UK: Dramatic decline in foreign languages studied at university

[Francis Hult]

The Independent

 

Dramatic decline in foreign languages studied at university

 

Evidence of the alarming fall in the take-up of languages by students at universities has emerged in research. 

 

Figures show that German, especially, has plummeted, with only 610 students accepted on degree courses last year, compared with 2,288 a decade ago. French is the second biggest casualty, with numbers dropping by a third from 5,655 to 3,700 in 10 years.

 

Overall, the figures show the number of students accepted on to language courses has slumped by almost a quarter during the past decade.

 

The researchers, from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London and the University of Stirling, say there was a "steep decline" in the first half of this decade - with overall numbers tumbling by 20 per cent. Since then, French and German have continued to fall - although the decline has been partially offset by a rise in those studying newly-available languages such as Mandarin and Arabic.

 

Full story:         

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/dramatic-decline-in-foreign-languages-studied-at-university-901855.html

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