Current Issues Facing Modern Languages Departments in the UK Philip Ford

Shifts in MFL studies in schools: England, Wales, Northern Ireland 1995 GCSE French 62.6% GCSE German 23.1% GCSE Spanish 7.3% A-level French 56.5% A-level German 21.8% A-level Spanish 9.9% 2009 GCSE French 49.7% GCSE German 19.3% GCSE Spanish 17.7% A-level French 39.1% A-level German 15.7% A-level Spanish 20%

Percentage of 16 yr-olds taking GCSE MFL 2009: 45.2% 2008: 48.0% 2007: 48.6% 2005: 60.7% 2003: : 78.1%

Numbers taking A-level MFL 1996 French22,718 German9,306 Spanish4,095 All MFL39, French12,713 German5,631 Spanish5,502 All MFL28,419

UK first degree and p/g enrolment 2007–8 BA French8005 Spanish5100 German3105 Italian1320 Slavonic 890 p/g

UoAs entered for the RAE

Consequences of previous RAEs Research-related courses Shift of emphasis from teaching to research Increase in externally-funded research projects

Research-related courses Cinema Francophone literature History, politics, current affairs Gender studies and sexuality Contemporary thought and theory Popular culture (music, BD, Polars) Travel writing Visual culture

Research-related courses: the losers Full chronological coverage Non-contemporary literature, thought and culture Breadth Linguistics (2009 AUPHF survey showed 14/27 departments had no specialist in French linguistics)

REF changes One panel for Modern Languages (with 7 sub-panels) Outputs 65% Impact 20% Environment 15%

Library issues Cost of Eurozone books Multiciplicity of specialisms Individual-linked courses Need for translations of texts? Digital resources Budget and new fees régime Libraries as teaching resources