Assignment one   Academic Writing two
In Britain there is an on-going debate if British children should learn a second language in school. Although English is now widely spoken throughout the world, most people in countries outside Europe do not speak English. According to Jacques (2006) the British have "a deeply arrogant attitude", when they assume that everyone else will be speaking English. They expect that ethnic minorities will integrate, but it is the British people abroad who fail to integrate, especially by learning the language.  
  Jacques (2006) argues that the British should learn a second language. He points out that English is not the most spoken language in the world. Most people, besides the educated elite, do not speak English. Moreover, Jacques sees language not only as a tool to communicate with each other; it is a way to access a culture. If you want to understand people, it is necessary to speak their own language. In addition, Jacques states that "the present status of English is not necessarily cast in stone" (Jacques, 2006, par. 5). Although this argument is not entirely true, in accordance with requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization, air traffic control operations are conducted in either in English or the native language of a region. Jacques reasons that "the rise of China will be accompanied by the rise of Mandarin" (Jacques, 2006, par 5). The position of English as lingua franca could change over time. 
  The political leaders in Britain should accept that we are not living in the "age of Europe" anymore, but in a global world in which English is not the most spoken language. In the view of Jacques (2006), it should be required to learn a foreign language and this should not be restricted to a couple of European languages, but also include for example Chinese. This will also make integration a two-way process by learning the foreign languages of our newer citizens. 
  Holt's (2006) main argument, however, for learning foreign languages has nothing to do with the decline of the position of English as lingua franca. He states in contrast to Jacques that English is still the most spoken language in the world and that "learning another tongue greatly deepens your understanding of your own language" (Holt, 2006, par. 3). This is the reason why it should be compulsory to study another foreign language until the age of 16. It improves the analytical thinking of the student which anyone, no matter what they are studying, should have. Learning a second language is thus a good idea, not just because it can help you understand others and their culture, but also because it can increase the understanding of your own language. 
Reference:
Jacques, M. (15 December 2006) Does it matter if we only speak English? The Guardian.
Holt, R. (13 October 2006) Why bother learning Foreign Languages? The Guardian.