European Day of Languages English studied as a foreign language by 95% of pupils at upper secondary level in the EU27 in 2009 Greater diversity in second most common foreign language studied

STAT/11/138

26 September 2011

European Day of Languages
English studied as a foreign language by 95% of pupils at upper secondary level in the EU27 in 2009
Greater diversity in second most common foreign language studied

In the EU27 in 2009, 82% of pupils at primary and lower secondary level1 and 95% of those in upper secondary level general programmes1 were studying English as a foreign language. The second most commonly studied foreign language at primary and lower secondary level was French (16% of pupils), followed by German (9%) and Spanish (6%), while at upper secondary level it was German (27%), followed by French (26%) and Spanish (19%).

On the occasion of the 10th European Day of Languages2, celebrated each year on 26 September, Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, publishes data on language learning of school pupils. The general objectives of this event are to alert the public to the importance of language learning, to promote the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe and to encourage lifelong language learning in and out of school.

French second most commonly studied foreign language in primary and lower secondary level…

In 2009, at primary and lower secondary level, English was the most commonly studied language, with shares as high as 100% in Malta, 99% in Spain and Italy and 98% in Austria. French was the most commonly studied foreign language in Belgium, Ireland and the United Kingdom, while in Luxembourg it was German. There was more diversity in the second most commonly studied language with French and German recorded in seven Member States each, Russian in four, Spanish in three, Italian in two and Dutch and Swedish in one each.

… and German in upper secondary level

In upper secondary education, English was also the most commonly studied language, with over 90% in all Member States, except Hungary and Malta. French remained the most commonly studied language in Ireland and the United Kingdom and German in Luxembourg. The second most commonly studied language in upper secondary education was less diverse than in primary/lower secondary with German and French recorded in ten Member States each, Russian in three, Spanish in two and Swedish in one.

The most commonly studied foreign languages, 2009

% of pupils

Source: UOE (UNESCO/OECD/Eurostat data collection on education and training systems, Eurostat specific tables)

* In Belgium, the official state languages are Dutch, French and German; notably French is considered as a foreign language in the Belgium Flemish Community and Dutch is considered as a foreign language in the Belgium French Community.

** 2008 data: Estonia and Greece, 2007 data: Malta.

*** All students in Ireland study Irish in primary and secondary schools. Irish and English are official languages in Ireland.

**** France: primary education not covered.

***** Although the official languages in Luxembourg are French, German and Luxemburgish, for the purpose of education statistics, French and German are counted as foreign languages.

: Data not available

- Not applicable

Primary education (International Standard Classification of Education - ISCED - level 1): Depending on the country, primary education begins at between 4 and 7 years of age and generally lasts 5 to 6 years. Programmes are designed to give pupils a sound basic education in reading, writing and mathematics along with an elementary understanding of other subjects.

Lower secondary education (International Standard Classification of Education level 2): The contents of education at this stage are typically designed to complete the provision of basic education which began at ISCED level 1. The end of this level often coincides with the end of compulsory education where it exists.

Upper secondary education (International Standard Classification of Education level 3): Depending on the country, upper secondary education normally starts at 15 or 16 years of age, at the end of full-time compulsory education. General programmes: covers education that is not designed explicitly to prepare participants for a specific class of occupations or for entry into further vocational or technical educational programmes. Many programmes enable access to tertiary education.

• See website: http://edl.ecml.at

Eurostat news releases on the internet: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat