The decline in languages affects independent schools and state schools alike. We must work together to fix itMany people will have read the recent reports that fewer young people in this country are learning foreign languages. The numbers continue to fall at GCSE and A-level,and many schools are phasing out unpopular languages or ones that teaching staff have less expertise in. This has affected university language departments, many of which have had to economise by merging or closing faculties. As a knock-on effect, and it’s become increasingly difficult to appoint recent language teachers because great linguists are in such short supply. This will,no doubt, provide state schools with a major challenge as English Baccalaureates (Ebaccs) – where the study of a language is required – are introduced. It’s a matter that the Department for Education (DfE) is looking into.
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Source: theguardian.com