Foreign languages within post-compulsory and tertiary institutions. What future?

Abstract

An important sub-objective of the Lisbon Strategy states that there is a need to improve foreign language teaching at all levels of education throughout Europe. This is seen to be a key means of giving expression to the multilingual nature of the European Union. In the 21st century, foreign language competence and proficiency and intercultural understanding are no longer considered as optional but have become an essential part of being a citizen. Countries in the world have become more and more interdependent, and new technologies have erased many existing borders giving rise to an ever-increasing need for good communication skills in foreign languages. This has brought in turn new efforts aimed at improving foreign language education with many countries introducing well-articulated curriculum frameworks that motivate and guide the development of an effective system of foreign language education even at post-compulsory and at tertiary level. The same cannot be said, unfortunately, for Malta where the number of students studying foreign languages at post compulsory education is on the decline with the result that in the 3 most important institutions in Malta that offer tertiary education, the presence of foreign languages is negligible. This brings us to a very pertinent question. Do we need modern language graduates in a globalised world? Or better, do we need graduates who are also proficient in one or more foreign languages?