Pugwash magazine

Is it time you learnt a language?

Are you one of those people who at the best groans, at the worst runs a mile whenever anyone mentions the prospect of foreign languages?

Well before you come out in a cold sweat and turn the page, believe it or not, it’s not all that bad. And you don’t have to be a natural linguist to speak another language, despite what you may think - most of us aren’t!

So you may be thinking: why the hell should I bother to learn another language when nearly everybody speaks English? For those international students whose mother tongue is not English, I apologize. You guys already speak at least two languages, many of you three or four, so you can sit back and relax- you’ve achieved linguistic skills that far surpass mine.

For the rest of us, I’m sure many would be surprised to learn that actually, not everyone does speak English, and neither should we expect them to. They have their own languages and ways. English is numero uno in global business, and thanks to the United States it dominates film and music the world over. But it’s becoming increasingly more important for native English speakers to be able to speak another language. Many graduate recruiters are now looking for language competency in at least one other language to conversational level. The opportunities available to speakers of foreign languages are also much greater on the global scale than those for people speaking only one language, especially if you want to go into business. What’s more, language skills always look great on your CV.

Aside from improving your job prospects, giving you that edge over the next candidate, and adding to your skills portfolio, learning a language can actually be fun. The feeling you get from being able to communicate with people from other countries and cultures is worth the hard work. Learning a language isn’t easy, it’s true, but the pros outweigh the cons. Just think of all those people out there you’ll get to meet, and all those experiences waiting for you. Plus, with your newly honed language skills you can chat up that foreign fittie you keep seeing on a Tuesday night in Time and Envy.

Now that you may be at least considering learning another language, which ones might you be interested in? Through the university Institution Wide Language Programme you can learn Arabic, British Sign Language, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. Several of these are available up to degree standard, and all run beginners classes. Plus, it’s free! Through either a weekly three-hour evening slot or several shorter classes during the day you will be taught the four main skills - reading, writing, speaking and listening. The aim is to be able to hold a general conversation, progressing as you scale the ranks. Although registration for classes this semester has closed you can check out the web site on www.port.ac.uk/departments/academic/slas/iwlp or email iwlp@port.ac.uk for more information about starting next semester.

If you’d prefer to go at it alone there’s a variety of web sites you might find useful in your language learning. The BBC web site is useful, with news in 33 languages, TV links and the option of recording language programmes, a course and class search, and MP3 holiday phrases to download. There’s also a variety of language games, grammar exercises and resources for the most popular languages, including French, Spanish, German and Italian.

Go to www.bbc.co.uk/languages and give it a try. You might also want to look at www.edufind.com, a useful web site for language learning resources and external links to schools, online courses, and magazines for each language covered.

Have I managed to convince you? If so, remember that learning a language does take time and effort, so you have to be committed. However, fitting in a little slot here and there will make a real difference, and if you’re anything like me, you probably waste half your free time anyway, down at the pub or watching re-runs of Murder She Wrote. Don’t just take my word for it; speak to those ‘in the know’ - lecturers, employers, family and friends who’ve learnt another language. One important thing to remember is this: if you tried it before and got nowhere, don’t give up. You don’t have to make supersonic progress, but you’d be surprised at how well you can do if you really try. At the end of the day, being able to string together one sentence is better than nothing. Go on - give yourself a chance.

/Jennie Rawling