Learning a language at school, university or just for fun improves your personal development and key employability skills. It is proven to develop textual and data analysis, creativity, research skills, problem solving, articulacy and intercultural competence.

See Leonia's experience of studying languages at GCSE below.

Daisy talks here about why you should study languages at GCSE.

Amber's experiences of studying Languages at GCSE and A-Level and her plans for the future.

Click through the videos by selecting the top right hand menu button in the picture. You will then be able to hear some of our current and former degree students tell you why doing languages has worked so well for them and what they've most enjoyed about being at Warwick!

What about career potential?

The British Council “Languages for The Future Report” lists the 10 most important languages for the UK’s future based on export needs, trade priorities, levels of English proficiency, high growth markets, diplomatic and security purposes.

The Confederation of British Industry’s 2013 Education and Skills Survey reports that 70 per cent of responding businesses value language skills among their employees, particularly in helping to build relationships with clients, customers and suppliers. The economic costs of “language ignorance”, in terms of communication and awareness of cultural barriers, were estimated at up to £48bn in 2006, or 3.5% of national income. The analysis found that firms with a greater understanding of language and culture were better able to identify and exploit sales opportunities in overseas markets.

The 2020 report co-authored by the British Academy "Towards a National Languages Strategy" Link opens in a new windowstates that the ability to navigate between different languages and cultures is important for life and work inside and outside the UK: "proficiency in additional languages is a new kind of global literacy" and research in languages has been making a vital contribution to solving national and global challenges in fields such as conflict and international development.

Career pathways with modern languages:

Select the top right hand button on the picture to hear stories from our former students about the jobs they now do using their language skills

Read more alumni stories hereLink opens in a new window