News

A third of state schools allow pupils to opt out of languages in year 9

Over a third of state schools now allow pupils to opt out of studying a language in year 9,...

Alix Robertson
Alix Robertson
News

Urgent action needed to save MFL from ‘extinction’, claims expert

GCSE entries to modern foreign languages continued to fall this year, in a dropoff that could even see some...

Alix Robertson
Alix Robertson
News

Brexit fallout stunts recruitment for first ‘super-SCITT’

The country’s first “super” school-led scheme to train language teachers has been given the go-ahead by the government to...

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Private schools pledge their support for national MFL training centre

Private schools have pledged to support a new national teacher training centre for linguists to stave off a “crisis...

Jess Staufenberg
Jess Staufenberg
Opinion

Nick Gibb is wrong about modern foreign languages

Boosting foreign language GCSE entries is not the way to improve our country’s language skills – but there is...

Expert Contributor
Expert Contributor
Opinion

A lack of fluent thinking

There are not enough teachers to teach the mandatory Ebacc modern foreign language. In the spirit of détente, Leora...

Nicky Phillips
Nicky Phillips
Opinion

Wanted: home-grown teachers of Mandarin

The Conservatives are promising more Mandarin teachers – and in an ideal world every young person should be able...

Nicky Phillips
Nicky Phillips
Opinion

Real language skills need to deal with the unexpected

Unlike in many other subjects, the new modern foreign languages GCSE is retaining a listening and speaking component. This...

Nicky Phillips
Nicky Phillips