Language courses are being ‘dumbed down’, report finds

“Universities are today accused of ‘dumbing down’ language degrees in a desperate bid to attract new students, according to a report that reveals the beleaguered state of the discipline in English higher education. Student numbers have dropped by 5% in the last five years, while a third of departments have closed in the last seven, the report finds. The government is accused of neglecting languages by diverting funding to science, technology and engineering subjects and universities are accused of ‘betraying’ the discipline by replacing language courses with ‘cultural studies’ …” (more)

[Polly Curtis, Guardian, 20 October]