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For over half a million schoolchildren in Britain - one in seven - English is a second language. Middle England has reacted with shock to the new figures. Calm down, guys. Languages are a gift, not a disease.
English is just one of my tongues. I speak several Indian languages, Swahili and some French. Most immigrants are similarly multilingual. How does that diminish our nation? Why is it a problem if Precious comes in speaking a bit of, say, Polish or Punjabi? International research repeatedly shows that a child who speaks his/her mother tongue is in no way handicapped when acquiring another language, and may become proficient faster.
I used to teach English as a Foreign Language. Among my enthusiastic pupils were a Saudi princess, an Iranian scientist, a Brazilian forester, the Hungarian who invented the Rubik Cube; a Czech film-maker, an Italian interior designer and Swiss and Japanese businessmen. They were eager to add English to their linguistic repertoire and were baffled by wilfully monolingual Britons. Jaroslav, the Czech, asked in class: " Why do they not want to learn other languages, these English? Are they afraid of something?" It was a good question. Perhaps it is fear of bedlam that makes traditionalists panic so when surrounded by words they don't understand, but it is their loss.
The issue goes way beyond words. Our cities have been revived by incomers and they, in turn, have been invigorated by British inventiveness. Increasingly exposed to lingo not their own, British children will learn to negotiate with and find inspiration in cultures their parents avoided.
Last week I chaired an event in Shoreditch Town Hall organised by the Design Museum, asking why London attracts so many creative people. More than 600 young Londoners came to praise their city; they spoke dozens of languages between them. Likewise everyone on the panel, including designer and artist Hussein Chalayan, Design Museum director Deyan Sudjic, architect Farshid Moussavi and playwright Bola Agbaje, were all at least bilingual.
Language puritanism is not cool and not clever. Taken to its logical end, it would mean no opera, no Bollywood movies, no French menus, no chicken tikka masala, no Polish builders, no Congolese carers, no Chinese entrepreneurs. The future belongs to those who embrace such diversity: in London, thankfully, they are growing up fast.
Reader views (18)
The drive and demand for people to speak English across the globe out of business convenience does make things difficult for English first language speakers to reach out into other languages. Whilst spending time travelling around the world, generally you find English the common bridge for many nationalities to converse. The question isn't about sending people 'home' or any of this stupidity but rather can we encourage more english speaking within the UK population of migrants and encourage some sort of social integration to this end and yet at the same time celebrate cultural and language diversity
Star Trek - All people on Earth spoke one language... nobody complained about that? And they practically invented the automatic sliding door!
- Matt Parker, London, UK, 27/03/2009 10:19
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Having earned a living in this country from teaching EFL, Yasmin does rather bite the hand that feeds...I mean you can't then castigate the worldwide urge to acquire a common language for use in the business and social context. Yasmin speaks the languages she does because she was obliged to - not because she felt a cultural/intellectual urge. Had she remained in Uganda/been of different parentage (eg poor white/black British) I rather doubt she would have even acquired the other languages of which she speaks. It is in any case noticeable that she speaks only a little French - and has not acquired any other latin based language -in spite of living in Europe.
Yasmin speaks and writes attractively and articulately but always resorts to cliches and simplistic reasoning to drive home a point and support her very unsubtle stance. If she did not have her ethnic and social background and the attached soapbox, I doubt she would have achieved the success she has.
- Ms Linguist, Marlborough, 25/03/2009 16:06
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Although I agree the beauty of many languages;in this smaller & smaller world it is becoming are burden,& there is a great need for a universal means of communication.Nations should seriously target a few of the most common languages to meet this criteria.
- Ronald Whitten, Chesterfield England, 19/03/2009 16:50
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Like Yasmin, I am a refugee, and like her English is not my mother tongue. I too am polyglot, but my mother tongue happens to be French. I have actually had a book published in English - nothing as good as hers- but I know that it is much more difficult to pick up a second language and I am sorry to say that I find Yasmin rather complacent on this point. Do we want an England where it has become the norm for a substantial proportion of home-grown Britons not to feel at home in the English language, or to speak it like foreigners? And how could that ever be a good thing or help to create a cohesive society? Let's be honest - the time has come when the ghetosisation of multiculturalism must evolve into integration in a plural, cosmopolitan society. For what happened to Yasmin and what happened to me was that we were kicked out of our countries of birth in the so-called third world because we belonged to minorities that did not fit in. That isn't going to happen here but like other waves of immigrants, the newcomers of today should surely aim for their children to integrate in the society of which they are a part, rather than stand apart from it. For otherwise, why go on living here when they could live in a culture of their choice in their ancestral homelands? And no - just for the money is not an adeqaute reason.
- Cassie, London, 19/03/2009 16:49
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Yasmin reveals more truth than she actually intended. English is the universal language; the whole World is exposed to it through film, music and popular culture. Us English are at a distinct disadvantage. If, as Yasmin is insinuating, immigration is benefitting the UK through language, why are languages increasingly dropped by schools?
Yes, multi-linguists do have an advantage and are more successful. Mass immigration has benefitted the immigrants to develop and improve their skills, whilst the middle-class and earlier immigrants benefit from their cheap labour. The losers are the lower classes, who compete for those low-paid jobs, are abandoned to the Welfare fishing net and who’s children suffer at the local schools, as the teachers divert their attention to the perceived ‘disadvantaged’. If multi-cultural, ethnic-minority dominated schools are so beneficial, why are they avoided like the plague by the middle-class, so called ‘liberals’?
