Using foreign languages must be a rewarding affair – financially, practically and personally. If we are not rewarded, we lose interest. Finding the incentives to learn a foreign language is the challenge. Let’s use our resources on that rather than worrying about it.
I was out last night to give a talk to a group of language professionals on whether our worries about the fate of foreign language mastery are justified.
I concluded that we have every reason to worry; for one reason: we keep worrying without actually doing anything about it. I believe very few of us will ever learn to conduct hardcore negotiations in French or Spanish, let alone Chinese. I also claim that this is irrelevant. What we must learn, though, is how to open mental and social doors with our business partners: opening and closing remarks at meetings; socialising and, not least, showing interest. For that purpose, learning foreign languages is absolutely vital.
Mastering the essentials of a local language is hard work and the expression of a constructive attitude: Interest in the other side. This paves the way for more in-depth communication – with most of our business partners, that would be in English. In other parts of the world it would be Spanish or French. We seem to be interested in discussing this matter and worry about it: why do languages other than English enjoy so little interest amongst upper-secondary students or at university level? I believe the keyword is “absence”: when a young person leaves school after, say, three years of Spanish or Italian, what happens? Nothing! There is hardly any Spanish or any other foreign language to be heard in Danish society. It’s basically all English – no wonder the skills acquired at school are bound to “vanish into thin air” and eventually disappear altogether.
We have every reason to worry if we believe that language learning is confined to the educational system. We must define the roles the various foreign languages play in our society and act accordingly – in the media, enterprises and society as a whole. For languages to be seen worth learning, they must be heard and spoken in contexts that are relevant and attractive.
What a pleasure it was to meet people who contributed with views and ideas during my talk. Not everybody agreed, which further added to the experience. And all contributors used the working language of the evening: English.
GlobalDenmark 
In many English-speaking countries all exposure to any foreign language learning and usage stops at 16-18. English is good enough in any international context. However, some choose to keep a certain level of school German, French or Spanish so that they can stand out from the crowd of US, UK etc.competitors without a language edge. The idea is that, although official business will be in English, perhaps local counterparts will be impressed if one has a few basic phrases in the local language under one’s belt.
Northern Europeans are amongst the best in the world at English as a second language. Their USP is that most are also aquainted with a third language, and more so than most native English speakers. The clever players will exploit this.
The ‘absence’ problem applies for everyone. It’s up to individuals to aquire and maintain skills they believe keep them ahead. Few learned how to blog, use social media, negotiate, make a presentation, sell, etc. at school. People acquire and exploit skills they need in their business later on.
So, Claus, perhaps for languages to be seen worth learning, more people need to be convinced that a third language gives them a competitive edge.