Over the next little while, students in Years 9, 10 and 11 will be making important decisions about which subjects they will study in 2023 and beyond. These decisions are often shaped by interest in particular university courses post Year 12 and ultimately career choices.
This article appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald earlier this year. In it, author David Reeve draws the reader’s attention to recent government policy decisions that have made it cheaper to study languages at university. In fact, the cost of studying languages at university has been cut by about 45 per cent.
This fee decrease is designed to encourage students towards skills needed by industry, such as science and maths, but also foreign languages. All of these can lead to increased job opportunities. Not only can speaking another language be directly applicable to one’s future career, but the skills developed through the process of learning a second (or third, fourth, etc.) language are highly sought after by employers. These include critical and creative thinking, the ability to understand diverse perspectives, problem-solving expertise and many more. The value institutions place on the study of language is also demonstrated by bonus adjustments being applied for a variety of Bachelor degree programs.
So if your daughter is unsure about whether to continue with her language study in Year 10, 11 or 12 next year, encourage her to reflect on the potential benefits related to university courses and future careers. Ask her to have a chat with her language teacher or Melinda Williams, our Careers Coordinator, to find out more.