The 2008 DCSF-commissioned research in language learning at KS2 found that French was the most commonly taught language in primary schools(offered by 89% of schools in 2008), followed by Spanish and German (25% and 10% respectively), while a small number of schools (three per cent or under) offered Italian, Chinese, Japanese and Urdu.

This consistent with findings from the same survey, conducted in 2007, which reported that French was the language most commonly taught, followed by Spanish, German and Italian. 89% of all schools providing primary languages offered French, 23% offered Spanish, and 9% offered German. A small number (under 3%) offered Italian, Chinese, Japanese or Urdu.

Earlier DfES research (2004) has indicated that some schools offer more than one language and schools using a language awareness model offered a range of languages.

• Primary modern foreign languages: survey of national implementation of full entitlement to language learning at Key Stage 2 ( NFER , commissioned by DCSF.)

Data collection method:

A sample of schools was drawn in 2006 and the first questionnaire was sent to 7,899 schools in October 2006 (a response rate of 48%). In subsequent years, the questionnaires were sent to the schools that had responded in 2006 (4,047 schools in 2007, with a response rate of 60%, and 3,535 in 2008, 67% response rate).

To address the possible resulting bias, a representative sub-sample of 500 schools was selected and data was collected from all the schools in this target group, for all three years of the survey.