Over a period of 15 years the percentage of students taking GCSE languages has decreased by 29%. This stark contrast could be due to the increase in pressure for students to take STEM related courses (Science, technology, engineering and maths). While these subjects are increasingly important in our advancing world, so is the importance of cultural sensitivity, the awareness that cultural differences and similarities exist and affect values, behaviour and learning.

You cannot understood a language fully without the other elements of culture as these are essential to a rounded comprehension of any language. For example Korean contains words that don’t have any direct translation such as 창(Jeong) which embodies the foundation of Korean society and bond between people.

Last Thursday, the 25th of October, a Korean cultural event took place in central London. A cultural event in every sense of the word: language, food, faith and belief, it provided participants with an immersive experience of Korean life though discussion.

Although the day was focused around the construction of paper lotus flowers, one participant, James Sparkes said that the day gave him "a greater understanding of how to communicate in an ever-changing multicultural society.” He was drawn to the event following a Korean concert at his school - Purcell in Bushey.

Might it be that the decrease in students studying languages at GCSE is due to the narrowness of the curriculum which pays little attention to the cultural dimensions of language. Also is it necessary in a digitalised and global era to have to rely on formal education to learn a language? Is immersion the key?