Hansard

The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick) NPA

The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-03004, in the name of Alasdair Allan, on why languages matter—improving young people’s opportunities.09:16

The Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland’s Languages (Dr Alasdair Allan) SNP

Bonjour. Guten Tag. I am delighted to open the debate on why languages matter—improving young people’s opportunities. This is a welcome opportunity to discus...

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (Lab) Lab

I welcome the key messages in the report. The report says that in most European countries children start to learn a second language between the ages of six a...

Dr Allan SNP

I thank the member for that considered point. The situation varies very much not just from country to country, but from school to school. We would be realist...

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD) LD

Will the minister take an intervention?

Dr Allan SNP

I have just taken one. Give me a moment.

Liam McArthur LD

It is on that point.

Dr Allan SNP

Well, why not?

Liam McArthur LD

I thank the minister for relenting. My comment relates to Malcolm’s Chisholm’s point. A lot of the evidence suggests that, by the time that children reach th...

Dr Allan SNP

I readily agree with that. The younger that we introduce language learning, the more receptive children are likely to be to it. Implementation of the recomme...

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Lab) Lab

Will the minister give way?

Dr Allan SNP

I am in my last minute.In the meantime, we will provide £120,000 to fund pilot projects to be run in the 2012-13 school year by Education Scotland and Scotla...

The Presiding Officer NPA

Before I call Neil Findlay, I ask members who speak in a second language during the debate—I do not mean just saying “Bonjour” or “Guten Tag”—to provide a tr...

Neil Findlay (Lothian) (Lab) Lab

Merci, Presiding Officer. I can provide that to the official report if you require, but I do not think that I will worry the interpreters much more in my spe...

Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Con

In recent weeks politicians, including many in this Parliament, have been on the receiving end of some very blunt advice from employers in Scotland, much of ...

Dr Allan SNP

I appreciate many of the sentiments that the member has expressed. On her last point, does she also agree that, for pupils who are perhaps challenged by lite...

Liz Smith Con

Yes. I do not deny that for a minute. However, the point that the language teachers are making is that it enhances pupils’ ability to learn the structures of...

The Presiding Officer NPA

We have a bit of time in hand for the open debate, so members will have a generous six minutes for speeches. If members take interventions, I am sure that we...

Marco Biagi (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) SNP

Members will be delighted to hear that I will attempt no linguistic feats—it took me long enough to rehearse my affirmation last year. I have enough difficul...

Neil Findlay Lab

As the member will know, we are about to have the Eurovision song contest, so maybe his horizons will be expanded.

Marco Biagi SNP

As a passionate Eurovision fan—that might not come as a surprise—I can say that it is noticeable that since the language restrictions of the 1990s, whereby a...

The Presiding Officer NPA

I remind members that I will give them a generous six minutes. I call Claudia Beamish.09:54

Claudia Beamish (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab

Thank you, Presiding Officer. If I translated my speech into French, I would need a lot longer than your generous six minutes.

The Presiding Officer NPA

Feel free.

Claudia Beamish Lab

I will stick to my own language. I rise today to speak in support of the Government’s motion and our amendment, which concern the ambition to improve the opp...

Maureen Watt (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) SNP

I am delighted to take part in the debate. Many members in the chamber already know of my passion for language learning and how knowledge of languages certai...

Stuart McMillan (West Scotland) (SNP) SNP

When I was listening to Claudia Beamish’s closing comments about Italian, I was taken back to the time when I studied in France and Germany. As a vegetarian ...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott) Con

You have seven minutes.

Stuart McMillan SNP

Thank you, Presiding Officer. In the time that I have, I have struggled to cut down some of my real-life experiences that show why languages matter but, towa...

Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) SNP

Folk have talked about exchange trips, but it strikes me, as I listen to the debate, that people do not take advantage of what we have here at this moment. W...