Answer:

Recruitment trends 2000-2009:
In the last decade, numbers of students training to teach languages in HE and SCITT institutions recorded a peak in 2003/4 at 1,820, which steadily decresed to 1,350 in 2007/8. Recruitment figures picked up in 2008/9 and reached 1,715 in 2009/10.

DCSF Target numbers 2000-2011:
The allocation numbers for trainee teachers in languages was constant at 2,050 in the first half of this decade. Since then, target numbers set by the DCSF have steadily dropped falling to 1,525 in the current year 2009/10. A further allocation decrease is set for 2010/11 to 1,390. The target number in 2009/10 was achieved in recruitment for the first time over the past 10 years.

Figures on employment based routes are also available in the link below, for which recruitment also peaked in 2003/4 (at 320) followed by a slow decrease.

Download the data tables showing recruitment, 2000-2009 and targets, 2000-2010 - recruitment to ITT courses for languages, 2009 (xls, 53kb).

Data source:

DCSF recruitment/ registrations data uses the TDA's ITT Trainee Numbers Census and the TDA Employment Based Routes Database, the latest data was released in Jan 2010. Taken from DCSF School Workforce in England, 2009.

Note that another source of data is the GTTR applicant and accepted applicant data. The GTTR produce a lot of data and this can be broken down by language and analysed by some student characteristics, e.g. gender, ethnicity. Their annual reports can be downloaded via their website. They also produce application data updates throughout the year. However, please note that this is applications or (at the end of the application process) accepted applications and not registrations. It also doesn't include employment based routes data.