经济学人 上课.docx
《经济学人 上课.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《经济学人 上课.docx(9页珍藏版)》请在冰点文库上搜索。
经济学人上课
MsGrain'sconclusionisnotunusualforaBritishcompany.In2012aEuropeanCommissionsurveytestedtheforeign-languageproficiencyof54,000studentsaged14and15,in14nations.Swedencametop,with82%ofpupilsreachingan“independent”or“advancedindependent”standard.Theaverageforall14stateswas42%.Englandcamebottom,withjust9%.
Grain女士对一家英国公司的此般结论已经让人见怪不怪了。
早在2012年,欧盟委员会就针对来自14个国家、14到15岁年龄不等的54000名学生进行了外语熟练程度的测试。
瑞典学生以其中82%的人可达到“灵活使用”和“驾轻就熟”的程度而位居榜首。
所有14个国家的平均人数为42%。
英国垫底,仅仅有9%。
Partoftheexplanationisthatmanypeople'ssecondlanguageisEnglish,whilemanyBritonscontinuetobelievethat,asnativespeakersofthelinguamundi,theydonotneedtobotherwithforeignlanguages.Theymayberight—intermsofcommunication.Butitmeansthat,notonlyaretheymissingoutonmuchculturalinteraction,theymayalsobeharmingtheirownjobprospects.
部分原因是许多人的第二外语就是英语,这也是大部分英国人始终坚信的事,而作为以linguamundi为母语的人,他们着实无需为外语而烦心。
他们可能是对的——从沟通方面来说。
但这却意味着他们不仅会错失多文化交流机会,也会危及到他们的工作前景。
Theyhavenotbeenhelpedbytheeducationalpoliciesofsuccessivegovernments.In2004TonyBlair'sLabourgovernmentabolishedtherequirementtolearnalanguageaftertheageof14,causingthenumberstakingalanguageGCSEexamat16tofallbyhalfinstateschoolsoverthenextsevenyears.
历届政府的教育政策并未使他们获益。
2004年,托尼布莱尔的工党政府废除了年满14岁就要学习一门语言的要求,此举直接导致之后的七年,公立学校的学生在语言方面GCSE(普通中等教育证书)考试的通过率直降一半。
Concernedaboutthisrapiddecline,thecoalitiongovernmentbroughtinanewperformanceindicatorcalledtheEnglishBaccalaureate,orEBacc,in2011.Amodernlanguagewasoneofitsfivecoredisciplines.Languageteachers—anembattledbreed—rejoiced.ThenumberofstudentsenteringaGCSElanguageexamin2013,thefirstyearthechangestookeffect,roseby20%(seechart).
考虑到人数骤降,联合政府在2011年颁布了一项名为英国文凭证书(EBacc)的技能指标。
现代语言是5个核心学科之一。
语言老师——随时严阵以待的一群人—都欣喜若狂。
新指标颁布后第一年就见成效,2013年参加GCSE语言考试的学生人数增长了20%。
Now,however,thosegainscouldbelost,asthegovernmenthasseeminglyloosenedtherequirement.From2016,underanewinitiativecalledProgress8,ithasextendedthenumberofcoresubjectstoeight,appearingtomakelearningalanguagevoluntary.Thishaspleasedsometeachers,whofelttheEBaccwastoonarrow,butlinguistsareaghast.
但是现在,随着政府对此项要求的逐渐放松,这些成绩可能会慢慢丢失。
自2016年起,在一项名为Progress8(8步走)的新倡议下,核心学科扩展至8门,这一举措使得语言学习更自主化。
这让部分老师十分欣喜,他们认为Ebacc范围狭窄,而语言学家却对此举大为震惊。
ThedeclineoflanguagesatGCSEhasinevitablyhadaneffecthigheruptheacademicfoodchain.ThoughthenumberofthosestudyinglanguagestoALevel—theexamstakenat18—willincreasethankstotheGCSEcohortof2013-14,itislikelytofallbackagain.FrenchandGermanarehalfaspopularastheywere20yearsago.Thenumberofuniversitiesofferinglanguagedegreeshasfallen,too:
by50%forGermanand40%forFrenchsince1998.ThenumberofferingSpanishhasalsofallen.Degreesinotherlanguages,suchasChineseandArabic,arebecomingmorepopular,buttheyarestillrare.
