A 2023 YouGov poll found that only 21% of UK adults can hold a conversation in a language other than their mother tongue. About half of the other 79% regretted not engaging more with languages at school, and more than half of all those polled were interested in learning a new language.
By comparison, some 60% of EU citizens surveyed in 2022 reported good or proficient foreign language skills.
Something is clearly going wrong with foreign language learning in UK schools, and this is not improving. For example, A-level entries in modern languages in England as a percentage of all A-level entries has fallen since 2010.
Yet our research shows that many pupils in England and Wales are curious about how language has been shaped by society, culture and history, and how contact between people from different backgrounds leads to language change. A languages curriculum oriented around linguistics – the critical and analytical study of language itself – could meaningfully address the decline in language learning.
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In March 2025, the interim report of an ongoing review of school curriculum and assessment in England was published. This called for changes to how language learning takes place in schools.
Some of the issues identified are not exclusive to the languages curriculum. The authors point out that, in general, pupils do not see their lives and interests represented in what they are taught, and that the curriculum is not responsive to social change. At the same time, the report recognises that young people’s understanding of culture through language is essential.
The national languages curriculum has been recognised as problematic for some time. Unlike all other subjects at GCSE and A-level, including highly practical subjects like physical education and music, languages in schools are taught and assessed almost purely as skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening. They lack critical, theoretical and analytical dimensions.
Furthermore, the topics covered, while broad, are socially skewed to the point that it can make them difficult for pupils to relate to: discussions of alpine skiing holidays abroad, for instance. This does little to change the view that studying languages is the preserve of the elite.
Our work with language teachers, together with colleagues Alice Corr, Norma Schifano and Sascha Stollhans, suggests that including linguistics in the languages curriculum can tackle some of these shortcomings.
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Linguistics allows a language – with all of its richness and complexity – to be studied as a psychological, cultural and historical object, enabling pupils to probe how it is shaped by (and shapes) society. Rather than simply learning vocabulary and grammar, and using them to talk about, say, regional identity or multiculturalism, linguistics-based lessons focus on how language relates to these topics.
Linguistics could also enhance the teaching of other subjects including English as a first or additional language, as well as subjects such as history, geography, maths and science. This is because linguistics encourages a framework for analysis that is readily applicable to other subjects.
What’s more, the soft skills obtained from this approach to language learning can enhance employability, fostering language experts that are better prepared for the real world. This would make school languages an attractive choice even for those not wishing to pursue a languages degree.
For the UK to meet its societal, economic and commercial challenges, we require more linguists of all kinds, as this 2020 proposal for a national languages strategy from institutions including the British Council and Universities UK highlights.
Our own research shows that a languages curriculum enriched with linguistics is appealing to both students and teachers. It can enhance motivation and confidence among pupils, while contributing to a more diverse and comprehensive learning experience.
We have also shown that it can easily be integrated into language teaching without additional teacher training. Above all, a linguistics-rich curriculum can help students feel represented in their learning, allowing them to reflect on cultural and social issues they understand and feel strongly about.
The numbers speak volumes
Language learning in schools in England in particular has long been in decline. The statistics mask wider systemic problems, too. School language departments are increasingly under-resourced or are closing altogether. This means fewer pupils learning languages at A-level and beyond, and many fewer training to be language teachers.
Plugging this shortage with teachers from abroad has also become increasingly difficult, particularly since Brexit, creating a vicious circle.
There is a knock-on impact for higher education. Ongoing closures of university language programmes have led to “cold spots” emerging in parts of the country: areas where no universities offer language degrees. Access to higher language learning thus risks becoming a postcode lottery, especially for those without the financial means to study far away from their home town.
A significant change in how languages are taught is needed – and enriching language teaching with linguistics could be effective, feasible, and potentially transformative.
