With a presence in 88 countries, HSBC recognises the need to prepare young people for the world of work in a global economy. Young people, particularly in English speaking countries, need to understand other cultures and become aware of the necessity to be able to communicate in more than one language to be...

competitive in this new world. There is no better way to gain insight into another culture or society than to learn its language.

Simon Martin, Head of Group Corporate Sustainability, HSBC Holdings plc

I was football mad and I loved to travel, and the result is that I learned languages and I worked in football my whole life. Learning languages helped me to get where I wanted to be in English football. When I learned English, I never imagined that one day I would manage Arsenal, but learning a language completely...

changed my life. So if you want to achieve your dream, I feel it's very important that you always keep that dream alive, because if you really want to achieve something, you can do it, and languages can certainly help you get there.

Arséne Wenger, Manager, Arsenal Football Club

UK business is becoming increasingly tied into one worldwide system, and as such greater global demands are being placed upon business professionals across the board. The combination of a rapidly accelerating international economy and access to overseas opportunities means that professionals are beginning to require...

not only knowledge of foreign languages, but also cultural awareness of the specific nuances of different markets. If you have a good understanding of the local language of your customer base you gain tremendous advantages in day-to-day business meetings, in negotiations and in building relationships with clients. It makes it so much easier to pick up on cultural differences and nuances.

David Shacklock, Managing Director, Euro London Appointments

The ability to converse in a foreign language is a skill which is becoming increasingly important in the day-to-day world of football as more and more foreign players choose to display their talent in the UK, competing at all levels of the game, including the Premier League. In addition, regarded as the best and most...

watched sporting league in the world, followed by over half a billion people in over 200 countries, the importance of the international audience to the business of football, and the new opportunities this presents, cannot be overlooked.

Gill Kinloch, Head of Community Affairs, Blackburn Rovers FC

The recently released A level results do not reflect the need for language in study, business and personal communication in our globalising economy. The UK is hungry for language skills to boost its recovery. There is a massive gap between what employers want and what our current education system provides when it...

comes to languages. A recent survey by The National Centre for Languages says UK business rank languages skills second only to IT skills when it comes to recruitment, and it is important for students and educational institutions alike to take measures to bridge this divide. What I find genuinely impressive is that although the national curriculum does not prioritise language learning in the same way as other countries, some schools recognise languages as an important life skill and are adopting the modern, technological tools to engage pupils in learning and I would encourage others to follow this example.

Sylke Riester, European Managing Director, Rosetta Stone