Languages why bother? Prepared for the Modern Foreign Languages SWAN Network Languages Conference...

Languages why bother?Prepared for the

Modern Foreign Languages SWAN Network Languages Conference

Doug Lawrence12th July 2011

www.realmendrinkmilk.com

Why?

• Better job prospects• Earn more money• Travel• Broaden your horizons• Meet more people• Learn about yourself• Be an individual

Why me?

• German GCSE • Many language evening classes– Currently• Russian (Asset Languages)• English Open University

• Phrases books and self study• Major impact on career– Germany, Silicon valley, exporting

Have you been on holiday this year?• Austria• Bulgaria• Canada• Columbia• Croatia• Denmark• Dubai• Finland• France• Germany• Greece• Hungary• Ireland

• Israel & Palestine• Korea• Jordon• Macedonia• Poland• Russia• Saudi Arabia• Serbia• Sweden• Switzerland• The Czech Republic• The Netherlands• The United States• Turkey

• Wales

Evidence ...

Working in London

Working in Columbia!

How to learn?

• Formal study– Provides a framework you can adapt to learning

other languages• With friends– On-line– In person

• Interlex– For vocabulary learning

On-line

Interlex

What do I do?

• UK government export communications consultant• Business Language Champion• Translation industry sales trainer • Translation industry analyst• Translation technology consultant• Visiting lecturer at Aston University, University of

Salford and Austin Community College Texas• Principle UK Expert to ISO TC/37

What to do next?

• Think of 2 or 3 things you’d love do as a career• Where in the world could you do this?• What would be good about that?• How would ‘some’ local language skills help?

Doug Lawrencemail@douglawrence.org www.realmendrinkmilk.com

Quizzes

• Fashion designers• Celebrities

2

2141

31

1

3

5 10

4

76

8

12

9

44

11

14

13

16

15

17

18

19

20 25

22

26

23

2724

2829

42

43

45

46

32

33

34

35

3637

38

39

40

30

Map source: http://geography.about.com/library/blank/blxeurope.htmAccessed 11th July 2011

Map source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Europe.pngAccessed 11th July 2011

Identify the language groups:Germanic, Romance and Slavic