Governmental officials should prioritize access to language education at a national level, as studies indicate that children from less affluent areas of England are less likely to have opportunities to study a foreign language. The British Council’s recent ‘Language Trends’ report surveyed 1,000 primary, secondary, and independent schools and found a significant disparity between the most and least affluent schools in providing modern language courses in their curriculum. The data shows that the previous government’s target of having 90% of students study a language GCSE is not being achieved, with language GCSE entries and A-levels decreasing and mostly concentrated in fewer educational institutions. Professor Charles Forsdick, a language fellow at the British Academy, warned that language education is at risk of only being accessible to affluent schools, which would severely limit educational opportunities for young people. Jean Coussins, the crossbench peer and co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on modern languages, highlighted that if the Ebacc and its targets disappear, alternative measures must be implemented to ensure that most students continue to study languages to age 16, if not 18.
Furthermore, the study discovered that German remains the most in-demand language among employers but is the least offered language in schools, with only 40% of schools providing it at GCSE level. The decline in offering languages such as German at A-level is also alarming, with only 27% of state secondary schools providing it. This trend poses significant consequences, including a shrinking talent pool, diminished linguistic and cultural diversity, and weakened global influence through diplomacy, trade, and international relations.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/jul/01/fewer-pupils-less-affluent-english-schools-foreign-languages
