Wisest of words

Bishop’s plea over languages

AS DAVID Davis begins the next round of Brexit talks, it’s even more important that the country does not shut itself from the wider world because of a ‘little Englander’ mentality. Even though Britain is one of the great global economies, and beacons of liberty, it’s embarrassing that so many expect people from other nations to speak English as a matter of routine. Not only is this ignorance in danger of becoming insulting, but the UK can’t afford to become more insular at this critical juncture.

After a sharp, and perturbing, decline in the number of students studying modern languages, Nick Baines – the Bishop of Leeds – could not have been more eloquent when he highlighted his misgivings on Radio 4’s Thought For The Day. “A language is not a commodity that can be simply picked off the shelf when convenient or expedient. To learn a language is more than to wield a tool; rather, it is to inhabit the world that language shapes,” he said.

Wise words. He emphasised this point by citing the UK businessman who was rather pleased with himself that trade talks had been conducted in English, and placed him at a considerable advantage, before his opposite number, from Germany, pointed out that “the English couldn’t understand what was being said behind their backs”. The fact that the industrialist concerned was rendered speechless speaks volumes about the issue’s importance ahead of a new academic year – and Brexit.