Language Trends 2007
Coping with change
Prepared originally for use by
Duncan Byrne, ISMLA
Linda Parker, ALL
Teresa Tinsley, CILT
Languages Show, November 2007
The survey
• 6th Language Trends survey (2002-2007)
• To explore provision and take-up in
languages
• 2,000 secondary schools
• 43% response from 860 schools, maintained
and independent
Questions asked
• Take up of languages in years 10 & 11
• Languages offered
• Whether schools have set the required
benchmark
• Factors affecting take up
• Accreditation offered
• Key Stage 3
• Post-16
• Involvement in support networks
Context
• September 2004 – schools can make
languages optional from 14 (KS4)
• January 2006 – request to schools to
set a Benchmark at KS4
• Summer 2006 – 51% take GCSE
languages
• March 2007- Languages Review
(Dearing)
• Summer 2007 – 46% take GCSE
languages
Dearing Review
‘an innovative and common sense
plan for encouraging a renaissance in
languages in schools and beyond’
‘We must encourage a more varied
languages offer which suits a range of
requirements for young people’
Participation at Key Stage 4
Maintained schools
Over half have fewer than 50% of their
pupils studying a language in Year 11
Just under one third (29%) have fewer
than 25%
Independent schools
88% have more than 75% of pupils
studying a language in Year 11
But…
In Year 11, participation in languages
is only slightly down on last year
(2006-07)
In Year 10, numbers are stable
Schools with good take up
Participation is higher in:
• Selective (grammar) schools
• Schools with high educational achievement
• Schools with pupils from an advantaged
social background
• London and the South of England
• Specialist Language Colleges
Schools with poor take up
Participation is lower in:
• Comprehensive schools
• Schools with lower educational
achievement
• Schools with pupils from disadvantaged
social backgrounds
• North East and Midlands
• Other Specialist Colleges
Specialist schools
‘We are a Performing Arts school. MFL is in same
option block as drama/dance which affects our
figures’
Yorks and Humber, 40% take-up at KS4
‘We have become a Media Arts college. Therefore all
students have to opt for a media arts subject. Their
choice is limited to two only options & this has had a
dire effect on the take up of languages’
East of England 10%
Bucking the trend
‘All pupils study French at KS3. Top sets also take
German and German is a popular option at KS4
among these pupils. Most pupils continue with French
at KS4. 12 pupils are now learning Italian for GCSE. A
large proportion of our students continue with French
and/or German at KS5’.
Maths & Computing College, North West, 100% take
up of languages
Benchmarking
• Only 17% of schools have set a benchmark
for take up
• Only 13% of schools with a less than 50%
take up have set a benchmark
• These proportions have not increased since
last year
Benchmarks
Over half of schools which have set a
benchmark have set it at 50%
• Some have set it at 60%
• One has set it at 20%
• One has set it at 90%
Confusion over the status of the benchmark
Benchmarks
Languages Departments are keen to set a
benchmark to give focus to their
recruitment efforts, but ...
School leadership teams often seem
unwilling to participate in the setting of
benchmarks for KS4 language learning
Benchmarks
‘I have been advised that regardless of the
Dearing review and Government
recommendations, the school will not be setting a
benchmark’
Comprehensive, North East, 6% take up
‘I have asked for school to comply with guidelines but
am told they “apply over the whole country, so
individual schools don't need to worry”!!’
Comprehensive, East of England 14% in Y11, 2% in
Y10
Benchmarks
‘I discussed this with the head teacher whose
view is, that if languages are made available to
all through the options process, then that is all the
school needs to do!’
Comprehensive, East Midlands, 21% take up
“It is only with an extremely supportive school
leadership group, favourable option blocking
and strong, mixed ability KS3 teaching that we
have been able to achieve our take up rates.”
Comprehensive, London, 50% benchmark
Benchmarks
But also evidence of benchmark being enforced:
‘OFSTED special two-day survey in October 2006
criticised us for not having at least 50% take-up,
despite the school having reduced the options
from 4 to 3 that year’.
Yorkshire, Specialist Science College 32% take
up
Factors influencing take up
3/4 say the option blocks system in their
school has a negative effect on take up
Student attitudes have a negative effect
School policies/ethos more often have a
negative effect than a positive one
Parental attitudes
Parental attitudes are as likely to have a
negative effect as a positive one
‘Much of the problem is the perception by parents of
the need for languages. Many ask if students can
drop FL study in Year 7 to concentrate on English &
Maths. Students…do not see languages as a useful
acquisition’.
Sports college, North West 0% take up
Factors influencing take up
2/3 say promotional activities have a positive
effect
Over 1/3 say use of alternative accreditation
and good results have a positive effect
Factors influencing take up
‘Since languages were made optional at our
school we have seen a decline from about
130 (in 2005) entries before optional
languages to 60 in 2007 (at GCSE). The
number of A* - C grades has remained
roughly the same but as a percentage this
has rocketed but even this seems to have no
effect on our pupils’
East of England, 30% take up, Maths and
Computing College
Languages
55% of schools report a decline in numbers for
French
44% of schools report a decline in numbers for
German
35% of schools report an increase in numbers
for Spanish
Languages
More schools now teach Spanish than
German
Maintained schools
69% Spanish, 67% German
Independent schools
88% Spanish, 84% German
Accreditation
29% of maintained schools offer accreditation
other than GCSE (up from 22% in previous
years)
Growth in use of Asset Languages – 14% of
maintained schools using it, up from 9%
30% of schools interested in using Asset
Languages
The independent sector
“Languages for All” at KS4 is still the norm in
the independent sector. They are only
optional in 1/6 schools.
Optional KS4 languages tend to be found in
schools with significant numbers of SEN pupils
or those with EAL.
The independent sector
French is giving way to Spanish, with German
squeezed. However, German A Level is still
being taught in 80% of independent schools
The number of independent schools teaching
Mandarin, Italian, Russian and Japanese is
increasing rapidly
Nevertheless, new languages are often, even
usually, taught outside the curriculum
Key Stage 3
• Growth in use of accreditation
• Introduction of new languages
• 28% of schools have shortened lesson time
for languages
• 6% of schools have reduced KS3 to two
years (from 3)
Key Stage 5
‘This year has seen the discontinuation of both
French and German at KS5’
West Midlands, Science College, 30% at KS4
‘Our pupils are very interested in
science/medicine related courses and
therefore although many have A* for GCSE,
they discontinue language in sixth form’
London, independent, 100% KS4
Participation in networks
61% of maintained schools part of a network
21% of independent schools
•KS3 Strategic learning networks
•CILT 14-19 Learning Networks
•ALL
Other findings
Content and Language Integrated Learning
(CLIL) involves 2% of schools
28% of schools fast-track a proportion of
pupils to take GCSE early
69% of maintained schools and 94% of
independent schools offer opportunities for
two languages
The independent sector
Despite innovation in languages offered, the
independent sector does not seem to be
widely engaged in new qualifications or CLIL
Independent schools appear notably more
reluctant to participate in learning networks
Conclusions
Stabilisation – challenge of rebuilding
Evidence of good practice and innovation
Widening gap between linguistic “haves” and
“have-nots”?
http://www.cilt.org.uk/research/languagetrends/
2007/secondary.htm
http://www.cilt.org.uk/research/statistics/index.
htm
Further information
Findings, summary, data tables, regional
analysis concerning Secondary
http://www.cilt.org.uk/research/languagetrends/
2007/secondary.htm
Current analyses on other phases of
education including HE
http://www.cilt.org.uk/research/statistics/index.
htm