PRIMARY MODERN LANGUAGE

2006 GCSE Reports

Languages at GCSE

2006 GCSE results are disappointing for languages at KS4.
German and French entries saw decreases of 14.2% and 13.2% respectively, whilst entries for Spanish (0.5% decrease) and Other Modern Languages (1.1% increase) remained stable, representing a total fall in language entries of 10.5% in 2006.
GCSE levels
- Total language GCSE level entries for 2005 is 435,174. A decrease of 10.5% (51,000 entries) since 2005. (All languages including Welsh and Irish)
- German entries have decreased by 14.2% to 90,311
- French entries have decreased by 13.2% to 236,189
- Spanish entries have decreased by 0.5% to 62,143
- All Other languages entries have increased by 1.1% to 29,188
- In context, note that total GCSE entries across all subjects have increased by 0.3%.

CILT, the National Centre for Languages

GCSE results: Another year, another record performance

The fall in school students taking foreign languages was branded a "complete disaster" by teaching groups today, as GCSE results showed another dramatic drop in numbers choosing French and German.

John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: "Modern foreign languages are now in freefall and this is a major concern.

French entries dropped by 35,951 since last year, dropping to 236,189. For the first time for 15 years, fewer than 100,000 pupils took German (down 14 per cent to 90,311). Even Spanish, which has grown in recent years, fell by 0.5 points to 62,143. Entries for French and German have slumped by a third in five years after ministers scrapped compulsory key stage 4 language study in 2004.

TES, Warwick Mansell, 24 August 2006

Modern Languages Results for 2006 GCSEs
Response from Wales:

The Welsh Assembly Government said it was pleased that pupils in Wales were out performing pupils in the rest of the UK in terms of top grades in French, German and Spanish.

There are worries about the fall in those taking French and German despite a rise in the numbers studying Spanish.

- French and German dropped by 4.9% this year
- Spanish rose by 8%

But it said it does have a languages strategy and £700,000 is invested in trying to encourage pupils to study foreign languages.

www.bbcnews.co.uk