Spanish on the rise, French in decline and German ‘in danger of extinction’

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Spanish is expected to overtake French as the main foreign language studied in classrooms in England in the next few years, and experts say German could face extinction from school timetables.



A report by the British Council says that although the study of languages continues to decline, Spanish is bucking the trend, with entries up in both GCSEs and A-levels.

Take-up of A-level French has fallen to 8,300, compared to 21,300 entries in 1997, and German is down to 3,300, but Spanish entries have climbed to 7,600.

Based on current trends, Spanish is expected to overtake French as England’s most widely taught foreign language at A-level by 2020 and at GCSE by 2025.

Vicky Gough, a schools adviser at the British Council, said: “There is a perception of Spanish being easier to pick up than other languages, which may account in part for its popularity, along with the fact that Spain is the most popular holiday destination for Brits, so young people can imagine having the chance to use it.”

The diminishing popularity of languages in schools, sixth-forms and universities has been a source of concern to linguists for decades, and there have been fears more recently that Brexit could add to the trend.

The British Council’s language trends survey 2018 found that more than a third (34%) of state secondary schools felt there had been a negative impact on student motivation and parental attitudes towards learning languages as a consequence of the vote to leave the EU.

In the last 12 years French has lost nearly a third of A-level students while German is down by 37%. A quarter of state schools that offered German post-16 in the last three years no longer do so.

“It’s German I’m really worried about,” said Suzanne O’Farrell, a curriculum and assessment specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders and a former headteacher and head of languages. “I think it’s in danger of extinction.

“People are not offering it in schools. We will not have the teachers to teach it. There’s no take-up. As we see the rise of Spanish, it’s signalling the death knell of German.”

Despite continuing efforts by the government to encourage the study of languages, recent figures show the proportion of pupils taking a GCSE in a language subject has fallen to 47%. Spanish entries have jumped from 58,000 in 2010 to 90,000 in 2017, while French entries have dropped from 160,000 to 130,000 over the same period.

The report suggests new, tougher GCSEs may be deterring some lower-ability pupils from studying languages. Boys are far less likely to pursue a language than girls – 63% of languages candidates at A-level are female, and 56% at GCSE.

The British Council report also highlights a growing divide in pupils’ access to the study of foreign languages, with uptake disproportionately lower at state schools in more disadvantaged areas.

The report’s author, Teresa Tinsley, said: “The research shows that there is a growing rift between schools where languages are valued and developed imaginatively as part of a stimulating curriculum and those which are struggling to overcome disadvantage and a growth in negative attitudes.

“These schools will need support and encouragement if all pupils across the board are to enjoy the enriching experience of learning a language.”

The school standards minister, Nick Gibb, pointed out that the proportion of pupils taking a language GCSE had increased from 40% to 47% since 2010, with more disadvantaged pupils studying core academic subjects which include languages.

He said: “It is critical that teachers encourage all pupils to take up a language, and we are supporting this through the creation of expert schools that will share best practice across the country.”