Vol/51 No/2 2012aPriL/maYTheLinguist9SPEAK TO THE FUTUREapplications for autumn 2012 (which was notunexpected in the context of the new feesregime), languages and related studies arethe subjects worst affected. applications tocourses in european languages have fallen by11.2 percent, and in non-europeanlanguages by 21.5 percent. Languagegraduates may have the highest averagesalary of all arts graduates three and a halfyears after graduation (Hefce, 2008), but suchfacts do not seem to be widely known. students' choices are influenced byparents, teachers and careers advisors, and reflect prevailing public perceptions.these clearly conflict with what informedsources tell us about the employability ofcandidates with language competence andinternational experience. the recent UCas press releases have, atleast, generated a spate of media attention.Will Hutton laments in The Observer: 'Wecontinue to harm and isolate ourselves byonly speaking english. self development andnational development will both be enhancedif we embrace foreign languages' (5/2/12).The Timesjoins in: 'We just don't get it. Howthe language barrier is killing the Britisheconomy' (7/2/12). rare and inspiringcoverage! a high-profile, national debate islong overdue.those in the know are certainly concerned.the Higher education Funding Council forengland (Hefce) classes language studies as'strategically important and vulnerable' (siV),and has invested in protecting and promotingthem (see, eg, www.ucml.ac.uk/shapingthefuture and www.routesintolanguages.ac.uk). Yet the challenges remain substantial: onethird of university language departmentsclosed between 2002 and 2009 ('Languagematters'), and modern foreign languageprovision is increasingly concentrated in theprestigious russell Group universities. thisreinforces the social selection that takes placeat secondary level, where state school pupilshave less opportunity for languagelearningthan those in the independent sector. a marked reduction in university provisionis evident from analysis of UCas degreeprogramme information. the number ofuniversities offering degrees in specificlanguages fell consistently between 2000 and2011. German degree programmes had beenon offer in 126 institutions at the turn of themillennium but this had decreased to 57 by2011, a reduction of 55 percent; for Frenchand italian the figure is 42 percent; forJapanese 55 percent; russian 60 percent andspanish 34 percent. this is not becausestudents are recognising the rising power ofgrowing economies and flocking to arabic ormandarin; rather they do not appear to ratethe value of learning about other cultures andlanguages in general. there are tentative explanations one mightoffer: changing qualifications and educationpolicies, the obsession with choice, the drivefor high performance in school league tables.all have militated against commitment torewarding but demanding subjects whichrequire sustained effort and progress alongwell-planned learning pathways. When itcomes to university choices, language degreesare usually four-year programmes with anintegrated year abroad, and in the context ofthe rise in fees, a three-year programme mustbe less financially daunting (although manyuniversities are subsidising the year abroad). risk aversion may also explain the muchbigger drop in non-european languages.Usually students learn these from scratch, thecultures are little known to them, and there isan unfamiliar writing system to master. it mayseem a safer bet to focus on our europeanneighbours. are we lowering our ambitions?For the older and wiser, this may seemshort-sighted. We know that english is notenough, that Great Britain is no longer agreat imperial power, that this country itself isincreasingly multicultural, and that the globaleconomy offers exciting new opportunities tothose who are equipped with the confidence,skills and knowledge to launch into theunknown. the speak to the future campaignfocuses on these challenges. CAN YOU HELP?CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVESFind out more about the campaign and how you can getinvolved at www.speaktothefuture.org. The Speak to thefuture campaign, which is hosted at Saxon House, is fullyendorsed by the CIOL, who have kindly donated an office. 1 Every language valued as an asset.this will encourage policy makers and citizens torecognise that the many languages used in the homes of UK citizens are a valuableresource for social cohesion and economic success.2 A coherent experience of languages for all children in primary school. this willintroduce the learning of other languages and cultures as well as develop a betterunderstanding of how the child's own languages work.  3 A basic working knowledge of at least two languages, including English, forevery child leaving secondary school.this will equip every school leaver to liveand work in a global society where confidence in learning and using otherlanguages is a major advantage.4 Every graduate qualified in a second language.this will prepare future leaders inbusiness, the professions, voluntary organisations, education and research to thrive andcommunicate confidently in complex global societies.5 An increase in the number of highly qualified linguists.this will fulfil the growingneed for language professionals, especially english-speaking interpreters andtranslators, and for teachers and researchers specialising in languages and cultures.© istoCKPHoto

FEATURES10 TheLinguistAPRIL/MAYwww.iol.org.ukThe excitement is building nationwide as theUK gears up to host the London 2012 Games,but for the Organising Committee's LanguageService this is the start of the end-game, afterfour years of planning and preparations. Fortwo weeks in August, the UK capital isexpecting to receive athletes from 205countries and about six million extra visitors,speaking a multitude of languages. How doyou begin preparing for such a challenge?In August 2008, just as the BeijingOrganising Committee was breathing a sighof relief as its Games came to a close,London 2012 began its work on this complextask. They started by 'talking extensively withthe Language Services department of theBeijing and Vancouver Games,' says aspokesperson for LOCOG (the LondonOrganising Committee of the Olympic andParalympic Games). They also attended thelanguage services volunteers.'In fact, the languages requirements are sogreat that no one department has overallresponsibility and, in many cases, severaldepartments are working closely together. TheLanguage Service is responsible for providinginterpreting for the press and national teams;publications translations are handled by theEditorial Services department; the Wayfindingand Signage team provides appropriate signs;while the National Olympic Committee (NOC)and National Paralympic Committee (NPC)teams employ Relationship Managers to assistdelegations in their languages, and aretraining Assistants, some of which willprovide language support to the delegations. In addition, the Volunteers department hassourced volunteers who can offer interpretingand multilingual support to visitors in theOlympic Park and other venues; the TicketingObserver Programmes of the InternationalOlympic Committee (IOC) at the Games inBeijing (2008) and Vancouver (2010); soughtadvice from experienced consultants andinterpreters from previous Games; consulteduniversities that had done research on thelanguage challenges of hosting the OlympicGames; and analysed 'gather learnings' andobservations from language services users atpast Games.'Previous organising committees wereconsulted about their understanding of theexpected requirements, and constructing anappropriate team,' says the spokesperson.'For example, we learnt that combining theLanguage Services Volunteer role with theProtocol Volunteer role is an excellent way toenhance the experience of volunteers. Thesame applied for a combination of the MainPress Centre helpdesk volunteers with theLondon 2012 tells Miranda Moore how it is meetingthe languages challenge of hosting the GamesLet the Games begin© ODA