A research report from the University of Cambridge and RAND Europe shows that investing in languages education in the UK could return more than the investment cost. Researchers explored a gap in the evidence relating to the economic benefits of extending languages education and found that an increase in secondary-school pupils learning one of four…

The UK has experienced a sharp decline overall in the uptake of languages since 2004, as evidenced by the falling number of entries for GCSE and A Level examinations in languages. At a time when the UK government seeks to reset its global economic relationships as part of its vision of 'Global Britain', such a decline is likely to have negative…

A greater level of informal language learning is now taking place than at any time in human history. Much of that learning is linked to unprecedented levels of migration across the globe. This poses challenges to the identity of higher education language teachers, particularly in the UK, where numbers of modern language students have stagnated,…

Like other anglophone countries, the UK is experiencing a language 'crisis', in that fewer and fewer students opt to study a foreign language (FL) beyond the compulsory phase, and that the UK's language skills do not match its economic needs. Despite strong statements of commitments to increase FL uptake, decline in FL uptake in the UK's four…

This paper takes stock of the state of language learning in the UK, as the country teeters on the edge of Brexit and becomes used to being led by the first Prime Minister in over 50 years to have studied Languages at university. The author, Megan Bowler, a Classics student at the University of Oxford, looks at the broad benefits to individuals,…

British higher education is becoming more and more market-driven following the increase in tuition fees in 2012. As a result, universities need to respond more readily to the market, and student demand and the high employability of graduates are now a priority for most universities. With the growing importance of Asian economies in the new age of…

There has been a long history of Chinese learning and teaching (CLT) in the UK, but until recently CLT was predominantly confined to community schools for Chinese children at weekends and a small number of other schools and universities. Therefore, it had remained peripheral for a long time in terms of student numbers and its position in the…

This paper highlights the problem of falling recruitment to foreign language (FL) degrees in higher education (HE), outlining some of the recent changes in secondary FL education which have contributed in part to this situation. It draws attention to the lack of research into the impact that the fall in numbers of students taking a foreign…

Data on modern language instruction in each member country of the European Community are presented, largely in tabular form with some narrative. The number of tables provided for each country varies according to educational system, and data are arranged to facilitate comparison between countries. The conclusions of the Council of the European…

Explores the relative dominance of English as the preferred second language among foreign countries and the rise in the importance accorded to other languages, growing foreign language enrollment, language attitude changes, and concerns that English language competence is not enough and that other important languages are being neglected. (CB)

An examination of Great Britain's declining language enrollment focuses on the disproportionate decline among boys taking languages. The literature and public policy decisions concerning equal educational opportunity for the sexes and students' curriculum choices are reviewed. The extent of the enrollment imbalance at the levels of secondary,…

The problems facing modern languages in comprehensive schools in Great Britain are discussed. Questions raised by the situations are: why do fewer pupils in the fourth form and even fewer sixth formers study a language? Why do even fewer choose to continue with their language studies when they progress into higher education? Phases in school…