GCSE中语言的减少,不可避免的会对提高学术竞争有所影响。
尽管随着2013-14年GCSE的人气回温,那些语言学习高达A级—18岁方可参与的考试—的人数将会增加,但它仍可能再次降低。
相较于20年前,法国和德国的人数已降了一半。
提供语言学位的大学数量也已减少:
自1998年起,德国减少了50%,法国减少了40%。
提供西班牙语学习的学校也已减少。
其他语种学位,比如汉语和阿拉伯语,正变得越来越多,但它们依然很稀缺。
Theeconomyandthelabourmarketbeartheconsequences.In2012theBritishChambersofCommercefound,inasurveyof8,000Britishcompanies,that96%hadnoforeign-languagespeakers.First-timeexporterscitedlanguageasabarriertoenteringinternationalmarkets.
经济和劳工市场直接承担此般后果。
在2012年,英国商会发现,在一份涉及8000家英国公司的调查中,有96%的公司都没有会外语的人。
首次试水的出口商将外语定为打入国际市场的一大障碍。
ThoughBritainmakesup12%ofthepopulationoftheEU,lessthan5%ofEUcivilservantsinBrusselsareBritish.NotenoughBritonscanfulfilthelanguagerequirementofbeingabletoworkinFrenchorGerman.AndevenifmonoglotBritscangetjobsatmultinationals,claimsRichardHardie,non-executivechairmanoftheBritisharmofUBS,abank,“thechancesofgettingtothetopifyouonlyhaveEnglisharemuchlowerthanbefore”.
虽然英国占欧盟总人口的12%,但在布鲁塞尔担任欧盟公务员的英国人却少于总人数的5%。
没有完全合格的英国人能够满足可在法国或德国工作的要求。
而且即使只会单一语言的英国人在跨国公司工作,来自瑞银集团—一家银行—英国分公司的理查德·哈迪表示,“若你只会讲英语,那么你能高升的机会相比于以前已经大大降低了。
”
Thislackoflanguageskillsalsolowersgrowth.Byexactlyhowmuchishardtosay,butoneestimate,byJamesForeman-PeckofCardiffUniversity,putsthe“grosslanguageeffect”(theincomeforegonebecauselanguagebarriersalterandreduceinternationaltrade)in2012ashighas£59billion($90billion),or3.5%ofGDP.
语言技能的缺乏也降低了增长。
很难精确到用多少来说明,但是据卡迪夫大学JamesForeman-Peck估计,“恶劣的语言效应”(由于语言障碍改变和减少了国际贸易)给2012年带来高达590亿英镑(合900美元),或是3.5%的国内生产总值的损失。
Inthelinguisticgloom,thereareafewbrightspots.SomeBritishuniversitiesaremovingawayfromliterature-baseddegreestowardsjointdegreeslinkedtopracticalsubjectssuchaslaworbusinessstudies.Somescientistsarelearninglanguagesoutsidetheircourserequirementstomakethemselvesmoreemployable.
在幽暗的语言世界,有些许明亮之处。
部分英国大学正在从以文学导向的学位转变至与类似法律和商业学习的实践学科关联的联合学位。
一些科学家正在学习他们学科需求之外的语言,这会使他们更加称职。
Meanwhile,inSeptember2014thegovernmentmandatedthatallprimaryschoolsmustteachalanguage.Gettingchildrenstartedatayoungageisadmirable.But,withsofewlanguagegraduatescomingoutofuniversities,whoisgoingtoteachthem?
与此同时,政府在2014年9月要求所有的小学都要教授语言。
让孩子们在幼龄时期接受语言教育是极好的。
但是,从大学走出的语言学毕业生几近为零,谁又能来教他们呢?
MsGrain'sconclusionisnotunusualforaBritishcompany.In2012aEuropeanCommissionsurveytestedtheforeign-languageproficiencyof54,000studentsaged14and15,in14nations.Swedencametop,with82%ofpupilsreachingan“independent”or“advancedindependent”standard.Theaverageforall14stateswas42%.Englandcamebottom,withjust9%.
Partoftheexplanationisthatmanypeople'ssecondlanguageisEnglish,whilemanyBritonscontinuetobelievethat,asnativespeakersofthelinguamundi,theydonotneedtobotherwithforeignlanguages.Theymayberight—intermsofcommunication.Butitmeansthat,notonlyaretheymissingoutonmuchculturalinteraction,theymayalsobeharmingtheirownjobprospects.
