this post was submitted on 05 Apr 2024
185 points (95.1% liked)

World News

39004 readers
2752 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News !news@lemmy.world

Politics !politics@lemmy.world

World Politics !globalpolitics@lemmy.world


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

Britain turned down the offer to remain a member of the cultural exchange program after Brexit.

The U.K. decided to leave the EU's Erasmus+ student exchange scheme because Brits’ poor foreign language skills made membership too expensive to justify, a senior British official has revealed.

Lower take-up of the scheme by British students compared to other nationalities — put down to a weak aptitude for language learning — meant London expected to pay in nearly €300 million more a year than it received back, Nick Leake, a veteran senior diplomat at the U.K. Mission said this week.

It comes as youth organizations on both sides of the channel launch a renewed push for the U.K. to rejoin the scheme — and as an EU advisory body urges the Commission to get negotiations going.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] wahming@monyet.cc 14 points 7 months ago (4 children)

Can somebody explain how poor language skills relate to the UK paying more? The article just makes it seem obviously correlated

[–] livus@kbin.social 43 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (3 children)

Erasmus = student exchange between universities.

If you end up hosting other people's students but nobody else hosts yours, then you end up spending more on education.

According to the article UK students are less likely to go overseas because they can't speak any of the languages.

It's a bit like if you kept having your kids' friends over to dinner but your own kids were too picky to ever eat dinner at their friends' houses.

[–] wahming@monyet.cc 6 points 7 months ago

That makes sense, thanks!

[–] Naboo_calls_for_aid@sopuli.xyz 3 points 7 months ago

Makes sense in that context

[–] thetreesaysbark@sh.itjust.works 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

So do the government fully pay for the students they host? Or is it a subsidised thing?

[–] livus@kbin.social 3 points 7 months ago

I think most likely governments pay into Erasmus and then individual universities get fees reimbursed. The appeal of it for students is you don't pay international fees.

[–] doublejay1999@lemmy.world 9 points 7 months ago

The article also alleges a “poor aptitude” for language learning, without making any attempt to stand up such a staggering claim, which places the blame on students for being thick.

Terrible piece of writing

[–] Plopp@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago

If you go to a bar and you don't understand what the bartender is saying, you don't understand how much money they want, so you just hand them your wallet and they take as much as they want. It's like that probably. Yes.

[–] prettybunnys@sh.itjust.works 2 points 7 months ago

I’d bet because it requires adults with better language skills.

We had a few exchange students when I was growing up and if the student was considered “mostly fluent” they’d come alone and have a group they’d meet with.

Students who were barely fluent often time had an adult with them.

I’d gather the exchange groups with less fluency require more adults, even if they’re not paid they have transport costs and whatnot.

That said, you’re totally right. It’s wild the article just goes “and of course it’s more money” as if it’s common knowledge why.