On Wednesday 19 February 2003, Professor Mike Kelly presented a new report commissioned by the Nuffield Languages Programme. Written by Professor Kelly and Dr Diana Jones of the University of Southampton, the report examines the new landscape for languages emerging from recent trends in post-16 education in the UK.

In May 2000 the Nuffield Inquiry drew attention to the far-reaching changes taking place in languages provision in Higher Education in the UK. This new report shows that the trends identified by the Inquiry have since accelerated.

That is important in itself, but the consequences extend well beyond Higher Education. The changes in provision in universities will affect the decisions being made by young people in schools and colleges. Conversely, changes at the 14-19 level will affect the courses and training offered by the universities. Both will have profound long term effects, not least on the future supply of language teachers.

One of the key themes of the Nuffield Inquiry was its exploration of the interdependence of developments in the various sectors of education and the consequences for the world beyond education. It was in this context that Professor Kelly was commissioned to investigate the changes taking place in Higher Education and to explore their implications for the HE sector and for schools and colleges.

As the report makes clear, the changes present both threats and opportunities, all of which must be thoroughly considered and debated. The government has recently launched its strategy for languages in the UK. The success of the strategy will depend on what happens at these crucial stages of education and we hope that the publication of this report will make a timely contribution to the debate.

The Steering Group of the Languages Programme would like to thank Professor Kelly and Dr Diana Jones for their work. We also appreciate the involvement of the many people who have in various ways contributed to the writing of this report.

The report is available in full from this site. Click on the link above to download A new Landscape for Languages.

If you would like a printed copy of the report, please e-mail us at nuflang@nuffieldfoundation.org.

To view the report in Adobe PDF format, you may need a copy of Adobe Reader. This can be downloaded free of charge from www.adobe.com