Valuing Languages for Business Vilma Bačkiūtė British Council, Lithuania

Economic Value Economic value is one of many possible ways to define and measure value. Although other types of value are often important, economic values are useful to consider when making economic choices. Measures of economic value are based on what people want – their preferences.  Economists generally assume that individuals, not the government, are the best judges of what they want. 

ELAN study 2007 Effects on the European Economy of Shortages of Foreign Language Skills in Enterprise 11% of exporting European SMEs may be losing business 46% of businesses across the whole European sample plan to enter new export markets the average loss per business over a three year period is €325,000.

How Do We Do? A significant amount of business is being lost to European enterprise as a result of lack of language skills.

CILT Overview (UK) 74% of employers are looking to employ people with conversational other-than-English language skills. 49% employers are disappointed with graduates’ foreign language skills. UK exports are underperforming in Russia and Brazil because of the lack of language skills.

Languages for SME's Brussels, September 2010 "Improving the overall level of language skills in Europe will also contribute to our 'Europe 2020' strategy for smart and inclusive growth and multilingualism is a crucial part of our flagship initiatives Youth on the Move and the Agenda for New Skills and Jobs." Commissioner Vassiliou

EU institutions Translation and interpreting services absorb €1.1bn. €26 million is wasted annually through booked but unused translation services in the EU institutions. Languages industry is set to increase its turnover by 10% annually and will be worth up to €20 billion by 2015.

Language Rich Europe is a consortium of over 30 partners including a network of research and delivery partners

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Belgium Denmark Estonia France Germany Research First wave of countries and regions included in the index: Countries: Austria Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Belgium Denmark Estonia France Germany Greece Hungary Italy Lithuania Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Spain Switzerland Ukraine United Kingdom Regions: Catalonia Friesland Wales Basque country 10

Economic & strategic benefits of language industry “The language industry has both an economic and a strategic importance. Economic, because of its size, its resistance to the present crisis and especially its future potential. Strategic, because it is essential to preserving people's identities and culture and to coping in a globalised world. This study shows a more accurate image of the language industry in the EU and is a way to put it into the limelight on the employment market” Leonard Orban, Commissioner for Multilingualism 11

European Union National Institutes for Culture FINAL SLIDE

What will Language Rich Europe achieve? Objectives What will Language Rich Europe achieve? Increase awareness of EU and CoE recommendations and how countries perform against them Ensure better understanding of good policies and practices in language teaching and learning for social inclusion, intercultural dialogue and economic success Enhance cooperation and commitment to improving language policies and practices across countries and sectors Create a sustainable benchmarking tool to evaluate policies and practices in Europe OPTIONAL SLIDE – can be added between Slides 4 and 5 if required