In the EU in 2008, 79% of pupils at primary level and 83% of those in upper secondary level general programmes were studying a foreign language. At both levels, English was the usual first foreign language. A second foreign language was studied by 10% of pupils at primary level and 39% at upper secondary level, with French and German the most common.

On the occasion of the European Day of Languages, celebrated each year on 26th of September, Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, publishes data on language learning of school pupils and perceived language skills of adults. The general objectives of this event are to alert the public to the importance of language learning, to promote the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe and to encourage lifelong language learning in and out of school.

Almost all primary pupils study a foreign language in Luxembourg, Sweden, Italy and Spain

The highest shares of pupils in primary education studying a foreign language in 2008 were found in Luxembourg and Sweden (both 100%), Italy (99%) and Spain (98%), and the lowest in Ireland (3%), the Netherlands (32%) and Hungary (33%). The proportion of pupils in primary education studying a second foreign language was highest in Luxembourg (83%) and Greece (24%).

Almost all students in upper secondary education general programmes in the Czech Republic, France, the Netherlands, Finland and Sweden were studying a foreign language. The lowest shares of students studying a foreign language were found in the United Kingdom (32%) and Ireland (58%). More than 80% of students were studying a second foreign language in Finland (92%), the Netherlands (86%) and Romania (83%).

30% of adults in the EU declare themselves as being proficient or good in a foreign language

In the EU in 2007, when adults aged 25 to 64 were asked to assess their level of proficiency in their best known foreign language, only 13% declared themselves as being proficient, 16% as being good, 30% as having a fair or basic knowledge and 38% as having no knowledge of a foreign language.

The share considering themselves as being proficient4 varied significantly between Member States, with the highest shares in Latvia (55%), Slovenia (45%) and Slovakia (44%) and shares of less than 10% in France, Romania, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Bulgaria, the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic.

The proportion of those declaring themselves as being good was highest in Sweden (40%), Estonia and Slovenia (both 33%), Finland and Cyprus (both 32%). Shares of less than 10% were found in Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria.

There was no specific data available for Malta.

Permalink: European Day of Languages In the EU celebrated today