What do language graduates do then?

Keith Marshall, School of modern languages, University of Bangor

Giving up languages at sixteen

Discussions of the motivation of pupils who give up languages after year 11 cite, among other factors, perceptions that employment prospects for language graduates are relatively poor.

These negative views take the form of myths, commonly observed by teachers among their pupils, relating to the:

• risk of unemployment;
• employability of linguists relative to graduates in other subjects;
• limited career options for language graduates.

Teachers believe these myths to be false, but do not have the hard data they need to counter them and MAKE THE CASE FOR MODERN LANGUAGES

The chart below provides counter arguments based on simple statistical data taken from: First Destinations of Students Leaving Higher Education Institutions 1996 -7, HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency) 1998.

THREE MYTHS ABOUT LANGUAGE GRADUATE PROSPECTS

MYTH NUMBER ONE It's more difficult to get a job with a language degree

MYTH NUMBER TWO You have a better chance of a job if you do a vocational subject

MYTH NUMBER THREE The only jobs for linguists are teaching and translating

 

Making the case for modern languages

MYTH NUMBER ONE: It's more difficult to get a job with a language degree

REALITY: UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG NEW GRADUATES IN THE UK (1997)
All UK Graduates	7.0%
UK LANGUAGE GRADUATES	5.7%
UK GRADUATES IN FRENCH	3.5%
BANGOR GRADUATES IN FRENCH	0%

MYTH NUMBER TWO: You have a better chance of a job if you do a vocational subject

Unemployment rates among graduates in the UK (1997)	% of graduates unemployed
Medicine / Dentistry / Vet Science	0.5%
French	3.5%
Education	4.1
Law	4.2%
German	5.6%
All modern languages	5.7%
Mathematics	5.8%
Architecture / planning	6.2%
Computing	6.4%
Physical sciences	7.1%
Business / management	7.2%
English	<7.4%
Accountancy	7.6%
Humanities	7.6%
Engineering	7.6%
Agricultural / forestry	7.6%
Biological sciences	8.0%
Psychology	8.2%
Sociology / economics / politics	8.3%
Creative arts / design	10.6%
Media studies	10.9%

MYTH NUMBER THREE: The only jobs for linguists are teaching and translating

REALITY: The jobs UK modern language graduates do (1997)
Business services	26.8%
Manufacturing	13.9%
Wholesale / retail sales	12.6%
Banking / finance	11.2%
Health / community / Social Services	9.6%
Transport / communications	9.6%
Public administration	5.2%
Education	4.9%
Hotels and restaurants	3.6%
International organisations	0.3%
Other areas	2.3%
NB. These figures relate to graduates who enter employment immediately rather than going on to research, further education or training

Why do language graduates do so well?

• 35-40% of graduate job adverts ask for 'any discipline' (ie open to all graduates)

• Vocational training can be added to expert language skills more easily than the reverse

• Language degrees develop the skills demanded by employers:
  - communication skills - independence

• Most language graduates enter jobs not specifically related to languages

The jobs some 1996 Bangor language graduates found

• Administrative officer - Medicines control agency

• English trainer - Ecole Nicolas, Paris

• Administrative trainee - Wales European Centre in Brussels

• Immigration officer - Her Majesty's Immigration Control

• Translation project manager - Kudos Plc

• Police oficer - Royal Air Force

• Trainee trust administrator - Pannell Ferr Forster and Co

• Reservation sales administrator - British Midland Airways

• European co-ordinator - Tetra Plc

• English language assistant - Bundesgymnasium Donauinsel

• Project administrator - University of Wales, Bangor

• Trainee executive - Midland Bank Plc

• Graduate Trainee in Finance - Rolls Royce Plc

• Trainee Accountant - Tranmere Distribution Ltd

• Communications officer - Students Union, Bangor

• Trainee chartered accountant - Price Waterhouse Plc

• Office administrator - Meta Technology Plc

• Bilingual subtitler - Elen Rhys Ltd

• Sports coach - Sports Development Unit, Birmingham

The vocational training courses

• Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)

• Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)

• Diploma in European Business Administration

• Common Professional Exam (Law)

• Language Graduates into Business Course