Weekly language learning does not take place in one in four primary schools, according to survey findings published today.
Primary schools have had a legal responsibility to teach languages since 2014, but there is significant variation in schools’ provision, according to the British Council survey of more than 1,500 state primary, state secondary and private schools.
The survey found that, in practice, weekly language learning does not take place in one in four primary schools because of issues such as split teacher time between year groups (whereby Year 5 might have languages for half the year and Year 6 for the other half), staffing issues and extracurricular activities.
The data revealed significant variation in the amount of time primary pupils spent on languages, with some schools spending less than half an hour on teaching per week, whereas ideally pupils would be taught for at least one hour per week by a teacher with degree-level proficiency in the language.
The survey also showed that four in five primary schools had been teaching languages for more than five years, representing a 2 per cent increase on 2021 and a 5 per cent increase on 2019, with pupils making progress in one foreign language in most of these schools.
French is the most commonly taught language at primary, and is significantly ahead of Spanish, although this trend is not mirrored at A level.
The survey also found that the government is on track to meet all its targets for the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) - apart from languages.
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The EBacc aims to make sure that students take English language, literature, maths, the sciences, a humanities subject and a modern foreign language at GCSE.
The government plans for 75 per cent of students to study the EBacc subject combination at GCSE by 2022, for qualifications awarded in 2024, and for 90 per cent to do so by 2025, for qualifications awarded in 2027.
With the exception of foreign languages, the government is on course to meet the target.
The most popular languages to study
The report found that Spanish was the most popular language to take at A level for the third year running, with more than 8,000 entries, and will overtake French as the most popular language at GCSE by 2026 if current trends continue.
German has declined slightly, while entries for other modern languages plummeted in 2020 when students learning languages at Saturday schools or in community settings were not awarded a teacher-assessed grade for their work during the pandemic.
While these languages show some signs of recovery, entry rates remain far below pre-pandemic levels.
Vicky Gough, British Council schools adviser, said: “Our survey highlights the impact that Covid-19 still has on the teaching and learning of languages and shows that the past couple of years have been extremely challenging for schools.
“It is vital that schools prioritise language learning and re-establish connections with national and international schools and universities. The benefits of having language skills and some knowledge of other cultures cannot be overstated, particularly as the UK renegotiates its place on the world stage.”
State school pupils go on fewer school trips
The survey also showed a decline in trips abroad.
It found that the pandemic had resulted in a “significant reduction” in school trips and other international activities as part of language study, with the exception of private schools, where opportunities were more widespread.
International activities include trips abroad, partnering with a school abroad, involvement in international projects or hosting a language assistant.
Previous Language Trends reports from the British Council have found that international opportunities for pupils have been decreasing since 2018.
The 2022 report found that almost 70 per cent of primary schools surveyed said they had had no international engagement in the past year, while 45 per cent of state secondary schools reported the same thing.
Conversely, just 18 per cent of private schools said they had had no international links, an increase from 7 per cent in 2021.
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “The EBacc remains vital in giving all children the same chance to succeed in the core academic subjects, and we have already exceeded our 75 per cent uptake ambition across four of the five subject groups.
“We are reforming the modern foreign languages GCSEs to encourage more students to take up these important subjects, helping to broaden their horizons.
“We have also increased bursaries for languages to attract more talented teachers to the profession, invested £4.8 million in a pilot to boost quality and take-up, and are establishing a network of modern foreign language hubs from next year.”
