ABSTRACT

Foreign Languages (FLs) teaching can be very rewarding. Trying to broaden the horizons of young people and provide them with an opportunity to engage positively with one of the key challenges of modern life, namely linguistic and cultural diversity, can be fulfilling. A FLs teacher can be the catalyst for a life-long curiosity in young people and contribute to their personal, social, cultural, interpersonal, cognitive and intellectual development. FL learning can also be seen to make a significant contribution to wider society in that it fosters plurilingualism, social cohesion and intercultural understanding. For an interesting account of demand and supply of the language skills in the UK, see e.g. Tinsley, 2013.