Published on 30-06-10
European Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou is backing an
international declaration calling for more awareness-raising in
schools and universities about the importance of language learning and career
opportunities for interpreters, translators and other skilled language
professionals.
The International Annual Meeting on Language Arrangements, Documentation and
Publications (IAMLADP) has warned that a global shortage of qualified
linguists will mean that some international organizations will be unable to
perform vital tasks in future.
Commissioner Vassiliou said: "The European Commission is committed to
supporting efforts to encourage language learning in schools and universities,
as part of our multilingualism policy. We need to get the message across to
parents and young people that languages open doors and linguists have excellent
career prospects."
The declaration was issued following a meeting of the heads of language
and conference services of 76 international organisations at the Organisation
for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris from 21-23 June
2010.
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