Language Trends Northern Ireland 2025

Language Trends Northern Ireland is a biennial survey and report relating to the teaching and learning of languages in primary and post-primary schools in Northern Ireland. The Language Trends series shows general shifts in data and seeks to provide a springboard for teachers, school leaders, academics, inspectors, policy makers, school pupils and the public to consider aspects of language learning more deeply.

We are particularly interested in hearing views from those schools in which languages are less popular – tell us your thoughts. We will also be gathering pupil voice, by speaking to Year 9 pupils via a survey. These results will also form part of the final report.

The survey is now closed.

The research is carried out by Dr Ian Collen and Dr Jayne Duff at Queen's University Belfast on behalf of British Council Northern Ireland.

Keep an eye out on our social media channels and if you have any queries please do contact: diana.farrelly@britishcouncil.org 

DOWNLOAD THE PREVIOUS REPORTS BELOW:

About Language Trends

Language Trends Northern Ireland surveys schools anonymously on their languages provision and has run in England since 2003 and in Wales since 2015. This is the fourth time the research has been conducted in Northern Ireland, following on from our inaugural report in 2019.

Language Trends Northern Ireland 2023

Headline statistics from the 2023 report include:

  • Decline in language learning has plateaued at post-primary – with Spanish now the most popular language at both A-level and GCSE
  • Irish has replaced French as the second most popular language at A-level
  • Language teaching in primary schools is recovering following the Covid-19 pandemic
  •  Most pupils do not see languages being part of their future career, with just 14.2 per cent of those surveyed expressing any likelihood of using languages in the future
  • The gap in language uptake continues to widen between grammar schools and secondary schools
  • Almost one in five (19%) of Year 9 pupils would like to learn Italian at school

 Read the report's key findings below

Language Trends Northern Ireland 2021

Headline statistics from the 2021 report include:

  • 54 per cent of Year 9 pupils surveyed found language learning online harder during lockdown than their other subjects
  • Spanish is now the most popular language at A-level and if current trends continue will soon overtake French for the top spot at GCSE
  • It is likely that Irish will replace French in the next few years as the second most popular language at A-level
  • Language teaching in primary schools surveyed has all but collapsed due to Covid-19 
  • Most pupils do not see languages being part of their future career and just 44 per cent of the 1,528 pupils who chose to respond are planning to do a language for GCSE
  • Grammar schools continue to devote much more time to compulsory language learning than secondary schools

Download the report's key findings below.

Language Trends Northern Ireland 2019

Our first-ever Language Trends Northern Ireland report found that the number of pupils in Northern Ireland learning languages continues to fall.

Headline statistics from the report included:

  • From 2010-2018 the number of pupils learning languages at GCSE level declined by 19%: with significant falls in French (41%) and German (18%), while Spanish rose by 16%
  • Teachers report difficulty and grading of exams at GCSE level a big reason for the decline 
  •  55% of primary schools surveyed provide some form of language teaching
  •  Many teachers would like to see the return of the Primary Modern Language Programme

 Read the report's key findings & DOWNLOAD BELOW.

 

 

 

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