在一個洲做出的外交姿態能夠影響另一個洲的中小學教室，這種情況不常發生。但戴維•卡梅倫(David Cameron)近日出訪中國期間呼吁英國學生放棄學習法語和德語、改為學習漢語，此言讓一場有關英國在語言學習上所面臨困境的辯論再次升溫。 
       雖然一些批評人士認為，英國首相的言論只是為了討好東道主中國，但這些言論凸顯出，英國的教育政策應與其貿易目標保持一致已日益成為一項共識。就在上個月，英國文化協會(British Council)曾警告稱，英國對一些外國語人才的缺乏已到達危險的程度，而這些外國語被視為對英國未來保持繁榮以及全球地位至關重要。報告中列出的10種重點語言中，漢語被排在第4位，僅次于法語，緊隨漢語之后的則是德語。


       位于倫敦東部紐漢區（Newham，該區是倫敦最窮的區之一）的金斯福德社區學校(Kingsford Community School)校長兼創始人瓊•德朗德(Joan Deslandes)非常迅速地看到了漢語的潛力。自該校13年前剛剛成立起，漢語就是11歲到13歲學生的必修課程，此外，今年該校有70名學生在英國普通中等教育證書(GCSE)考試中選擇了漢語科目。迪斯蘭茲承認，很多學校不敢嘗試將一門公認難學的課程列為必修課，因為擔心這會導致學校排名下降，但她認為這是將文化背景不同的學生們統一起來的一種方式。她說：“在我們學校，學生背景各有不同，單就所說語言來說就有60多種，但漢語不是其中之一。因此，學習這種語言時，所有人都處在一個公平的競技場上。”
      It is not often that a diplomatic gesture made on one continent is felt in primary school classrooms on another. But David Cameron’s exhortation from China this week that UK pupils should ditch French and German in favour of Mandarin has re-enlivened the debate on Britain’s difficult relationship with language-learning.
      While some critics suggested the prime minister’s comments were designed merely to please his hosts, they underlined the increasing consensus that the UK’s education policies should align with its trade ambitions. only last month, the British Council warned of an “alarming shortage” of Britons able to speak languages identified as key to the UK’s future prosperity and global standing. Of the 10 languages prioritised in the report, Mandarin was fourth – just below French, and just above German.
Joan Deslandes, head-teacher and founder of Kingsford Community School in Newham – one of east London’s most deprived boroughs – was unusually quick to see the potential in Chinese languages. From when the school first opened 13 years ago, Mandarin has been compulsory for 11 to 13 year-olds, and 70 pupils took the subject for GCSE this year. Ms Deslandes admits that many schools are too afraid of league table slippage to try a subject perceived as difficult, but she saw it as a way to unite culturally diverse pupils. “We have over 60 languages spoken around our school, but Mandarin isn’t one of those,” she says. “For once, this is a language wher everyone is on a level playing field.”