATIONAL SUBJECT	

REALITY:	
UNEMPLOYMENT RATES AMONG  NEW GRADUATES IN THE UK (2000)	% OF 
GRADUATES
UNEMPLOYED	
MEDICINE/DENTISTRY/VET SCIENCE
EDUCATION
FRENCH
GERMAN
LAW
ARCHITECTURE/ BUILDING/ PLANNING 
ALL MODERN LANGUAGES
ENGLISH
MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BUSINESS/ ADMINISTRATION
PSYCHOLOGY
SOCIOLOGY/ ECONOMICS/ POLITICS
HUMANITIES
PHYSICAL SCIENCES
AGRICULTURE/ FORESTRY
ENGINEERING/ TECHNOLOGY
COMPUTING
CREATIVE ARTS/ DESIGN
MEDIA STUDIES	0.5%
1.8%
 3.1%
 3.1%
 3.7%
3.8%
4.3%
5.4%
5.4%
5.5%
5.5%
5.7%
5.8%
6.1%
6.2%
6.6%
6.8%
7.8%
8.4%
8.6%	

Keith Marshall, Department of Modern Languages, University of Wales Bangor       September 2001
k.marshall@bangor.ac.uk

MAKING THE CASE  FOR  LANGUAGES
MYTH:
THE ONLY JOBS FOR LINGUISTS ARE TEACHING AND TRANSLATING	
 
REALITY:	
THE JOBS
NEW UK LANGUAGE GRADUATES DO (2000)	
BUSINESS SERVICES

MANUFACTURING

BANKING/ FINANCE

WHOLESALE/ RETAIL SALES

TRANSPORT/ COMMUNICATIONS

COMMUNITY/SOCIAL/ PERSONAL SERVICES

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

EDUCATION

HEALTH/SOCIAL WORK

HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS

OTHER AREAS	31.9%

12.2%

11.0%

8.6%

8.6%

8.2%

6.2%

5.6%

3.0%

2.0%

0.3%

2.4%	

Keith Marshall, Department of  Modern Languages, University of Wales Bangor      September 2001
k.marshall@bangor.ac.uk

MAKING THE CASE  FOR  LANGUAGES

WHAT SOME  BANGOR LANGUAGE GRADUATES DID ONE YEAR
THE JOBS......

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER                          MEDICINES CONTROL AGENCY

ENGLISH TEACHER                                                       ECOLE NICOLAS, PARIS

ADMINISTRATIVE TRAINEE     WALES EUROPEAN CENTRE IN BRUSSELS

IMMIGRATION OFFICER                                   HM IMMIGRATION CONTROL

TRANSLATION PROJECT MANAGER                                               KUDOS PLC
  
POLICE OFFICER                                                                      ROYAL AIR FORCE

TRAINEE TRUST ADMINISTRATOR PANNELL FERR FORSTER AND CO

RESERVATIONS SALES ADMINISTRATOR  BRITISH MIDLAND AIRWAYS

EUROPEAN COORDINATOR                                                               TETRA  PLC

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ASSISTANT       BUNDESGYMNASIUM DONAUINSEL

PROJECT ADMINISTRATOR                      UNIVERSITY OF WALES BANGOR

TRAINEE EXECUTIVE                                                         MIDLAND BANK PLC

GRADUATE TRAINEE IN FINANCE                                    ROLLS ROYCE PLC

TRAINEE ACCOUNTANT                              TRANMERE DISTRIBUTION LTD

COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER                             STUDENTS UNION BANGOR

TRAINEE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT                PRICE WATERHOUSE PLC

OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR                                       META TECHNOLOGY LTD

BILINGUAL SUBTITLER                                                           ELEN  RHYS  LTD

SPORTS COACH                       SPORTS DEVELOPMENT UNIT BIRMINGHAM	
Keith Marshall, Department of Modern Languages, University of Wales Bangor       September 2001
k.marshall@bangor.ac.uk

MAKING THE CASE  FOR  LANGUAGES

WHAT SOME  BANGOR LANGUAGE GRADUATES DID ONE YEAR

THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COURSES.....

CERTIFICATE IN TEACHING ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE(TEFL)

POST GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN EDUCATION (PGCE)

DIPLOMA IN EUROPEAN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

COMMON PROFESSIONAL EXAM (LAW)

LANGUAGE GRADUATES INTO BUSINESS COURSE

Keith Marshall, Department of Modern Languages, University of Wales Bangor       September 2001
k.marshall@bangor.ac.uk

MAKING THE CASE FOR LANGUAGES

WHY DO LANGUAGE GRADUATES DO 
SO WELL?	

THE ANSWER:

C35-40% OF GRADUATE JOBS OPEN TO ALL GRADUATES
              *THESE EMPLOYERS WANT BROAD ABILITIES,                         
                MORE THAN SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE
              *VOCATIONAL TRAINING GIVEN ON THE JOB

CLANGUAGE GRADUATES  BETTER AT  KEY SKILLS DEMANDED BY EMPLOYERS:
               * ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS
               * WRITTEN COMMUNICATION 

•	YEAR ABROAD
               *MAGIC INGREDIENT IN LANGUAGE DEGREES
                     - REAL  INDEPENDENCE
                     - EXPERIENCE OF THE WIDER WORLD 
                * PLAYS A PART IN THE FIRST EMPLOYMENT OF       
                  OVER 70% OF LANGUAGE GRADUATES
                * LESS THAN 1% OF GRADUATES IN OTHER   
                  SUBJECTS  STUDY ABROAD IN THEIR DEGREE

*LANGUAGE GRADUATES SEEM TO HAVE AN EDGE AT INTERVIEWS
             * MORE  MATURE
             * MORE SKILLED  IN ORAL PRESENTATION

		Keith Marshall, Department of Modern Languages, University of Wales Bangor       September 2001

WHO NEEDS TO KNOW THAT 
LANGUAGE GRADUATES DO SO WELL?	

	Secondary teachers
	
	FE lecturers
	
	university lecturers
	
	Careers advisers 
	
	VIth form tutors
	
	Parents
	
	Employers
	
	Pupils in years 9  10  11  12  and 13
	
	University language students 		

C:\MyDocs\recruit\presmat\schools 7myths 99 data for use 00‑01 nov 00 dr3.wpd			September 2001