Surveys and Reports

Why is research important?

Research has established a clear link between the use of foreign languages and better international trade performance:

  • Internet users are three times more likely to buy when addressed in their mother tongue (Forrester Research)
  • Export sales of companies that most value languages and culture are growing by on average £290,000 per company, per year (British Chamber of Commerce survey)
  • Expert say that the UK could double its trade with Europe if it overcame the language barrier.

 

Surveys have also shown that linguists are more employable and earn more than non linguists:

  • Language graduates find employment more easily than many non-linguists in all industrial and business sectors (source: CILT/Languages Work)
  • According to UK recruitment agencies, salary uplift for those using languages at work can be up to 20% (source: CILT/Languages Work).
  • Studying a joint honours degree in Law or Business combined with a foreign language makes a graduate more employable than studying a single honours Law or Business degree (source: CILT).

 

Surveys

They all speak English don't they?

UK trade totals for the first six months of 2004 reveal that British exporters are ignoring, even avoiding, opportunities in key markets.

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Reports

700 reasons for studying languages.

New research by the UK Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies has identified more than 700 reasons to study languages. This research will be particularly useful for marketing languages and should help educators to promote language study and design courses. The 700 reasons are freely available in an online searchable database and as a report. Order your free copy of the report at www.llas.ac.uk/700reasons

Using interpreters to access services: user views

This in-depth study published on the Joseph Rowntree Foundation website, examined the experiences of people who need interpreters.

 

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