Why do Pupils Opt out of Foreign Language Courses? A Pilot Study

Summary Most young Britons do not continue their foreign language study beyond the age of 14. The National Curriculum will require all pupils to continue to 16. A questionnaire given to those who opted out at an earlier stage of their education sought to establish reasons for their decisions. Pupils described their perceptions of the courses, and certain factors, such as preferred activities, apparent level of difficulty, relationships with teachers and position in option patterns, were cited. Particularly important in forming negative student attitudes were activities perceived as irrelevant, unhelpful career advice, negative impressions about progress, dislike of teachers and lack of opportunities for contact with the target country.