British universities are pointing to a profound 'societal shift' as they dismantle dozens of foreign language degrees and entire departments, citing a dramatic collapse in student demand. This trend raises a critical question: can the deep cultural understanding gained from years of study be replaced by AI translation tools and language apps?
The App Paradox: Young Brits are Learning, Just Not in Class
Michael Lynas, the UK country director for the Duolingo language app, firmly believes technology is no substitute for the real thing. He argues that the hard graft of learning a language offers an insider's view of another culture that apps cannot replicate.
'Sometimes people say, 'There's translation apps now so why would you need to learn a language'? But that's not what young people in the UK are saying,' Lynas stated. Contrary to the decline in formal education, data from his company reveals that users aged under 22 are the most prolific on the platform, often learning multiple languages.
'There are good cultural reasons to learn languages,' he emphasised. 'The UK is part of a global and interconnected world and there's a need to reach out to other people in ways that translation tools can't manage. Being able to speak, even only a few words, shows respect and makes connections in a unique way.'
A Growing Crisis in Higher Education
The situation in universities is stark. The University of Nottingham's recent announcement that it may axe its language degrees is the latest in a wave of closures. Over the past five years, nearly 50 centres for French, German, Italian, and Iberian studies have either closed or shrunk across the UK.
Megan Bowler, author of a recent Higher Education Policy Institute report on 'the languages crisis' sponsored by Duolingo, warns of the consequences. 'Graduate linguists are interdisciplinary thinkers who approach subtle nuances with a sophisticated awareness of societal and historical context,' Bowler said. 'These skills are now even more important in the age of AI – the closure of languages programmes may well be shortsighted.'
The pipeline from schools has been leaking for decades. In the last 30 years, A-level entries have plummeted: French has fallen from nearly 30,000 to below 10,000, and German from 10,000 to about 2,000 annually. While Spanish has shown improvement, it has not compensated for the catastrophic losses in other languages.
Real-World Impact on Careers and Culture
For those who have studied languages, the benefits are tangible. Hannah Sutcliffe, a graduate in Spanish and French from the University of Leicester, co-founded the virtual reality startup Moonhub. She credits her degree with providing vital skills for her career.
'They've allowed me to connect meaningfully with people from diverse backgrounds, approach business challenges with empathy and nuance, and navigate international opportunities with confidence,' Sutcliffe explained.
Academics on the frontline are disheartened. Dr Emma Staniland, a lecturer in Spanish studies at Leicester, shared a heartbreaking conversation with final-year students who felt the university's threat to close their department implied their chosen subject was a mistake.
'The more impossible it becomes to make that choice, the smaller the space is becoming, and then it will eventually only be for the elite,' Staniland lamented. 'Modern language degrees will be a rich person's hobby.'
Dr Maite Usoz de la Fuente, also a lecturer at Leicester, pointed to Brexit as a further deterrent. 'That possibility is now much harder. There's a barrier now to just simply going abroad and working as a British national,' she said, noting that globally-minded students are now cut off from potential career paths within the EU.
