GCSE results released today reveal the extent of the challenge
to turn around the decline in language learning in secondary
schools. Total entries in modern languages this year are down by
11%, by 21% compared to 2007 and by 43% compared to 2000. Total
language entries accounted for 10% of all GCSE entries in 2000, 7%
in 2007 and just 6% in 2011.
In past years, the overall decline in language entries has
mainly affected French and German, while Spanish and some other
languages such as Polish, Arabic and Chinese have been increasing
in popularity. This year however the decline affects all languages
except Modern Hebrew, which saw just 12 extra students taking the
GCSE exam. French and German are hardest hit, with 13% declines in
just one year, but Spanish which has seen some increases over the
past decade reports the first decrease since 2006 (down by 2.5% on
last year). Chinese has suffered even more in percentage terms,
with 42% fewer entries than last year.
The
annual 'Language Trends' surveys of secondary schools conducted
by CILT show that the declines since languages were made optional
GCSE subjects in 2004 have been due to the breadth of option
choices for students combined with perceptions that languages are a
'hard' subject. Teachers have also highlighted the fact that in
many schools lesson time for languages has been reduced, or the Key
Stage 3 course reduced to two years. They have also expressed
concerns about the impact of recent changes to the GCSE assessment
system. Issues in modern languages teaching have also been
highlighted by the Ofsted report published in January this year,
'Modern
languages: achievement and challenge 2007-2010'.
Kathryn Board, Head of Languages and CILT at CfBT Education Trust, said: "The figures
show the extent of the gap to be closed with languages and must be
of huge concern to anyone who wants to see British people engage
confidently on the international stage. The introduction of the
English Baccalaureate will stimulate schools to encourage more of
their pupils to take a language, but it is in the review of the
National Curriculum that the real decisions must be made about the
benefits of learning a language for all pupils."
ENDS
View the 2011 GCSE exam
data for languages, released by the Joint Council for
Qualifications, on our statistics pages.
For more information contact:
Lindsay Thomas
Corporate Communication
60 Queens Road
Reading
Berkshire
RG1 4BS
0118 902 1515
lthomas@cfbt.com