French is a useless language: learn Arabic and Mandarin instead says former minister

Chris Bryant, who served as minister for Europe under Gordon Brown, used a speech in the Commons to highlight the waning value of the French tongue, which has traditionally been the first foreign language taught to British schoolchildren.

Mr Bryant, now a shadow Foreign Office minister, said that young people should be pointed towards languages that were more useful for business.

Telegraph

Discussion about languages in the House of Lords

A discussion about modern foreign languages took place in the House of Lords on 8 June 2010.

The following peers contributed to the debate.

Baroness Coussin (Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages)

Lord Hill of Oareford (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and Government Spokesperson, Department for Education 2010- )

Baroness Sharples

The Lord Bishop of Chichester

Lord Wright of Richmond

Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon

Baroness Walmsley

Lords Hansard 8th June 2010

ISRAEL: First Arabic-Language College Hopes to Bridge Differences in Opportunity

After a decade-long struggle for official recognition, Israel's first comprehensive Arabic-language college of higher education will open its doors here in October.

Chronicle of Higher Education

Pedants’ revolt aims to protect English from spell of txt spk

An Academy of English is being formed by the Queen’s English Society, to protect the language from impurities, bastardisations and the horrors introduced by the text-speak generation.

France has L’Académie Française, Spain the Real Academia Española, and Italy the Accademia della Crusca — august institutions that uphold the rules of their languages. English, however, has no such bastion against corruption and continuously mutates as new words develop, or fall out of use, grammar changes and the intricacies of punctuation go in and out of fashion.

The Times

French presidents' intepreter on career at Hay festival

A British-born interpreter has been giving her insights into the occasional pitfalls of being chief translator to French presidents.

Linguist Amanda Galsworthy told the Hay Festival in Powys of her work with three French presidents over 26 years.

BBC news

High percentage of A* expected in some language A-levels

7% of all grades are expected to be an A* . In Japanese, Russian and modern Hebrew, because the majority of pupils taking these subjects were brought up speaking them. In Japanese, Russian and modern Hebrew, 45%, 41% and 33% are expected to obtain an A*.

The Guardian

Gaelic is spreading like wildfire, thanks to a popular lunchtime club

A teacher walks along the corridor. “Feasgar math,” says one pupil. “Ciamar a tha thu?” asks another. The knowledge of Gaelic is impressive, particularly as this is not a school in the Highlands, but Caledonia Primary in Glasgow.

Times Education Supplement