German at risk as A-level languages continue to fall

A SHARP drop in the study of languages at A-level in Wales has sparked concern.

- STEPHANIE COLDERICK Reporter

A British Council Wales report, published yesterday, shows a significant drop in the number of post-16 pupils picking languages, with two-fifths of Welsh secondary schools offering no post-16 languages, particularly in less affluent areas.

British Council Wales has warned that recent progress in language learning could be lost, and German is at risk of disappearing from the A-level curriculum in Wales within three years.

The Language Trends Wales 2025 report paints a mixed picture, with increased uptake at primary level and some recovery at GCSE, but a continuing decline in post-16 study.

Conducted by Queen's University Belfast, the research charted progress and challenges in language education under the New Curriculum for Wales.

At primary level, more than 80% of schools now teach an international language, double the figure in 2022.

French remains the most common, followed by Spanish and Arabic, while some schools are introducing British Sign Language, Polish and Portuguese.