French is the second most-learned foreign language in the world after English but has seen its popularity wane in British and US schools in recent years amid a general downturn in language learning.
Is this a sign that French is becoming less desirable as a foreign language and what is being done to boost learning?
How popular is French?
There are currently 132 million people learning French, according to France’s foreign ministry, up from around 120 million in 2014. The total number of French speakers globally is around 321 million - most of whom live in Africa.
It is also the fifth most widely spoken language in the world after Mandarin, English, Spanish and Arabic and the official language of 32 states and governments as well as the International Olympic Committee and the United Nations.
Read more: How long should it take to learn French for everyday use?
French learning in the UK
The UK struggles when it comes to language learning compared to some of its global cousins. A parliamentary report into languages in the UK in 2024 concluded “language learning in England is consistently poor when compared with foreign language learning in other countries”.
French has traditionally been the main foreign language taught in UK schools, but some of the latest data shows it is fast losing ground to Spanish.
Spanish was the most popular language at A-Level in 2023 for the fourth year in a row and is predicted to overtake French at GCSE, according to the British Council’s Language Trends England 2024 report.
Read more: Man who speaks 50 languages gives his tips on learning French
In its 2023 report, the British Council put the popularity of Spanish down to its “importance for the UK both for tourism and as a global business language, as well as being the second most widely spoken first language in the world”.
It notes there is a case to be made that “better recognition of the practical use of languages could lead to bigger uptake”.
More international opportunities at independent schools
Pupils at independent schools “received far greater access to international engagement opportunities and language assistants” according to the British Council’s Language Trends England 2024 report.
“In a multilingual and multicultural Britain, every child should have the opportunity to learn a language,” said Scott McDonald, Chief Executive of the British Council.
The report also noted 60% of schools have had difficulties recruiting language teachers. As fewer students study languages at GCSE and A-Level, fewer go on to study languages at university and become language teachers.
French learning in the US
While French is the second most popular foreign language taught in US schools after Spanish, there has been a general decline in the number of students studying modern languages at US universities, which is cause for concern according to a 2023 report by the Modern Language Association.
Enrollment in foreign languages courses at US universities dropped by an unprecedented 16.6% between 2016 and 2021 according to the report.
There had been strong growth in the number of people taking language courses between 1980-2009. But after peaking in 2009, the number of students taking French has dropped by 37%.
Some have warned the drop in language learners could even be a threat for US national security, as there are fewer linguists studying essential languages such as Russian and Arabic.
In 2016, a quarter of State Department foreign positions were filled by people who did not meet the language requirements for the role.
French in France
It is not just abroad where the standards of French could be slipping. An investigation into Paris’ famed Sciences Po university released in July 2024 by French daily Le Figaro found that “spelling gaps, syntax errors and grammar mistakes have become commonplace in exam papers”.
One teacher says staff cannot be as demanding as they were 20 years ago when it comes to the “mastery of the French language”.
What can be done?
Promoting French
Promoting the learning of French is important to the French government. In fact, President Macron, in 2018 unveiled the International Strategy for the French Language and multilingualism, which aims to promote French as a global language.
Mr Macron promised to boost French amid a widespread dominance of English. “This domination is not inevitable. It’s up to us to set some rules… and make French the language with which one has access to a number of opportunities,” he said.
Boosting languages funding
In the UK, where language learning has plummeted in popularity in recent years, the National Consortium for Languages Education is aiming to address some of the issues that are causing the decline.
The €12.3million Department of Education programme aims to increase takeup of languages by forming 15 Language Hubs – secondary schools that will work with other schools and primary schools to boost language learning.
New ways of learning French
While French may be a less popular subject in the classroom, there are many people who choose to study the language using less traditional methods.
French was the third most popular language studied on Duolingo, the world’s most downloaded education app, in 2023.
There are also a growing number of French teachers using social media to reach new audiences such as Cécilia Jourdan, who has 1.5 million Instagram followers for her account Hello French, on which she gives language-learning tips and cultural recommendations in a fun, accessible way.
French is also one of the most popular languages to learn on TikTok – it was the fifth most popular language to learn on TikTok, with the hashtag #learnFrench getting 941 million views.
Read more: Eight phrases to help with everyday small talk in France
Did you learn French at school? Does more need to be done to improve language learning in the UK and US? Tell us your experience at feedback@connexionfrance.com
