Key findings from Language Trends England 2024:
- Recruitment of qualified language teachers an issue for six out of ten responding secondary schools.
- National Consortium for Languages Education to launch national free CPD programme to support professional development and teacher retention.
- A quarter of teachers expect new GCSE in French, German and Spanish to have a positive impact on pupil numbers from September.
- Access to international opportunities and language assistants significantly higher in independent schools than state schools.
- Most state secondary schools support pupils to take examinations in home, heritage and community languages.
- Increase in the number of A-Level entries for languages other than French, Spanish and German.
60% of schools have faced challenges when hiring qualified language teachers, according to new research released by the British Council on Monday
Language Trends England 2024 surveyed teachers at more than 1,300 primary, secondary and independent schools to gather information about language education. It is the 22nd report of its kind and follows 2023’s research which found two thirds of secondary state schools were teaching just one modern foreign language.
The report was carried out by Dr Ian Collen, Senior Lecturer in Modern Languages Education (PGCE) and Academic Lead of the Northern Ireland Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research (NICILT) at Queen’s University Belfast.
The research comes as the National Consortium for Languages Education (NCLE), led by IOE alongside key stakeholders including the British Council and Goethe-Institut, prepares to launch a Universal Professional Development course for all languages teachers across England.
Latin growing in primary schools, but language provisions suffer overall
99% of responding primary schools taught a language in the 2023/24 school year. Following French, Spanish and German, Latin is the fourth most learned language. It is taught in 3% of responding schools, with more than half of Key Stage 2 pupils learning the classic where it is offered.
A quarter of responding schools said allocated language lessons have been impacted by pupils spending extra time on literacy and numeracy, and some teachers commented languages would fall off the timetable altogether due to staffing issues. Nearly 80% of state schools said they relied on commercially produced resources to teach languages.
Meanwhile, the language education preparedness of year six pupils moving into secondary schools has seen little change, with less than half (45%) of primaries reporting contact with local secondary schools. The NCLE aims to address this, with a conscious focus on the improvement of transition from primary to secondary education.
Most schools say language teacher recruitment is a challenge
60% of responding schools said recruiting qualified languages teachers has been a challenge, with 33% of state schools reporting it to be a “major issue”. Independent schools have also struggled, with 15% stating recruitment is a “major issue” and 31% a “minor issue”.
One state secondary teacher said they had not been able to find any experienced language teachers for several years and this year recruited the only candidate to be interviewed. Meanwhile a teacher at an independent school said they particularly struggled to recruit German teachers.
Spanish GCSE thrives while languages other than “the big three” gain momentum at A-level
The current EBacc target which aims for 90% of pupils to take a modern foreign language GCSE by 2027 is off track, but there are signs of optimism. While many teachers cited grading as a barrier to bigger uptake of French, Spanish and German, a quarter of teachers said they expected the new GCSE in the languages from September to have a positive impact on student numbers while 64% took a neutral stance.
In both state and independent sectors, French is the most offered language at all key stages, but Spanish is the most popular language amongst pupils at A-level. An 11% surge in Spanish entries in 2023 suggests it is also on course to overtake French at GCSE.
German entries continue to drop at GCSE and A-level and access to the language is much more secure in the independent sector, with around 75% of schools offering it compared to less than half of state schools. While A-level entries in French, German and Spanish have dropped between 2022-2023, there has been a continued increase in the uptake of other modern languages since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Widening gaps between secondary state and independent schools
Pupils who speak languages other than English at home, which are known as home, heritage and community languages, have more provisions to access qualifications in those languages at state schools. Seventy-nine per cent of state schools said they paid examination fees for home and heritage languages compared to just 17% of independent schools. 33% of responding independent school teachers said they offer support though, including the facilitation of exams on school premises, helping students to enter the exams but without funding support, or providing extra tuition for students who want to sit an exam.
Pupils at independent schools received far greater access to international engagement opportunities and language assistants, with nearly three times as many independent schools saying they host language assistants.
|
|
State schools |
Independent schools |
||||
|
|
2018 |
2021 |
2024 |
2018 |
2021 |
2024 |
|
The school has one or more partner schools abroad |
31% |
31% |
27% |
41% |
42% |
47% |
|
We host language assistants |
23% |
21% |
24% |
50% |
69% |
68% |
|
None |
11% |
38% |
36% |
3% |
11% |
6% |
To address some of these disparities, the National Consortium for Languages Education (NCLE) has created a national network of lead hub schools across England. Each lead hub school is delivering training to up to seven partner schools to improve standards of language teaching and learning across the country. This autumn, NCLE will also be launching a universal professional development course for all language teachers across England free of charge.
The Language Hub programme provides support to state-funded schools for all languages and has a specific German Promotion Project led by the Goethe-Institut to address the decline in German entries. The programme also aims to increase access to home, heritage, and community languages, as well as improving the transition between Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3.
Follow this link to find out more about your nearest hub and how you can access support.
Dr Ian Collen said: “International connections go hand in hand with successful language learning. It needs to be easier for schools to take pupils abroad on educational trips and for partner schools to visit us here in the UK. Language assistants can have a transformative impact on a school’s international outlook; we need to bolster this long running and successful programme.”
Vicky Gough, Schools Adviser at the British Council, said: "It's concerning that despite concerted efforts to recruit language teachers, schools are still struggling to find qualified staff. A shortage of language teachers threatens our ability to provide comprehensive language programmes in schools. Addressing this challenge is crucial for equipping all students with the language skills they need to thrive in a global society. We must also ensure existing language teachers receive high quality Continuing Professional Development. The National Consortium for Languages Education is working collaboratively with schools across the country to make sure this happens."
Scott McDonald, Chief Executive of the British Council, said: "In a multilingual and multicultural Britain, every child should have the opportunity to learn a language. Research shows that investment in language education can return double the benefits to the UK economy. As we welcome a new government committed to increasing the number of teachers in schools, we have a remarkable opportunity to address the language learning deficit and bridge the social divide in education."