Welsh bucks UK trend of continued falls in GCSE language uptake
The Welsh language has bucked the trend of continued falls in the number of students taking up GCSE languages.
Welsh Second Language saw a rise from 21,351 to 21,798 students gaining a result in the subject this year compared to 2020.
Languages have seen the sharpest decline in all GCSE subjects across the UK in recent years, with both French and German entries falling by over a quarter over the past decade.
Portuguese, Russian, Arabic, Italian and Polish also saw declines this year, according to the Joint Council for Qualifications.
Across the UK, only Welsh second language, Spanish and Chinese saw an increase in the number of pupils learning a language.
The number studying Welsh as a first language was also up from 5,415 in 2020 to 5,904 in 2021.
In Wales alone, French saw a decrease from to 2,711 in 2021. German saw a decrease from 556 to 485. Spanish meanwhile saw an increase from 1,120 to 1,553.
Welsh second language is the fourth most taken up language GCSE across the UK, after French, Spanish and German.
More pupils took Welsh second language GCSEs than Italian, Urdu, Polish, Arabic and Chinese.
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Le lingue sono molto importanti 😊
Dw i’n cytuno! 😁
“German saw a decrease from 556 to 485”
Nur 485 Leute? Wieso?
Klassenfeinde der DDR!
It would be interesting to see if reasons for this can be identified.
I think the rise in Welsh learners is obvious. Our nation and culture is once again under attack from the Westminster elite and their CofE and BBC proxies. As always, Cymru rises in defence of itself. The support for independence has never been higher.
The drop in other languages? Dunno. Perhaps the flag-shaggers have opted out because they don’t want to sully their mouths with “dirty forriner lingo” and instead only talk proper queens Inglish?
The article refers to Welsh children studying fewer modern languages.
In two areas à shockingly low amount.
Are you genuinely calling children flag shaggers?
Is it not a compulsory GCSE subject? Don’t get me wrong but does this not impact the numbers?