71% of UK employers are dissatisfied with foreign language skills in school and college leavers, and 55% are unhappy about graduates’ language skills, according to a new survey by the CBI.

The report, which sets out what makes young people most employable, highlights the importance of linguistic proficiency in another language and its capacity to help build business relationships around the world.  It also emphasises the importance of international cultural awareness, communication and literacy - all of which are skills that can be gained through studying a language.

The CBI report also cites problem solving and creative thinking as key employability skills – both of which have been linked to multilingualism. Research commissioned by the European Commission shows that there is a greater potential for creativity amongst those who have more than one language, and that bilinguals tend to be more successful in problem solving which is cognitively demanding.

Kathryn Board, Chief Executive of CILT, the National Centre for Languages, said: ‘Learning a language is not just about words. It is about communication, commitment, intercultural understanding and building an ability to operate and be successful in a multilingual and multicultural world. It is vital that we give all young people the opportunity to develop these skills that will set them up so well for the future, and allow them to be successful in an increasingly competitive global jobs market.’

A recent report from the Office for Fair Access highlighted the importance of languages for gaining entrance to top universities, and noted that state school pupils are two and a half times less likely to take a language at A level, compared with independently schooled pupils.