THOUSANDS of Sheffield teenagers are turning their backs on the chance to learn a foreign language - with numbers taking GCSEs in subjects like French, German and Spanish plummeting.
Studying a GCSE language course stopped being compulsory in 2004 and in 2007 there were almost 2,000 fewer pupils taking the subjects.
The fall in entries from boys has been particularly sharp - they shrank to 857 - more than 40 per cent over a tw
o year period.
Pass rates among students taking GCSEs have risen sharply as a result, rising by more than 25 per cent in three years - suggesting pupils who do not excel at languages are no longer being entered by their schools in those courses. Secondary schools are required to make GCSE language courses available to all students.
Pupils still have to take a language from the ages of 11 and 14, and more primary schools are teaching languages than ever before - 111 at the last count.
It will be compulsory for children to learn a language from the age of seven to 11 from 2010, and many schools are introducing lessons in advance of that date.
Language teaching has even been introduced in nursery and infant schools across Sheffield - 18 offer classes for three to five-year-olds, while 37 schools have lessons for five to seven-year-olds.
Some of the 14 to 16-year-olds are still learning a language - around 200 - but are not taking the more academic GCSE courses, councillors will be told next week.
Instead they are taking new-style vocational language courses, such as a trailblazing project which links languages with the world of business. This has been especially popular with boys, who prefer to see a clear purpose for mastering a language.
The initiative has won three national prizes.
Thirteen different languages are available at A level and their student numbers have fluctuated, according to the report to be presented to a scrutiny panel.
Entries fell from just over 600 to 368 between 2004 and 2006, but then recovered to 506 in 2007.
Coun Harry Harpham, cabinet member for children's services, said the council was working very hard to make sure that children and young people had every opportunity to study languages.
"We make every effort to make language learning exciting and attractive. We are also seeing great results from our work with businesses to promote the value of languages in the workplace."
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