To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the decline in the number of pupils studying a language after the age of 14, as reported in the 2009 Language Trends survey published on 20 January.

My Lords, the Government are taking action on a range of policies to reform language learning. We aim to boost take-up, post-14, in line with the late Lord Dearing’s recommendations in his 2007 review. We are introducing compulsory language learning in primary schools and encouraging increased take-up at secondary schools through the Routes into Languages programme. We are confident that, over time, these and other measures will mean more young people learning languages.

I thank the Minister for that Answer. Does he accept that the achievements in primary schools will be completely undermined if secondary schools continue to ignore the benchmark of 50 to 90 per cent of pupils taking a language until they are 16? Will he tell the House why Ofsted inspections no longer even ask a question about the take-up of languages, despite languages being designated—along with science and maths—as strategically important and vulnerable subjects?

We continue to recognise the ongoing challenges posed by issues such as the impact of the transition from primary to secondary school on language learning; that is a concern. We know from research by the National Foundation for Educational Research in 2009, published by the OU today, that some progress has been made in schools over the three years of the project, but we are not complacent. We have taken steps to address the issue for the key stage 2 framework for languages, such as guidance for teachers in the primary languages training zone. As I am sure the noble Baroness knows, we have trained a lot more teachers in languages for primary education.

It is not true to say that Ofsted no longer examines languages at secondary level. The inspection of schools will continue to cover the quality of teaching and learning in the curriculum and how it meets the needs of pupils. There has never been a specific requirement to cover modern foreign languages. Ofsted continues to carry out its rolling three-year subject reports into the teaching of each national curriculum subject, including modern foreign languages. The next one for languages is due in the autumn term of 2010.

Can my noble friend say a little more about the Business Language Champions programme, such as how many schools are involved? Has he recognised that there is a discrepancy in the report between state and independent schools in the teaching of some of the lesser-taught languages like Mandarin? What can he do to repair the damage within the state schools? What more can be done to bring independent and state schools together for the purpose of these specialised language opportunities?

There is significant, but mostly anecdotal, evidence among UKTI colleagues and business development professionals in the regions and overseas that UK businesses, in common with most EU economies, lose out due to a lack of language skills and awareness. So we understand the need.

On encouragement, while the numbers enrolled in courses for joint language honours degrees have increased by 5 per cent, the broad trends also conceal differences between individual languages; for example, numbers for Spanish, Chinese and Japanese studies have increased dramatically. In addition, an unrecorded number of students take a language module as part of their degree, and more than 25,000 are doing courses in their spare time. The National Centre for Languages is producing guidance and case studies on schools engaging with employers, and is working with employers to engage with schools.

My Lords, does the Minister accept that foreign exchange trips are really helpful to young people who are learning languages? Yet a lot of schools are very reluctant to carry them out; indeed, the survey says that only 40 per cent of schools have them. What are the Government doing to help schools overcome the practical difficulties, and the anxieties of parents about the safeguarding of their children and the vetting procedures in the foreign countries concerned?

I will have to get back to the noble Baroness about the safeguarding; I have no comment on that. However, there are other ways to achieve the same benefits. For example, there is a good project, Connecting Classrooms, which uses the internet as a way of achieving contact between schools from different countries. The British Council is involved in a number of those projects. I am not denying the importance of foreign trips. I am just saying that we ought to use the technology in imaginative ways to encourage young people to stay with language learning.

My Lords, does the Minister agree that foreign visits and family exchanges play an important role in learning a foreign language and about different ways of life? Can he tell me whether the new vetting scheme is likely to deter even more schools from organising these visits?

I agree with the noble Baroness about the importance of foreign trips, but I will have to get back to her on vetting.

My Lords, I am sure the Minister agrees that we are living in a global economy. Therefore, languages are absolutely crucial to most of our economies. What are the Government doing about training and retraining teachers in this important aspect to ensure that they get the message over to their students?

My Lords, we have trained more than 5,000 teachers in primary languages specialism and will continue to support the training of the workforce through this programme. We will continue to provide professional development opportunities for existing teachers to develop their language teaching skills.

My Lords, with four out of 10 children leaving primary school—

My Lords—

My Lords, I am afraid it is the Government’s turn.

It was the turn of the Front Bench.

Speaking from the Back Benches, and going to the original point made by the noble Baroness, Lady Coussins, about the transition from primary to secondary, does my noble friend agree with me that the most important thing in embedding a love of language in young children is that it should be enjoyed for its own sake and not as a means to an end? In what ways are the Government encouraging primary school teaching to instil a spirit of enjoyment in those who learn languages?

I thank my noble friend for that question. I absolutely agree with her. We know that compulsory language learning in secondary education did not guarantee success. CILT, the National Centre for Languages, is spreading best practice on imaginative approaches to teaching foreign languages. Schools are adopting interesting approaches. A school in Devon is introducing French into the teaching of physical education and there are other examples of schools teaching languages alongside other subjects to sustain interest in learning languages.