17th July 2019 9:00
By Blue Tutors
According to the British Council, Brexit is causing a decline in foreign language learning in UK schools. Reported on the BBC, the decline is said to be among students living in disadvantaged areas, and parents are telling teachers that they think languages will be less important once the UK leaves the European Union.
The study of foreign languages has been falling steadily in the UK for a number of years as the GCSE and A Level exams are seen to be more difficult than other alternatives. The government claim that overall the numbers taking up a foreign language is improving, but some high profile academics have written to them saying that more needs to be done.
Theresa Tinsley, author of the British Council’s report, said that poorer areas are experiencing a clear Brexit effect causing the decline of language learning to fall even more sharply than it already has. She worries that another language will become the preserve of students from wealthier families which will further disadvantage poorer students and restrict their opportunities. Learning languages is seen as a way to develop students’ cultural understanding as well as simply knowing the language, and in addition to the drop in GCSEs and A Levels, UK schools have reported fewer exchanges between European schools.
Every student in England is required to study a foreign language between the ages of 7 and 11, but Tinsley says that this doesn’t always happen. One reason given is that many schools are choosing to focus on Sats tests and the core subjects, and another is that schools in deprived areas don’t receive the same level of support from neighbouring secondary schools to teach languages.
Peter Wittig is the German ambassador in London and he says that foreign languages should be even more important post-Brexit as the UK seeks to remain part of a globalised society. German is the most popular mother tongue in Europe and Wittig thinks that English students will be more successful if they have German on their CV.