Author Archives: Cameron Molland

Cameron Molland is a former Politics and French student at the University of Bath. An outspoken critic of Brexit, he is active as a campaigner for Bath and North East Somerset Liberal Democrats. He currently works for Bath’s Lib Dem MP Wera Hobhouse on her leadership campaign
Follow @@CJMol1

EU negotiations – we must take Erasmus off the table – here’s why

By Cameron Molland | Mon 9th March 2020 - 12:10 pm

It would not be an exaggeration to say that Britain does not have the most glittering of reputations on the Continent for its ability to adapt to the local lingo. Indeed, when I holiday in France every year, one of the most frequent remarks people make to me is “Wow, your French is very good! We don’t often get many English people speaking our language”. I’m always a touch embarrassed by how poor British people are at speaking foreign languages; it’s become a bit of a national stereotype that les Anglais generally can’t speak the language of the country in which they find themselves; much like far too many British expats seem to think that they will make themselves easier to understand by over-enunciating, gesticulating wildly, and speaking loudly, whilst still speaking English.

I think this is one of the biggest hypocrisies and self-contradictions of Brexit; Priti Patel and the Home Office want all people who come to Britain to work to speak fluent English before they qualify for entry. And yet, that same Conservative government has already got one foot out of the doorway of one of the most incredible opportunities with which language students (a dying breed, alas) can be presented: Erasmus.