koch@vax.sbu.ac.uk
SIR - It was good to see Andrew Gimson's article on the lack of interest in German language and German studies courses in Britain [Teach British the war is over, says German envoy, 12 October 1999]. There has indeed been a dramatic decline in the number of pupils sitting A-Level German in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; in 1999 a paltry 9,551 students sat the exam. What is worrying is that this is part of a general decline in foreign language study throughout the UK.
The significance of the contribution linguistic skills makes to the wealth of a nation has been well established in numerous research projects. The point concerning languages is not simply the ability to communicate but the essential insight language ability provides into the culture, in the broader sense, of foreign countries.
I await the forthcoming report of the Nuffield Languages Inquiry this autumn. It would be disappointing if, following the publication of this report, the Government did not set up a permanent 'Language policy group' to encourage, implement and monitor active language policy in Britain.
