UCML welcomes the article published in today’s Times Higher Education by Professor Katherine Astbury (University of Warwick), refuting recent claims that UCAS statistics show an alarming decline in modern languages study at university level. Placing this data in context, Professor Astbury makes clear that languages in Higher Education have evolved and diversified, and that this diversity is a cause for celebration:
“More than ever, the UK needs specialist language graduates in order to navigate an increasingly intercultural, cross-cultural and transnational world. For many language departments, […] this is a period of transition, rather than one of despair”.
UCML is currently analysing granular UCAS data from 2012-18 that will shed further light on this issue. In the meantime, you can read the full article on the THE website.