A 2023 YouGov ballot discovered that solely 21% of UK adults can maintain a dialog in a language apart from their mom tongue. About half of the opposite 79% regretted not participating extra with languages in school, and greater than half of all these polled had been enthusiastic about studying a brand new language.
By comparability, some 60% of EU residents surveyed in 2022 reported good or proficient overseas language abilities.
One thing is clearly going improper with overseas language studying in UK colleges, and this isn’t bettering. For instance, A-level entries in fashionable languages in England as a share of all A-level entries has fallen since 2010.
But our analysis reveals that many pupils in England and Wales are inquisitive about how language has been formed by society, tradition and historical past, and the way contact between individuals from completely different backgrounds results in language change. A languages curriculum oriented round linguistics – the crucial and analytical research of language itself – might meaningfully tackle the decline in language studying.
Get your information from precise specialists, straight to your inbox. Signal as much as our each day e-newsletter to obtain all The Dialog UK’s newest protection of reports and analysis, from politics and enterprise to the humanities and sciences.
In March 2025, the interim report of an ongoing evaluation of college curriculum and evaluation in England was revealed. This referred to as for modifications to how language studying takes place in colleges.
Among the points recognized will not be unique to the languages curriculum. The authors level out that, generally, pupils don’t see their lives and pursuits represented in what they’re taught, and that the curriculum is just not conscious of social change. On the similar time, the report recognises that younger individuals’s understanding of tradition via language is important.
The nationwide languages curriculum has been recognised as problematic for a while. Not like all different topics at GCSE and A-level, together with extremely sensible topics like bodily training and music, languages in colleges are taught and assessed virtually purely as abilities: studying, writing, talking and listening. They lack crucial, theoretical and analytical dimensions.
Moreover, the matters lined, whereas broad, are socially skewed to the purpose that it could make them tough for pupils to narrate to: discussions of alpine snowboarding holidays overseas, as an example. This does little to vary the view that finding out languages is the protect of the elite.
Our work with language academics, along with colleagues Alice Corr, Norma Schifano and Sascha Stollhans, means that together with linguistics within the languages curriculum can sort out a few of these shortcomings.
Juice Aptitude/Shutterstock
Linguistics permits a language – with all of its richness and complexity – to be studied as a psychological, cultural and historic object, enabling pupils to probe how it’s formed by (and shapes) society. Moderately than merely studying vocabulary and grammar, and utilizing them to speak about, say, regional identification or multiculturalism, linguistics-based classes give attention to how language pertains to these matters.
Linguistics might additionally improve the instructing of different topics together with English as a primary or further language, in addition to topics akin to historical past, geography, maths and science. It’s because linguistics encourages a framework for evaluation that’s readily relevant to different topics.
What’s extra, the delicate abilities obtained from this method to language studying can improve employability, fostering language specialists which are higher ready for the actual world. This may make faculty languages a horny selection even for these not wishing to pursue a languages diploma.
For the UK to fulfill its societal, financial and industrial challenges, we require extra linguists of all types, as this 2020 proposal for a nationwide languages technique from establishments together with the British Council and Universities UK highlights.
Our personal analysis reveals {that a} languages curriculum enriched with linguistics is interesting to each college students and academics. It might probably improve motivation and confidence amongst pupils, whereas contributing to a extra numerous and complete studying expertise.
We’ve got additionally proven that it could simply be built-in into language instructing with out further trainer coaching. Above all, a linguistics-rich curriculum can assist college students really feel represented of their studying, permitting them to replicate on cultural and social points they perceive and really feel strongly about.
The numbers converse volumes
Language studying in colleges in England particularly has lengthy been in decline. The statistics masks wider systemic issues, too. College language departments are more and more under-resourced or are closing altogether. This implies fewer pupils studying languages at A-level and past, and plenty of fewer coaching to be language academics.
Plugging this scarcity with academics from overseas has additionally develop into more and more tough, notably since Brexit, making a vicious circle.
There’s a knock-on affect for increased training. Ongoing closures of college language programmes have led to “chilly spots” rising in components of the nation: areas the place no universities provide language levels. Entry to increased language studying thus dangers turning into a postcode lottery, particularly for these with out the monetary means to check distant from their residence city.
A big change in how languages are taught is required – and enriching language instructing with linguistics could possibly be efficient, possible, and doubtlessly transformative.
