Sevenoaks language expert Martin Pickett explores the motivation behind learning a foreign language in Sevenoaks when English is now so widely spoken.
Since arriving in Sevenoaks in the mid-seventies, I have witnessed the remarkable transformation of Sevenoaks from small provincial market town to a more cosmopolitan and international location.
Look at the High Street’s restaurants and food shops, listen to the conversations. I regularly hear two or three foreign languages in one day. It could be French, German, Russian, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese or Japanese. The richness of international interaction is quite extraordinary.
It is interesting therefore that LANACOS Language Courses Abroad, a local business dedicated to language learning for 16 years is well known in the area for organising individual and group trips. For example, LANACOS has consistently succeeded in organising top Spanish courses for Sevenoaks School in Granada over the last decade.
Previously, language learning in the area was very much confined to a few tape courses and adult education. Now more and more Sennockians are going abroad to improve their languages for holidays or for living in the country. Be it French in France, Spanish in Spain or Latin America or Italian in Italy, individuals of all ages are motivated and understand the tangible benefits of learning a foreign language in situ.
In 2000, I embarked on a Doctorate to find out what motivates English-speaking people to learn a foreign language when it seems that foreigners visiting England all seem to learn English as a lingua franca. It was the typical question that everyone from the decorator to business director asked: “why do you know so many languages when everyone speaks English?”
My initial investigation led me to interview local people at the Sevenoaks adult education centre. From this pilot study, I later surveyed the whole country. My findings will come out in academic papers and press but I can divulge some local news and anecdotes now.
First of all I am not the only polyglot in town. I am most grateful for the local language learners’ time, feedback and support. Comments about language learning ranged from “you see the world differently”, it’s a “challenge” and “investment”, there are “real benefits”. Then there was the unforgettable phrase from one learner who will remain nameless…“no one learns German for fun”!
My intention is to write regularly on the subject of language learning for the Vine Magazine. It could be language specific or it could involve context like buying a property abroad “what language skills do I need to know?”
I am interested to know which languages are the most popular for Sevenoaks people, so let’s have a vote in the coming month and we will publish the results.
If you could learn a language abroad, which language would you choose and why?
If you could learn a language abroad, which language would you choose and why? We'll publish the results in issue 3.
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Martin Pickett is the managing director of LANACOS Language Courses Abroad and is part-time Post-graduate researcher at the University of Portsmouth.www.lanacos.com / 01732 462309
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