A level results show UK is producing high performing linguists
14 August 2008
UK A level results published this morning show that take up of languages at A level remains stable, with a high proportion of pupils continuing to achieve top grades relative to other subjects.
Students taking A level languages this year were amongst the highest achievers of all entrants, with higher proportions of pupils gaining A grades than in most other subjects. A grades were achieved by 37.3% of applicants in French, 38.4% in German and 38.7% in Spanish. In other modern languages the percentage of high achievers was particularly high, with 48.7% of entrants gaining A grades.
Teresa Tinsley, Director of Communications at CILT, the National Centre for Languages said: ‘This evidence shows that the UK is producing high performing linguists who, if they continue their languages through to university, are likely to be in high demand in the job market. However, languages ought not to be just for our most talented linguists, and we need to encourage more students to continue with a language, even if they don’t feel they can aspire to a top grade.’
Today’s results confirm that a far greater percentage of girls than boys take A levels in French (68.6% female, 31.4% male) and Spanish (66.7% female, 33.3% male). In German the gender split is less extreme, with 60.4% female and 39.6% male candidates, while in other modern languages the proportion of male to female was significantly more even, with 57% female candidates compared to 43% male candidates.
French remains the most popular language taken at A level, with more than twice the number of applicants sitting exams in French as in Spanish, the second most commonly taken language. The number of applicants was up this year by 2.8% in French and 1.5% in Spanish, while numbers in German were down by 0.9%. Other languages, including Arabic, Chinese and Russian, have shown steady increases in entry every year since 2002.
As today’s figures include results from maintained schools, independent schools and adult education, it would be misleading to draw conclusions from them about what is happening in state secondary schools. A more detailed breakdown of school figures will be published by the DCSF in due course.
To see the UK A Level results for 2008, visit the JCQ website.
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