University language courses now easier to get on

Guardian 15 May 2015

New figures suggest that a student’s chances of getting into a leading university to study languages have increased in the past five years, as interest dwindles and applications plummet, writes Sally Weale for the Guardian.

At Cambridge University, applications to study European languages dropped from 580 in 2010 to 385 in 2014, meaning students now have a 44.2% chance of getting a place compared with 28.4% in 2010. At King’s College London there were 1,165 applications and 150 acceptances in 2010, an acceptance rate of 12.9%. In 2014 there were 575 applications and 125 acceptances, taking the rate up to 21.7%.

There are growing concerns among academics, politicians and business leaders about the decline in modern languages in England’s schools and universities, and fears that more courses in sixth forms and higher education institutions will be forced to close.
Full report on the Guardian site

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