Background:

Ask many people, and one of their regrets in life is not continuing with or keeping up the languages they learnt at home, school or university. But now with the wide range of Apps, online and language teaching resources available, language learning has never been more accessible for anyone at any age. However, many people who have achieved a good standard in other languages still shy away from using them at work…

This lecture will set out why there is real value for people and their employers in valuing, using and improving languages. The Chartered Institute of Linguists promotes international Language Level Frameworks and offers straightforward Language Level Assessments which help adult speakers of languages to understand and articulate their language level, which will help them and their employers to recognise and use the language skills in our midst.

For knowledge workers in the City of London - and the many international businesses which connect the Square Mile with all four corners of globe - the international reach of English is a huge asset; but speaking English isn’t enough on its own to truly engage around the world. The social, cultural and economic value of speaking other languages, and the appreciation and trust even a few words in another person’s language can generate mean languages are for everyone.

Speaker:

John Worne is CEO of the Chartered Institute of Linguists, the UK's Royal Charter body for languages and linguists. John has lived and worked in different countries and cultures all around the world and spent eight years promoting languages and culture as Director of Strategy at the British Council, the UK’s official body for international education and cultural relations.

John also spent five years in senior leadership roles in universities, as a Chief Operating Officer at King’s College London and the Royal College of Art. He has worked at the heart of the UK Government as a Director in the Cabinet Office.

Prior to this, he spent more than a decade working all over the world in business development and marketing - including five years living and working in Paris, France. A graduate of the University of Oxford, John speaks French, is improving in Italian, has some Spanish and is learning Japanese and Chinese.