Exam-entry statistics in the summer tend to prompt debates about the future of language learning in the UK. These are often framed around languages being in crisis: fewer young people study languages than two decades ago, and concerns persist about the UK’s linguistic capacity in an interconnected world.

The emerging figures for 2026 reinforce some of those concerns. But they also show a more complex picture than a simple narrative of decline. Language learning is changing unevenly, with growth in some places, fragility in many others, and important questions about which languages, learners and pathways are being valued.

Combined A-level entries in French, German and Spanish (the “modern foreign languages” traditionally taught in the UK) rose slightly in absolute terms in England, Northern Ireland and Wales – from 17,407 in 2025 to 17,616 in 2026. But this still lags behind the overall growth in A-level entries, which have increased by 2.7%.

Against that backdrop, the growth in language entries looks more fragile. Since 2022, the number of A-levels taken in the three languages has fallen from 19,820 to 17,616 – an over 11% decline in five years.

According to provisional data published by Ofqual, England’s exams regulator, GCSE entries in French, German and Spanish have seen a slight overall decrease in 2026, as have “other modern languages” and ancient languages.

Scotland has had a national policy commitment to language learning since 2013, yet sustaining uptake remains challenging there too.

While overall entries for........

© The Conversation