1. Foreign Languages
& the UK Job Market
75% of the world's population doesn't speak English. The UK
Job Market is more competitive than ever. This infographic highlights the
most popular languages to learn in 2014 plus the languages you should
learn to boost your employability and career prospects.
What does 2014 hold for the UK
job market and foreign languages?
Lack of ability to speak foreign
languages is costing us!
Language skills
deficit costs the UK
Only 38% of Brits
speak a foreign
language
£48bn
Compared to 56%
of Europeans
a year
"The last twenty years have seen a rapid decline in language learning in the
UK, and it’s a problem. It is inhibiting our businesses, our national prosperity
and even our international standing." Roland Rudd, New Business for Europe
of pupils now take NO languages at GCSE
75% of the world’s population
doesn’t speak English, therefore
speaking English alone is not
enough to succeed in the future
Applications to
European University
language degrees
are down by
those to
non-European
languages are
down by 21.5%
11.2%
Does learning a language improve employability?
££
CBI found
74%
Language graduates are more likely to find employment and
higher salaries after graduation than their peers who studied law,
architecture, business or computer science
of employers recruit applicants with conversational
ability rather than those who are word perfect
Graduates who use language
skills in employment command
£££
8-20% higher salary
What are employers looking for?
"If I'm selling to you, I speak
your language. If I'm buying,
dann müssen Sie Deutsch
sprechen." Willy Brandt,
former German Chancellor
60%
79% of employers say intercultural skills are
more important than degree classification
of employers are not
satisfied with the foreign
language skills of graduates
For 75% of companies, sales
turnover increased by 16% as a
result of having a ‘language
management strategy’ in place
15% of employers are looking for people
familiar with the Arabic language and culture
38% of UK firms are interested in people
who can speak Cantonese or Mandarin, in
order to build business links with China
French and German
remain the most sought
after languages
Most Popular Languages To Learn
* stats according to Lingos database 2014
29%
21%
12%
11%
11%
7%
English
Spanish
French
Arabic
Mandarin
Italian
2%
German
Find trusted and verified language teachers in your area
Sources: • languageswork.org.uk • thirdyearabroad.com • theguardian.com • timeshighereducation.co.uk • salary.com • cbi.org.uk
lingos.co