Languages a Vital Subject; the Teaching of French and German Is in Crisis in Both Schools and Universities. the Government Is Threatening to Take Modern Languages out of the Core Curriculum. Zannah Lewis Spoke to a Birmingham School, University and Business about the Importance of Languages

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Byline: Zannah Lewis

A key question - what's the point of wasting time learning a foreign language when, everywhere you go, people speak English?

It can be hard to argue with a 14-year-old at the best of times but Patrick Amieli, head of modern languages at King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys, in Kings Heath, says he struggles to find an answer to that particular question.

'The one time people realise the importance of language learning is when they get a job that needs a language. When they are promised a salary increase they find the motivation to learn - but in their 20s and 30s they are not so quick to learn,' he said.

In its Language …