The rates of formal Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) in the UK are continuing to drop at an alarming rate, according to a new report, published by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI). Yet, data from Duolingo found that the UK had the second highest proportion of learners using the platform to study more than one language.
As Michael Lynas, the UK country Director for Duolingo, wrote in his introduction to the HEPI report, “What we’re missing is not interest, but good pathways’[1].
So, where is the MFL education falling down?
Beneath the weight of verb conjugation and vocabulary lists, the purpose of learning a language, as a means of communication, is often lost.
The Language Trends Survey 2025 found that just 27% of secondary schools have partner schools abroad, with a similar proportion engaging with cultural institutions. It cannot be a surprise that this single tack, classroom-based approach to such a multi-dimensional subject leads to despondence for language learning; students aren’t fuelled by interest in music, films or art they could be engaging with, or inspired by the interpersonal connections that speaking different languages can allow them to develop.
But politicians and teachers need not look further than the shores of our own British Isles when looking for ways to promote language learning, through interweaving the cultural and human elements that are the very soul of languages themselves.
More than 300 languages are spoken in the UK, with 20.8% of state school pupils speaking a first language other than English[2].
Multilingualism and linguistic diversity have always been at the heart of Britishness and British national identity. Alongside languages brought to the UK through immigration, this country is home to several minority languages that originate from the UK itself, such as Gaelic, Welsh and Cornish. Even the most commonly spoken language, English, is derived of a melting pot of different linguistic roots itself, as whilst it is a Germanic language, over 60% of its words have a Latin or Greek origin[3].
According to the 2021 census, the top 5 most spoken languages, other than English, in England and Wales are Polish, Romanian, Panjabi, Urdu and Portuguese, yet the vast majority of MFL education in schools focuses on teaching French, German or Spanish.
In accordance with the National Curriculum, an education in languages is compulsory for children between seven and 14 years. French remains the most taught language in primary and secondary schools, closely followed by Spanish, which has been found to retain higher numbers of learners when transitioning to Key Stage 4, the point at which pupils study for, and undertake, their GCSEs.
Whilst Spanish is one of the ten most spoken first languages in the UK, its number of speakers is just over ¼ of the number of Polish speakers[4], yet the number of students taking Polish GCSE is less than 10% of those taking Spanish GCSE[5].
By no means is this to say that Spanish should stop being taught and learnt. As a Spanish student and speaker myself, I have seen firsthand the doors that speaking this language can open across the world.
But these statistics draw into question the reason we value certain languages, and why some languages are held in much higher regard than others.
Why are schools not teaching the most commonly spoken languages in the UK?
On a base level, language status is a direct reflection of the status and hierarchy of its speakers in a multilingual environment, whether this is on an economic, social or political level.
The Western-centric languages curriculum in UK schools, in which Spanish, French and German are the only options for many students, is no coincidence. Their prioritisation is built on the power that speakers of these languages had historically and continue to have — a power not held by the countries associated with the most spoken minority languages in the UK.
Offering these languages as the only MFL options perpetuates the linguistic hierarchy, and prioritisation of some languages over others, suggesting to students that they are taught and learnt because they will be of the most use and worth in their future lives.
It is vitally important to remember that different languages are not just useful abroad, or when working with countries outside the UK, but also within the rich multilingual context of this country itself.
“Recognising and celebrating the languages spoken by students and families within the school helps create a more inclusive environment. Initiatives such as multilingual signage and opportunities for students to teach their peers words from their home languages promote pride in linguistic diversity and build peer-to-peer learning.”
A comment from a respondent to the Language Trends England survey 2025
Unfortunately, the poor rates of language learning is not just a problem that would be solved by teaching different languages. The whole narrative in the UK surrounding the value of learning languages at all needs to change.
Lack of funds, and cuts to existing funding programs highlight how language learning is not prioritised at a governmental and institutional level.
Limited teacher knowledge and specialisation is reported as being one of the major barriers to a better MFL education by primary school teachers even when teaching French or Spanish. By setting up language learning initiatives based in the local community, encouraging students to learn from one another, and treating the diversity of languages spoken by the students and their families as a valuable resource, we can overcome these barriers to language learning. The knowledge and specialisation are right on the doorstep to the classroom, they just need to be welcomed in.
Discussing the importance of learning languages, and an improved MFL education in the HEPI report, Rt Hon Nick Gibb, former Minister for Schools, wrote ‘In an increasingly competitive world economy, we owe it to the next generation to ensure that they are as prepared as their contemporaries overseas to compete in this environment’[6], telling the Times that the lack of language skills and education in the UK ‘damages Britain’s reputation’[7].
But arguably more importantly than career prospects, speaking different languages allows pupils to learn about different cultures, history and ways of thinking, and to build deeper relationships with speakers of other languages.
As Nelson Mandela famously said ‘If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart’.[8]
Speaking different languages is a key that opens a door to human connection, connection you can find right here in the UK.
[1] New report shows a catastrophic decline in formal language learning — HEPI
[2] language_trends_england_2025.pdf
[3] What Percent Of English Words Are Derived From Latin? — Dictionary.com
[4] Language, England and Wales — Office for National Statistics
[5] Based on 2024 AQA GCSE data Results statistics GCSE — June 2024 exams
[6] New report shows a catastrophic decline in formal language learning — HEPI
[7] Failure to study languages ‘damages Britain’s reputation’