Theyhavenotbeenhelpedbytheeducationalpoliciesofsuccessivegovernments.In2004TonyBlair'sLabourgovernmentabolishedtherequirementtolearnalanguageaftertheageof14,causingthenumberstakingalanguageGCSEexamat16tofallbyhalfinstateschoolsoverthenextsevenyears.
Concernedaboutthisrapiddecline,thecoalitiongovernmentbroughtinanewperformanceindicatorcalledtheEnglishBaccalaureate,orEBacc,in2011.Amodernlanguagewasoneofitsfivecoredisciplines.Languageteachers—anembattledbreed—rejoiced.ThenumberofstudentsenteringaGCSElanguageexamin2013,thefirstyearthechangestookeffect,roseby20%(seechart).
Now,however,thosegainscouldbelost,asthegovernmenthasseeminglyloosenedtherequirement.From2016,underanewinitiativecalledProgress8,ithasextendedthenumberofcoresubjectstoeight,appearingtomakelearningalanguagevoluntary.Thishaspleasedsometeachers,whofelttheEBaccwastoonarrow,butlinguistsareaghast.
ThedeclineoflanguagesatGCSEhasinevitablyhadaneffecthigheruptheacademicfoodchain.ThoughthenumberofthosestudyinglanguagestoALevel—theexamstakenat18—willincreasethankstotheGCSEcohortof2013-14,itislikelytofallbackagain.FrenchandGermanarehalfaspopularastheywere20yearsago.Thenumberofuniversitiesofferinglanguagedegreeshasfallen,too:
by50%forGermanand40%forFrenchsince1998.ThenumberofferingSpanishhasalsofallen.Degreesinotherlanguages,suchasChineseandArabic,arebecomingmorepopular,buttheyarestillrare.
Theeconomyandthelabourmarketbeartheconsequences.In2012theBritishChambersofCommercefound,inasurveyof8,000Britishcompanies,that96%hadnoforeign-languagespeakers.First-timeexporterscitedlanguageasabarriertoenteringinternationalmarkets.
ThoughBritainmakesup12%ofthepopulationoftheEU,lessthan5%ofEUcivilservantsinBrusselsareBritish.NotenoughBritonscanfulfilthelanguagerequirementofbeingabletoworkinFrenchorGerman.AndevenifmonoglotBritscangetjobsatmultinationals,claimsRichardHardie,non-executivechairmanoftheBritisharmofUBS,abank,“thechancesofgettingtothetopifyouonlyhaveEnglisharemuchlowerthanbefore”.
Thislackoflanguageskillsalsolowersgrowth.Byexactlyhowmuchishardtosay,butoneestimate,byJamesForeman-PeckofCardiffUniversity,putsthe“grosslanguageeffect”(theincomeforegonebecauselanguagebarriersalterandreduceinternationaltrade)in2012ashighas£59billion($90billion),or3.5%ofGDP.
Inthelinguisticgloom,thereareafewbrightspots.SomeBritishuniversitiesaremovingawayfromliterature-baseddegreestowardsjointdegreeslinkedtopracticalsubjectssuchaslaworbusinessstudies.Somescientistsarelearninglanguagesoutsidetheircourserequirementstomakethemselvesmoreemployable.
Meanwhile,inSeptember2014thegovernmentmandatedthatallprimaryschoolsmustteachalanguage.Gettingchildrenstartedatayoungageisadmirable.But,withsofewlanguagegraduatescomingoutofuniversities,whoisgoingtoteachthem?
LifeinLosAngeles天使之城的生活Vansoftherichandgridlocked堵在路上的富豪座驾
Vehiclesthatmakewaitingintrafficapleasure个性化座驾让堵在路上成为一种享受
“IHATEdrivinginLosAngeles—thetrafficmakesyouwanttoshootyourself,”saysDrDre,arapper.SohebuyswheelsfromBeckerAutomotiveDesign,aCalifornianfirmthatcustomisesridesfortherichandgridlocked.HislatestpurchaseisastretchedCadillacEscaladewithaflat-screentelevisionandadigitalsystemthatallowshimtobrowsehishomefilmlibraryinthecar.“Iliketoclosethecurtains,relaxandwatchMartinScorsesefi