More students are studying abroad

A report said more students were going abroad - but were choosing English-speaking countries.

Many said they wanted to study abroad but said language barriers and a lack of money was stopping them.

Academics were critical of the Westminster government's decision to make languages optional at GCSE level in England.

"The problem of UK students' generally poor and declining knowledge of foreign languages came up again and again," said the report from the universities of Sussex and Dundee.

Falling GCSE and A-level entries plus the "downgrading of languages in the secondary school curriculum" formed the "backdrop", it said.

"Ideally, a major re-positioning of languages within the school curriculum is necessary," it said.

Overall, the numbers of British students going abroad had risen, with most heading for the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Those that did go abroad were most likely to be white, female and middle-class, the researchers found.

The study involved interviews with staff at 80 universities and with 1,200 students.

It was carried out for the Department for Education and Skills and and the university funding councils in England, Scotland and Wales.

Of those who chose to stay in the UK, almost 80% said cash was important.

'Need to go abroad'

"The fact that many students nowadays work, or are highly dependent on parental help, or on loans, was raised by many students, as were expressions of concern over increasing university fees," said the report.

Prof Steven Schwartz, vice-chancellor of Brunel University and chairman of the inquiry into university admissions in England, said recently that the UK needed to start sending more students abroad.

"American universities do even worse. But they are trying to do better. Here in Britain, we have yet to admit that there is even a problem," he said.

"The best place to learn how to speak Chinese is in China. The best place to learn about Egyptian archeology is in Egypt.

"The best place to learn about the health problems of africa is not in a medical school in England, despite our first-class medical schools, it is in Africa."

Sending students abroad would teach them that we still have a lot to learn, even from people who speak different languages from the one we do.