As well as seeking to denigrate us on our lack of language skills, Yasmin wants us to believe immigrants have “revived” our cities. That is not the conclusion I make, when I visit Newham, Edmonton, Burnt Oak, Hounslow, Wembley, Slough, Luton, etc, etc.
- Danny, Kentish Town, 19/03/2009 15:21
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This is England. Did you know that? English is the FIRST language. Many foreigners want to live here so they should learn English and teach their children to speak it before criticising whether we indigenous peoples are multilingual or not. I am quite happy to speak English only. Why should I have to learn 300 other languages. If you are living here, speak English.
- Lin, LONDON ENGLAND, 19/03/2009 15:02
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I agree, Yasmin, languages are a great gift. I was born here of a French mother, who brought me up to be bi-lingual. Subsequently I enjoyed learning other languages. Later, travelling on business, I always tried to learn a few phrases in the Asian countries I visited. This was always greatly appreciated and kept our relationships warm and friendly. At 91, I am glad that one of my daughters has a similar facility with languages and is equally enthusiastic. Mais non, seulement Anglais,quelle horreur!
- Georgette Behar, London NW1, England, 19/03/2009 14:33
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Its not a question only of language. Will they support the elected government irrespective of decisions democratically taken and obey all of the laws. If they want to change laws to suit only themselves then why bother coming here stay in your own country. You cannot cherry-pick!!!
- Nick.Holland, glasgow, 19/03/2009 14:28
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I quite agree Yasmin, but primarily English. And those who don't make any attempt whatsoever to learn, whatever their age, need to be castigated.
- Dhanraj, basildon, 19/03/2009 14:16
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You are just so very wrong. English is our mother tongue, if people want to come here they should learn it or go home.
- Steve, wrexham, 19/03/2009 13:47
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Any child who grows up in a multilingual environment is almost certain to be fluent in all the languages before he or she starts school.
The scary thing is if a child arrives at primary school unable to speak English, despite having lived here since birth. It means that the parents are applying aomething like apartheid to their children. By denying them any chance to mix and learn English, they both massively disadvantage their own offspring, and create social problems for us all.
- Nigel, London, 19/03/2009 13:36
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We are lazy to try other languages, i think its wonderful to hear children try other lingo,s and their mother tongue. Iam a bred and born Scot,but my hubby is from Pakistan, I can speak Urdu and Punjabi, and our children alike, all 4 of them, along with German and French language. REGARDS ANNIE
- Annie, croydon, 19/03/2009 13:31
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"The future belongs to those who embrace such diversity: in London, thankfully, they are growing up fast."
The above statement is pure condescension and is only your opinion. It doesn't necessarily mean it is correct. You are basically saying that if people don't accept diversity they are not growing up.....what utter nonsense and what sheer arrogance.
From what I can see around me, diversity is just another ideal, rather like multi culturism, that doesn't work in practice.
- Tom W, London, 19/03/2009 13:02
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Why London?? So, it was ok when the British colonized nearly the whole world and claimed that it is their empire - but now it is not ok if the world comes back to visit???
- Foreigner, London (for the moment), 19/03/2009 12:38
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I disagree with those who have written so far. I am actually ashamed of my inability to speak different languages, despite having French and German O-levels (eons ago).
I think a lot of English reluctance, when it is not polictically based, is self-consciousness. We just feel embarrassed when we make the wrong sounds. Government policies don't help. Languages are no longer compulsory after a certain age. Whilst it is a good idea to let primary school children learn foreign languages, when it is much easier, I don't think there is anything like enough provision for this.
We're not all little Englanders.
- Pamela, Uxbridge,UK, 19/03/2009 12:38
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Why London Yasmin? Why not Paris, Munich, Geneva etc etc. Why pick on London? Perhaps because we have become the 'nursing home' of the world....taking in anyone from anywhere regardless of whether there is room or the infrastructure can cope.
Globalisation has failed and Brown is desperately trying to revive it. I think it's about time the UK spent a little time and effort on the majority, indigenous population rather than worrying all the time about appeasing the people flooding to these shores.
We have allowed the leftist liberals a voice for too long now and people like you Yasmin have milked our good nature and hospitality.....blaming us for all the ills of the world. Why don't you go somewhere else in the EU with your demands and criticisms.
After 40 years of drum banging, the liberal left have finally brought this country to its knees and we MUST support and help the people who were born here and shut the gates in order to take stock of what has happened over the last 13 years of neo-socialist nonsense.
- Tom W, London, 19/03/2009 11:41
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Yasmin has completely missed the point. If anyone wants British citizenship to live and work here then they should be compelled to learn English and except British culture or leave by the nearest exit door. Why should our taxes go to pay for 1000's of interpreters deployed at our schools. Except multiculturalism is dead and buried and move on.
- Trevn, Abu Dhabi, 19/03/2009 11:20
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Which is why Singapore does so well. English is the main language so everyone speaks it in addition to India and/or Malay. London needs to do business in English so why dilute this advantage maybe Yasmin just wants to upset the Traditional English applecart, as usual. In Taiwan we have many foreigners but they have to learn Chinese as well as speak English, in Asia we preserve our heritage to the benefit of our people.
- Li Ching, Taipei, 19/03/2009 10:44
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