English asserting itself as new generation’s lingua franca

In the EU27 in 2009, 82% of pupils at primary and lower secondary level1 and 95% of those in upper secondary level general programmes were studying English as a foreign language. The second most commonly studied foreign language at primary and lower secondary level was French (16% of pupils), followed by German (9%) and Spanish (6%), while at upper secondary level it was German (27%), followed by French (26%) and Spanish (19%).

On the occasion of the 10th European Day of Languages2, celebrated each year on 26 September, Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, publishes data on language learning of school pupils. 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.

Eurostat: Press Release, STAT/11/138: European Day of Languages English studied as a foreign language by 95% of pupils at upper secondary level in the EU27 in 2009 Greater diversity in second most common foreign language studied http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=STAT/11/138&format=PDF&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

---