The city of Leicester, with its roots dating back to Roman times, has a burgeoning multicultural population with around 70 languages or dialects currently spoken. In particular, it is home to a growing Indian population; indeed, Gujurati is the first language of around 16 per cent of its inhabitants, but it is also home to a growing number of Urdu, Punjabi and Hindi speakers, as well as smaller communities such as Afro-Caribbeans, Somalis and Chinese.
With its well-known university also playing host to large numbers of international students, this diversity gives Leicester an appealing and unique atmosphere. Added to the vibrancy and life that this multi-ethnicity brings is the fact that Leicester is an increasingly young city. It has been estimated that around 45 per cent of its population is under 29 years old.
Indeed, such is the ethnic diversity of the city that it is projected to have a non-white majority population in the next few years, and around 40 per cent of its population already has an ethnic minority background. This may explain the growing number of schools, colleges and private tutors now offering English lessons in Leicester. Obviously, a city with such a large percentage of non-English speakers needs facilities for teaching them English to a standard at which they can successfully integrate and become a part of society.
Learning English will also help the relatively new arrivals to maximise their employment opportunities. An influx of new citizens from all over the world can bring positive change: a group of people with their own particular skills But this will not be easy if there is a language barrier, and a lack of local language skills could result in entire groups feeling isolated and closed off, at the very time when we should be embracing change and a sense of community.
However, as with any city with high levels of immigration there are problems to be faced. Whilst there is undoubtedly a large provision of English lessons in Leicester for those looking to gain sufficient mastery of the language, it is also true that people with a ethnic background are still more likely to be unemployed than white people, and therefore perhaps less able to afford the education they need to maximise their employability. This is something that will undoubtedly need to be looked into as Leicester’s multicultural community continues to grow.
Leicester is today one of Britain’s most multicultural cities, with a wealth of languages and cultures represented. The majority of its citizens have embraced this diversity, with increased availability of English language lessons aiding the integration of many of its newest arrivals.
With its well-known university also playing host to large numbers of international students, this diversity gives Leicester an appealing and unique atmosphere. Added to the vibrancy and life that this multi-ethnicity brings is the fact that Leicester is an increasingly young city. It has been estimated that around 45 per cent of its population is under 29 years old.
Learning English will also help the relatively new arrivals to maximise their employment opportunities. An influx of new citizens from all over the world can bring positive change: a group of people with their own particular skills But this will not be easy if there is a language barrier, and a lack of local language skills could result in entire groups feeling isolated and closed off, at the very time when we should be embracing change and a sense of community.
However, as with any city with high levels of immigration there are problems to be faced. Whilst there is undoubtedly a large provision of English lessons in Leicester for those looking to gain sufficient mastery of the language, it is also true that people with a ethnic background are still more likely to be unemployed than white people, and therefore perhaps less able to afford the education they need to maximise their employability. This is something that will undoubtedly need to be looked into as Leicester’s multicultural community continues to grow.
Leicester is today one of Britain’s most multicultural cities, with a wealth of languages and cultures represented. The majority of its citizens have embraced this diversity, with increased availability of English language lessons aiding the integration of many of its newest arrivals.
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