HC Deb 17 February 1983 vol 37 cc205-6W
Mr. Newens

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the foreign languages being taught at universities and institutions within the public

1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981
Universities in Great Britain
Welsh/other Celtic languages 235 251 257 261 265 256 254 256 277 276
French 4,328 4,507 4,432 4,454 4,442 4,619 4,693 4,842 5,100 4,986
French/German 1,088 1,224 1,585 1,704 1,616 1,639 1,798 1,947 2,092 2,212
German 2,135 2,036 2,095 2,043 1,938 1,919 1,960 2,051 2,141 2,177
Hispanic languages 918 947 920 950 981 1,057 1,065 1,023 997 994
Other Western European languages 1,954 2,084 2,104 2,273 2,522 2,688 2,816 2,958 3,087 3,264
Russian 810 733 734 703 629 587 603 586 553 535
Other Slavonic and Eastern European 77 98 93 92 100 96 109 108 96 85
Oriental/Asian/African languages 920 943 1,021 1,019 1,093 1,058 1,033 992 1,031 1,003
Classical and other general languages 5,052 5,043 4,889 4,986 5,472 5,750 6,017 6,225 6,148 6,261
Total 17,517 17,866 18,130 18,485 19,058 19,669 20,348 20,988 21,522 21,793
Public SectorEngland and Wales*
Welsh/other Celtic languages 12 18 13 40 40 172 132 46
French 4,057 3,029 3,118 2,925 2,564 2,368 2,459 3,336 4,789 5,322
French/German 521 554 705 558 321 394 257 418 508 320
German 3,208 2,613 2,168 2,257 1,622 1,545 1,381 1,721 2,701 3,165
Hispanic languages 1,398 1,182 1,123 1,081 861 793 730 929 1,550 2,003
Other Western European languages 1,061 865 799 709 613 527 597 685 930 1,302
Russian 236 210 209 163 172 146 214 154 181 214
Other Slavonic and Eastern European 41 81 67 57 49 18 64 58 111 176
Oriental/Asian/African languages 172 156 239 229 357 249 242 234 245 339
Classical and other general languages 1,749 1,949 2,099 2,403 2,756 3,155 3,667 3,489 4,951 4,855
Total 12,455 10,639 10,527 10,400 9,328 9,235 9,651 11,196 16,098 17,742
* England only for 1981.

sector which aim to provide courses for those of 18 years of age and above; and if he will estimate the number of students taking each language for each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Mr. Waldegrave

The complete list of courses including the range of foreign languages taught at universities is shown in the annual handbook of the Universities Central Council on Admissions "How to apply for admission to a university", a copy of which is in the Library. A similar compendium for the public sector institutions does not exist but each institution produces a prospectus giving the required information on courses. Two handbooks in the Library which provide a limited coverage of certain types of course in the public sector are the "Polytechnic Courses Handbook" and "Handbook of degree and advanced courses in institutes/colleges of higher education, colleges of education, polytechnics, university departments of education". The following tables give total student numbers in both sectors from 1972–73 to 1981–82 inclusive, in the standard subject classification for statistical purposes. A more detailed analysis is not readily available.

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