Britain’s language skills deficit is threatening its diplomatic influence and national security, a report by the British Academy has found.

The British Academy, the national body for the humanities and social sciences, calls for government to address the lack of language skills across all its departments and to prioritise the development of these skills among current staff and future generations. The report warns that if more is not done to bridge the languages gap that exists within government, Britain’s diplomatic influence will be damaged.

“Languages are a critical tool through which UK diplomats and government staff can deepen their knowledge and build the trust that is necessary to promote and protect British values and interests internationally,” Robin Niblett, chair of the British Academy inquiry steering group, said. More.

See: The Guardian

Direct link to the report by the British Academy: http://www.britac.ac.uk/policy/Lost_For_Words.cfm

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