- Entries for international languages in Northern Ireland see an increase in German, Irish and Spanish after declines in 2023
- Spanish is the most popular language with a continued year-on-year increase, up 7% this year to 3,734 entries, followed by French and Irish
- Irish sees a jump of 15% to 1861 entries compared to 2023
- German sees an increase of 14% to 624 entries compared to 2023
Jonathan Stewart, Director, British Council Northern Ireland says:
“On behalf of British Council Northern Ireland huge congratulations to all students in Northern Ireland receiving their GCSE language results today.
Today’s results reflect the hard work and commitment of students and their schools and we wish the students well as they take their next steps into further education, training, employment and other pathways.
It’s heartening to see significant increases for most language entries at GCSE in Northern Ireland this year, with a rise in the number of pupils studying German and Irish after dips in entries last year, which could signify the start of an upward trend, and Spanish continues its year-on-year increase to be the most popular language at GCSE in Northern Ireland.
In our multicultural society and interconnected world, it is more important than ever to promote languages in our schools and colleges, and for our young people to see the value of languages. We know that learning a language enhances intercultural understanding, and has considerable benefits for individual career pathways, as well as the wider economy. Languages help us to connect with people, work together on global challenges, and open doors for us to discover the world.”
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Find out more about language provision in Northern Ireland in the British Council’s Language Trends Northern Ireland 2023 report.
For further information contact:
Anna Christoforou, Senior Media and Campaigns Manager, UK, British Council
E: Anna.christoforou@britishcouncil.org