1+2 languages policy - local authority survey 2021: findings

4. Language learning in secondary schools

4.1 L2 provision

We asked local authorities how many of their secondary schools were providing an L2 entitlement. We defined this as:

• By full we mean an L2 is taught continuously from S1 to S3.
• By partial we mean an L2 is not taught continuously from S1 to S3.
• By none we mean an L2 is not taught at all from S1 to S3.

The responses received show that approx. 100% of secondary schools were providing either a full or partial L2 entitlement during 2020-21. This breaks down as follows:

L2 entitlement %

Full - 70%

Partial - 30%

None - 0%

By comparison, the 2018-19 survey also showed that approx. 70% of secondary schools were providing a full entitlement. However, as the preceding survey did not ask if they provided a partial entitlement, the change in methodology means we cannot make a direct comparison. It may be that some of those reporting a full or no entitlement in 2018-19 would have responded differently if the option of choosing a partial entitlement had been available. The most conservative interpretation is that L2 provision has remained static since 2018-19.

The most taught L2 language continued to be French, being taught by approx. 86% of secondary schools that provided an entitlement (89% in 2018-19).

N.b. This data may contain multiple counting of some schools, e.g. a school may offer both French and Spanish as L2 languages. Out of 315 schools.

Spanish and German remained the second and third most taught languages, being taught by 23% and 11% of schools respectively (19% and 11% in 2018-19). Gaelic (Learners) was taught by 5% of schools (6% in 2018-19), with the other L2 languages each being taught by less than 1% of schools respectively.

4.2 L3 provision

We asked local authorities how many of their secondary schools were providing an L3 entitlement. We defined this as follows:

• That, in addition to the L2, one or more languages are taught as a planned part of the curriculum at some point during the broad general education.

The responses received show that approx. 87.5% secondary schools were providing an L3 entitlement in 2020-21 (83% in 2018-19).

L3 entitlement %

Yes - 87.5%

No - 12.5%

The most taught L3 language continued to be Spanish, being taught by 71% of secondary schools that provided an entitlement.

N.b. This data may contain multiple counting of some schools, e.g. a school may offer both French and Spanish as L3 languages for different year groups. Out of 315 schools.

The uptake in 'Other' languages being taught as an L3 has increased, albeit not as markedly as in primary schools. Similarly though, both BSL and Scots were the languages driving the increase (3 and 2 schools respectively in 2018-19).

N.b. Out of 20 schools