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CHAPTER TEN Foreign languages
10.1 For the first time in the NALS series, respondents in 2005 were asked about their knowledge of languages in order to provide comparative data for Eurostat. As in the England and Wales report, figures in this chapter are for all respondents, including those aged 70 and above.
English as a foreign language
10.2 Just 3% of respondents in Scotland (compared with 9% in England and Wales) reported a first language other than English. There were no significant differences in this respect between learners and non-learners.
Table 10.1 Mother tongue by learning status
| Learner | Non-learner | All (Scotland) | All (England/ Wales) |
|---|
% | % | % | % |
|---|
English | 97 | 98 | 97 | 91 |
|---|
Language other than English | 3 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
|---|
Weighted base | 737 | 246 | 983 | 4534 |
|---|
Unweighted base | 705 | 277 | 982 | 3982 |
|---|
Base: Respondents not in continuous full-time education.
Knowledge of languages other than English
10.3 Sixty per cent of respondents in Scotland (63% in England and Wales) had some knowledge of at least one other language in addition to their mother tongue, while a quarter (23%) had some knowledge of 2 or more additional languages (Table 10.2). Non-learners were much less likely than learners to have any knowledge of additional languages (37%, 68%).
Table 10.2 Whether respondent has knowledge of languages other than first language
| Learner | Non-learner | All Scotland | All England/ Wales |
|---|
% | % | % | % |
|---|
No | 32 | 62 | 40 | 37 |
|---|
Yes one other | 40 | 28 | 37 | 37 |
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Yes two or more others | 28 | 9 | 23 | 26 |
|---|
Weighted base | 737 | 247 | 985 | 4534 |
|---|
Unweighted base | 705 | 278 | 983 | 3982 |
|---|
Base: Respondents not in continuous full-time education.
10.4 The most commonly mentioned additional languages were all European - French (mentioned by 75% of respondents who had some knowledge of an additional language), German (26%), Spanish (19%) and Italian (9%). It is worth noting that in England and Wales, 12% mentioned English as an additional language, reflecting the higher proportion for whom English is not a first language. In Scotland, just 4% mentioned English as an additional language.
Table 10.3 Languages other than first language known
| Scotland | England/Wales |
|---|
% | % |
|---|
French | 75 | 66 |
|---|
German | 26 | 26 |
|---|
Spanish | 19 | 19 |
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Italian | 9 | 7 |
|---|
Gaelic | 3 | * |
|---|
English | 4 | 12 |
|---|
Portuguese | 2 | 1 |
|---|
Hindi | 1 | 2 |
|---|
Urdu | 1 | 2 |
|---|
Punjabi | 1 | 2 |
|---|
Arabic | 1 | 1 |
|---|
Greek | 1 | 2 |
|---|
Russian | 1 | 1 |
|---|
Welsh | * | 3 |
|---|
Irish | * | 1 |
|---|
Dutch | * | 1 |
|---|
Other | 4 | 7 |
|---|
Weighted base | 594 | 2881 |
|---|
Unweighted base | 572 | 2441 |
|---|
Base: Respondents not in continuous full-time education with some knowledge of more than one language
Note: Table includes languages known by more than 1% of respondents but the base includes all those who reported that they knew an additional language.
Note: percentages sum to more than 100 since respondents give more than one answer.
Table 10.4 shows how respondents rated their level of proficiency in additional languages. 58% had only a very basic knowledge of their first additional language, while just 5% said they were close to fluent. Levels of proficiency in Scotland were somewhat lower than in England and Wales, where 12% of those who knew an additional language claimed to have almost a complete mastery of their first additional language and 47% had only a basic level of knowledge. Levels of proficiency did not notably decline with each additional language known.
Table 10.4 Level of proficiency in additional languages
| 1st additional language | 2nd additional language | 3rd additional language |
|---|
% | % | % |
|---|
Uses a few words and phrases | 58 | 60 | 61 |
|---|
Uses common everyday expressions | 27 | 24 | 23 |
|---|
Understands essentials of language | 10 | 10 | 10 |
|---|
Has almost complete mastery of language | 5 | 6 | 5 |
|---|
Weighted base | 594 | 214 | 63 |
|---|
Unweighted base | 572 | 208 | 61 |
|---|
Base: Respondents not in continuous full-time education who reported that they knew an additional language.
Note: Table includes the languages with an unweighted base over 30.
10.5 In general, respondents tended to have a fairly basic grasp of the most commonly known European languages (Table 10.5). For example, although 75% of respondents in Scotland said they had some knowledge of French, 63% of these said they only knew a few words and phrases, while just 3% indicated they were more or less fluent.
Table 10.5 Level of proficiency in additional specific languages
| French | German | Spanish | Italian |
|---|
% | % | % | % |
|---|
Uses a few words and phrases | 63 | 50 | 69 | 61 |
|---|
Uses common everyday expressions | 27 | 33 | 18 | 14 |
|---|
Understands essentials of language | 8 | 15 | 9 | 15 |
|---|
Has almost complete mastery of language | 3 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
|---|
Weighted base | 447 | 151 | 112 | 51 |
|---|
Unweighted base | 431 | 146 | 106 | 47 |
|---|
Base: Respondents not in continuous full-time education who reported that they knew each additional language.
10.6 Having some knowledge of foreign languages appears to be positively associated with learning. Of the respondents who said they had no knowledge of a foreign language (that is, a language in addition to their mother tongue), 61% were learners. Of those who had one additional language, 81% were learners and of those who had 2 or more foreign languages, 90% were learners.
Conclusion
10.7 A lower proportion of respondents in Scotland (3%) compared with England and Wales (9%) have a first language other than English. 6 in 10 respondents have some knowledge of a language other than their mother tongue, with European languages (French, German, Spanish and Italian) the most commonly known foreign languages. However, levels of proficiency in other languages are generally fairly low - 58% of those who know one additional language report knowing only a few words or phrases in their first additional language, while just 1 in 20 profess to be fluent.
10.8 Self-reported levels of proficiency in foreign languages in Scotland appear to be somewhat lower than in England and Wales, where 12% claim mastery of their first additional language. However, this may in part reflect the higher proportion of respondents in England and Wales who had a mother tongue other than English and for whom, therefore, English is an additional language. It might be expected that non-native English speakers living in England and Wales are more likely to be fluent in English than English speakers living in Scotland are to be fluent in, for example, French.
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