Demonstrations, Riots and Disorder Across the UK Following the Southport Attacks

[cressida]

Learnt Italian at Night school,  got a certificate in Spanish,  and G.C.E.  French.

Edited August 17 by cressida

[Delbow]

3 hours ago, pfifes said:

 😂Apparently degree level study of foreign languages has dropped off, which is presumably due to provision of teaching in schools?

 

Probably also because accruing £50k+ debt to learn a language isn't great value. You could get started on Duolingo for free, then go and live in the country whose language you wanted to learn for a year - and learn to speak like a native - for less.

[El Cid]

4 minutes ago, Delbow said:

 

Probably also because accruing £50k+ debt to learn a language isn't great value. You could get started on Duolingo for free, then go and live in the country whose language you wanted to learn for a year - and learn to speak like a native - for less.

 

There were loads coming here, one of the reasons why net immigration was over 700,000 only now that they cannot bring their families is the numbers coming here declining.

[pfifes]

1 hour ago, Delbow said:

 

Probably also because accruing £50k+ debt to learn a language isn't great value. You could get started on Duolingo for free, then go and live in the country whose language you wanted to learn for a year - and learn to speak like a native - for less.

It was just a example regarding the study of foreign languages being in decline in general, not that I think it’s necessary to study languages at degree level to get by in it. 
 

I think the value of higher education is for another thread if you want to discuss that.

 

Perhaps more important is to improve the teaching of foreign languages at school level.  Duolingo etc is great but unfortunately it’s far more difficult to learn a foreign language as an adult.

 

[pfifes]

1 hour ago, El Cid said:

 

There were loads coming here, one of the reasons why net immigration was over 700,000 only now that they cannot bring their families is the numbers coming here declining.

Yes, and the loss of that income is substantial to all university cities, not just directly to universities of course.

 

Targeting international students to get immigration levels down is incredibly short sighted.

[Slighty batty]

5 hours ago, pfifes said:

There is a reason the English are complacent about learning foreign languages.  It is because English is a lingua franca.  It is not an inherent characteristic of being English 😂.  The same would be true of say the Dutch or Swedes if their languages were widely spoken around the world.  
And before someone jumps on me in true SF fashion I do think as a nation we should promote the learning of foreign languages.  Apparently degree level study of foreign languages has dropped off, which is presumably due to provision of teaching in schools?

Reason the Dutch are good at speaking English is because lots of the TV programmes here are in English with subtitles. The children grow up watching American cartoons and films, and they learn the language by absorption, which is the natural way to do it. The French on the other hand insist on dubbing everything into French and so they pick up English less quickly. 

[The_DADDY]

Apparently there's more 'Anti far right' protests today. 🙄

[pfifes]

7 minutes ago, Slighty batty said:

Reason the Dutch are good at speaking English is because lots of the TV programmes here are in English with subtitles. The children grow up watching American cartoons and films, and they learn the language by absorption, which is the natural way to do it. The French on the other hand insist on dubbing everything into French and so they pick up English less quickly. 

Basically as a result of English being spoken widely across the world, particularly the USA.

 

English kids won’t generally get to see Dutch or French language TV or films. 

[RollingJ]

5 minutes ago, The_DADDY said:

Apparently there's more 'Anti far right' protests today. 🙄

Where - just out of interest?

[The_DADDY]

2 minutes ago, RollingJ said:

Where - just out of interest?

Not sure. Just saw part of a 'news' segment on TV. I'll have a look and find out. 

 

Dover. A group of around 4 people holding Union flags were being jeered at, verbally abused by a group of these 'anti racist' goon squads. The police had to stand in-between them.

Edited August 17 by The_DADDY