Research and analysis

European survey on language competences: language proficiency in England

This study compares the foreign language skills of secondary school pupils in 14 European countries to provide information on pupils' linguistic skills to policymakers and teachers.

Documents

European survey on language competences: initial findings

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Details

This study compares the foreign language skills of secondary school pupils in 14 European countries. The survey’s objectives are to provide information on the foreign language knowledge of pupils in European countries; and to provide context information to policymakers and teachers, covering culture, policies and practices.

The survey assessed pupils’ ability to understand spoken or written texts and express themselves in writing. The tested languages were the five most widely-taught in Europe: English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. Each jurisdiction tested their pupils in two of these languages.

Each jurisdiction tested their pupils in two of these languages. In England these were French and German. Only those pupils in England who had chosen to take either French or German at Key Stage 4 were included in the sampling frame.

Updates to this page

Published 14 February 2013

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