Only 5pc at third level able to speak two foreign languages [Independent.ie]
- Published: 16 June 2011
IRISH college students are almost the worst in Europe when it comes to speaking foreign languages.
They are second from the bottom of a 25-country league, where Turkey is placed last.
In most European countries, at least 20pc of third-level students claim to be proficient in at least two foreign languages.
But in Ireland, the figure is a miserly 5pc -- better only than Turkey, where just 2pc claim to speak two foreign languages, according to a new report.
However, the Eurostudent report on the Social and Economic Conditions of Student Life in Europe found that Ireland was one of the few European countries that could be classed as socially inclusive for higher education.
Among the 25 countries, Ireland, along with the Netherlands and Switzerland, was found to have a greater mix of students from different social backgrounds in college.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
