A widespread lack of language skills could be damaging Scotland’s ability to trade abroad, a report has suggested.

The British Council study warned there was a tendency among Scottish firms to limit their export markets to English-speaking countries.

It also suggested there was a “wholesale decline” in foreign language study in schools and higher education.

The Scottish government responded by saying it was committed to “reinvigorating language learning”.

The British Council’s Language Rich Europe report examined how different European countries approached the teaching and use of regional, minority and foreign languages.

Its chapter on Scotland described the current position of foreign languages in secondary schools as “a matter of concern”.

The report said that in 2001, almost all pupils in Scotland studied a language up to fourth year of secondary school – but by 2010 this had dropped to 67%. More.

See: BBC

Also see NI ‘ill prepared’ for business future, says language report