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 language A level is having on the quality of the intake onto HE foreign languages courses. It reviews the findings and conclusions of the only major study in this area and then presents the results of a new longitudinal study of FL learning at a major UK university. The findings challenge the prevalent view that A level foreign languages are becoming the preserve of the academically elite and raise questions about the type of skills rewarded at foreign language A level. The study confirms previous research findings relating to poor progression rates in university FL learning, but questions the assumption that poor tuition is the root cause of this malaise. (Contains 6 tables, 2 figures, and 6 notes.)