Language Trends Scotland survey returns for second year

The Language Trends Scotland survey is now open for 2025-26, building on the success of the inaugural report published in February. The first report provided a comprehensive picture of modern language teaching in Scottish schools, with responses from 129 local authority primary schools and 113 local authority secondary schools. This year’s survey aims to reach more schools across the country.

The 2024-25 findings have already sparked important conversations among educators and policymakers around shifts in language preferences, with Spanish entries rising 50% over the past decade and Mandarin showing 50% growth in Higher entries between 2019 and 2024. The research also highlighted disparities in international engagement and teacher recruitment challenges, with 41% of local authority secondary schools reporting recruitment difficulties.

Harish Lokhun, Head of Education at British Council Scotland, explains the significance of year two:

Language Trends Scotland survey opens for 2025-26

"The inaugural Language Trends Scotland report revealed some fascinating shifts happening in our classrooms, from the rise of Spanish to the resilience of teachers running multi-level classes to keep languages alive.

“Now, we’ll be able to see whether these trends are continuing or evolving in new directions. This data will be invaluable for teachers, school leaders, and policymakers as they work to strengthen language education across Scotland, and to provide that vital opportunity for international engagement. Every school that participates is contributing to a richer understanding of where we're heading."

The survey has been developed by the team at the Northern Ireland Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research at Queen's University Belfast, working closely with Scottish education experts. It offers separate surveys tailored for primary schools, local authority secondary schools, and independent secondary schools to capture the distinct perspectives of each sector.

Schools and teachers can access the survey through the following links:

• Primary schools:
• Local Authority Secondary schools:
• Independent Secondary schools:

The results will provide crucial evidence of how language education is evolving in Scotland, offering insights that span from the classroom to the policy level. By tracking trends over time, the research will help identify what interventions are working and where additional support is needed.

This research contributes to the British Council's Language Trends series, which has provided valuable insights into language education across the UK for over two decades, with annual surveys in England, Scotland, and Wales, and biennial research in Northern Ireland.

More Information: For more details about the Language Trends research and to access the 2024 Scotland report, visit British Council Scotland's Language Trends Research site. Educators are also encouraged to sign up for British Council Scotland's Education newsletter for future updates.