italian-studies: Scholarly discussions in any field of Italian studies
Dear italian-studies colleagues,
this from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/3964683.stm
What may come as real news to those of us based outside the UK is contained in the last two sentences.
George Ferzoco // [log in to unmask]
(PS: The reference below to 'GCSE' is to a set of UK nation-wide exams for pupils in their mid-teens.)
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LINGUISTS SCORE IN JOBS AND LOVE
People who have foreign languages have increased earning power and are popular with the opposite sex, a report suggests.
Speaking a second language can increase an average worker's salary by £3,000 a year, or £145,000 in a lifetime.
Among higher earners, the difference is even greater, the study for the Michel Thomas Language Centre says.
A survey of 2,700 firms found nine out of 10 thought their businesses could benefit from better language skills.
The sector most in need of language skills is media, sales and marketing, according to the companies surveyed.
> Love link
The study was carried out by business journalist Philip Beresford, who compiles the Sunday Times Rich List.
He suggests there is a personal benefit to having a second language as well as a financial one.
He contacted 270 dating agencies in the UK and found 97% asked their clients if they had a second language.
The two main reasons they said they did this was because prospective daters see someone with a foreign language as more intelligent and secondly, that they are seen as more sexy than other people.
Michel Thomas said: "When I opened my language centre in Beverley Hills in 1947, I was convinced that learning another language could change your life for the better.
"Now, in the form of this report, we finally have concrete proof that this is the case."
This year the government removed the requirement for all children in England to study a foreign language to GCSE level.
Instead, primary schools are being encouraged to give children foreign language lessons.
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