Introduction

A huge thank you to the authors of the Language Trends Engand 2025 report, Dr Ian Collen and Jayne Duff, whose work continues to provide vital insights and guidance for language education in England.

Every year, the Language Trends England report offers crucial insights into the health of language learning across English schools. Commissioned by the British Council and conducted by Queen’s University Belfast, the 2025 edition draws on a broad dataset from primary, secondary, and independent schools across the country. The survey includes over 1,500 responses, providing one of the most reliable barometers of Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) provision in England.

Its aim is simple yet vital: to track trends in uptake, identify inequalities, explore teacher experiences, and assess the impact of policy, curriculum reform, and innovation. In the current post-Brexit, post-pandemic context—and amid significant GCSE and A-level reforms—this year’s report paints a picture of cautious optimism, persistent inequality, and emerging shifts in classroom practice.

Key Findings Across the Sectors

1. Primary Languages Provision

• French remains the dominant language, taught in 70% of primary schools, followed by Spanish (26%) and German (6%). However, uptake varies regionally and demographically.
• A significant barrier in primary remains teacher confidence and subject knowledge, with 63.6% of languages being taught by generalist primary teachers.
• Only 25.6% of primary schools report having access to a language specialist, making curriculum depth and progression more difficult to achieve.
• Time constraints continue to impact delivery. Around 18.9% of schools say they’ve reduced time for languages due to pressures from English and Maths.
• Multilingual awareness initiatives (e.g., celebrating home languages, multilingual displays) are more common in urban and multicultural schools. About 47.8% of schools promote linguistic diversity actively.
• AI use is minimal in primary: over 75% of schools never use AI for language teaching.

2. Transition from KS2 to KS3

• Only 50% of primary schools have any contact with local secondary MFL departments, despite KS2–KS3 transition being a long-standing issue.
• Just 2% of secondary schools report that all of their Year 7 students continue with the same language studied in primary school.
• Information-sharing is weak: only 27.5% of secondary schools receive any detail on pupils’ prior language knowledge or attainment.
• Schools involved in NCLE Language Hubs report slightly improved transition communication but acknowledge that transition remains disjointed in most areas.

3. Secondary Language Study and Inequality

• Spanish continues to grow, particularly in inner-city schools, while German is now taught in fewer than 1 in 10 schools. When taught, German tends to be concentrated in more affluent areas. French continues to be the most offered language at KS3, while Spanish retains more pupils at the age 14 and age 16 transition points;
• There is a stark social divide: students in more affluent areas are much more likely to take a language GCSE. In Quintile 1 schools (least deprived), 69% of students study a language at GCSE; in Quintile 5 schools (most deprived), the figure drops to 47%.
• On average, responding secondary school teachers estimate 53 per cent of their Year 11 pupils are currently learning a language for GCSE;
• GCSE reforms introduced in 2024 have been broadly welcomed, with 34.2% of teachers saying they expect increased uptake as a result.
• Curriculum time for MFL is under pressure in lower-attaining schools, where leaders report competing priorities (e.g. English, Maths catch-up).

4. Teacher Recruitment and Staffing

• Recruitment challenges are widespread. 63% of state secondary schools report difficulties in hiring MFL teachers, and retention is particularly poor in areas with high deprivation.
• Some schools rely heavily on non-specialists or teachers with limited training, particularly in Spanish.
• Independent schools face fewer staffing issues, reflecting broader inequalities in resourcing and training provision.

5. Home, Heritage and Community Languages (HHCL)

• While 78% of secondary schools cover the cost of GCSE or A-level exam entries for HHCLs, these are often treated as extracurricular or parental responsibilities.
• Very few schools formally integrate HHCLs into their curriculum or timetabled lessons.
• Access to community-based provision remains uneven, with many students reliant on weekend schools or religious organisations.
• Some students are dissuaded from sitting exams due to concerns over complexity, unfamiliar question types, or lack of academic support.

6. International Engagement and Exchange

• 74% of secondary schools now offer international visits or exchanges again, marking a recovery from pandemic-era cancellations.
• Independent schools are more likely to offer multiple trips and longer exchanges, while state schools report increasing costs and parental affordability as barriers.
• The Turing Scheme is still underutilised: 49% of teachers say they’re not familiar with it, and many cite bureaucratic obstacles or lack of administrative support.

7. Technology and Innovation

• AI tools are beginning to appear in some secondary classrooms, although only 12% of schools report regular use.
• Teachers express interest in using AI for grammar practice, sentence generation, and differentiation, but cite time, training, and trust as barriers to full adoption.
• Primary schools show very low levels of AI engagement, with most citing lack of access to appropriate devices or software.

A Spotlight on Extensive Processing Instruction (EPI)

The 2025 report highlights a notable trend in language pedagogy: the increasing adoption of Extensive Processing Instruction (EPI) in secondary schools. According to the findings, one-third of secondary schools explicitly mentioned EPI as their preferred approach for teaching modern foreign languages.

Schools describe EPI as being used consistently from Year 7 to Year 11, with teachers characterising the approach as structured and systematic. It is commonly integrated across six thematic units per year and is valued for helping teachers deliver grammar, vocabulary, and phonics in a cohesive and coordinated manner.

One head of department explained its use in practice:

“Extensive Processing Instruction is now fully embedded from Y7 to Y11 in French and Spanish. Use of sentence builders and parallel texts to deliver 7 codified Key Skills per year group, focusing on opinions in Y7, present and near future in Y8 and past, present and future in Y9. Skills run through 6 topics, one per term, and are layered vertically (by target level) and horizontally (to build year on year).”

Many teachers also describe mixing EPI with other techniques, adapting it flexibly within their departmental context. As one head of languages reported:

“We use a mixture of styles. We do use explicit instruction rather than an investigation style approach. We do include the 3 pillars: phonics, vocabulary and grammar. We find there is not much room in the curriculum for the creative and fun things. Any that we do have are planned in! We do use sentence builders and some aspects of EPI approach. But we agree that we have a variety of learners and a one style approach does not suit all.”

Conclusion

The Language Trends England 2025 report offers a detailed and timely snapshot of the challenges and opportunities facing MFL education. While barriers persist—particularly around staffing, primary–secondary transition, and socioeconomic inequalities—there are clear signs of progress and innovation.

The revival of international exchanges, a growing interest in structured methodologies like EPI, and a steady increase in Spanish uptake show that MFL teaching in England is adapting to a changing educational and political landscape. To build on this momentum, greater investment in training, policy coherence between phases, and inclusive curriculum design will be essential. Above all, the report calls for sustained, system-wide support to ensure that all learners, regardless of background, can access the benefits of language learning.