This is a paper from the 2008 Higher Education Academy Annual Conference.
This research focussed on the attitudes and experience of UK undergraduate students in an attempt to understand the poor uptake by UK students of exchange opportunities. The authors surveyed 35 UK biology students about their previous modern language experience and their attitudes to language and internationalisation. Four students had no foreign language experience and only four had taken a language to A level. The researchers also interviewed biology staff to seek their views on the value of languages and whether or not they encourage their students to study a language. The results were interesting and indicate the need for both staff and students to look beyond the curriculum to the broader knowledge skills competences and experience required and the processes of learning.
