Learning German and Portuguese Could Help Get Our Economy Back on Track

Having a generation of kids who can communicate easily with our traditional trading partners in Germany and France, and newer markets like Brazil, Russia, India and China (the BRICs), will help put the UK economy on a much stronger long-term footing.
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The news that Michael Gove wants kids to learn a foreign language from the age of seven, and that the CBI has found that German is the most sought after language amongst UK employers, got me thinking about how speaking someone else's language can be vital to doing business - and therefore the economy.

Having a workforce able to work in and trade with other countries makes it easier to export your good and services. Countries across Europe have long understood this, and elsewhere in the world languages are also seen as a key component of future success.

For example, I've just come back from a holiday in Vietnam, where my brother has been teaching English to kids as young as four. Their (mostly middle class) parents want them to learn English so they grow up with the ability to work in and do business with the wider world.

Back in Blighty, we've traditionally been a bit slower on the uptake with languages. I'm typical - I've got a GCSE in German but my ability to write or speak the language is woeful.

Beyond that the best I've ever managed is learning a few phrases in Portuguese, Spanish and French to get me by on holidays in Europe and South America. Okay, I can sort this out myself - but we're better off giving the next generation a head-start.

Even if Gove's plans come to fruition next year, it could be 15 or so years before the UK starts seeing the benefits. But in the long term, this is a pretty decent and cheap investment in the economy.

Having a generation of kids who can communicate easily with our traditional trading partners in Germany and France, and newer markets like Brazil, Russia, India and China (the BRICs), will help put the UK economy on a much stronger long-term footing.

And 15 years isn't too bad when you think that it will take us to finish building HS2 - and probably longer to build a new airport or runway in London.