Survey shows halt in languages decline

11 December 2008

The results of the 2008 Language Trends survey on languages at KS4 shows that languages in secondary schools are in a period of rapid change and development. The decline in participation in language learning has been halted, although there is as yet little sign of any overall increase in numbers.

However, the most striking result of this year’s survey is the evidence that maintained schools are adapting and introducing changes to bring a new enthusiasm to language teaching and to make a strong case for languages in the curriculum. The survey shows that a third of maintained schools have introduced new courses and teaching approaches and report improvements in attitudes and take up amongst pupils as a result.

One dramatic change is the growth in new qualifications in maintained schools, with 41% currently offering an accreditation other than GCSE for languages at KS3 or KS4, compared to 29% last year and 22% in 2006. Of these accreditations, Asset Languages is by far the most commonly used. Independent schools reported fewer changes to language courses, partly due to less pressure to increase take up of languages at KS4. However, the survey indicates that qualifications like the International Baccalaureate and the I-GCSE are provoking interest and involvement in this sector.

Diversification of languages taught is another striking feature of this year’s results, with Spanish, Italian and Mandarin continuing to rise in popularity. Spanish is set to overtake German as the second most commonly taught language after French, an occurrence which has already taken place in the independent sector. Other languages, such as Urdu, Russian and Mandarin also appear to be generating interest following changed QCA guidelines on which languages schools may offer.

The survey of 2,000 secondary schools in England, coordinated by CILT, the National Centre for Languages, showed that languages are now optional in 78% of maintained schools, compared to 77% in 2007, suggesting a leveling out in the decline seen in previous years. 45% of maintained schools are achieving the government’s minimum recommended benchmark of half of pupils studying languages in year 10 – the same proportion as in last year’s survey. As in previous years, the picture from independent schools is dramatically different, with 88% of schools in the independent sector offering compulsory language learning at KS4.

Read the complete article on the CILT website.

 

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