The Language Trends Northern Ireland 2025 report is based on responses from over 55% of post-primary schools, 17.4% of primary schools, and more than 1,000 Year 9 pupils.  

The research was carried out by Dr Ian Collen and Dr Jayne Duff from the Centre for Language Education Research (CLER) at Queen’s on behalf of the British Council Northern Ireland, following the 2023 report, which showed signs of recovery in language learning after the Covid-19 pandemic. 

This year’s report reveals that home, heritage and community languages are gaining significant visibility and support in Northern Ireland’s education system. There are now more than 21,350 newcomer pupils (learners whose home language is neither English nor Irish) enrolled in Northern Ireland schools, accounting for 6% of the school population in 2024-25. More schools are offering support to pupils to take exams in their home languages, with 70.5% of the post-primary schools surveyed offering pupils the opportunity to sit exams in their home or community languages, either within the school or externally. 

The research also highlights the growing linguistic diversity in schools, with nearly 30 different languages spoken at home by pupils in post-primary education. These include Arabic, Lithuanian, Bulgarian, Romanian, Polish, Portuguese and Mandarin. Some schools report offering these heritage languages as part of enrichment or extra-curricular programmes. 

Key findings: 

• Spanish overtakes French: Spanish is now the most widely taught language at Key Stage 3 reflecting broader trends in GCSE entries, where Spanish continues to rise while French and German decline. 

• Home, heritage and community languages on the rise: 70.5% of responding schools offer exams in home, heritage and community languages. 

• Renewed growth and interest in the Irish language:  41.9% of responding post-primary schools now teach Irish at Key Stage 3 (up from 35% in 2023), while GCSE entries have risen by 14.9% in 2024 compared to the previous year.  

• Increase in language learning at primary level: Primary languages appear to be bouncing back after the Covid-19 pandemic - Almost two-thirds (64.7%) of respondents are currently teaching languages in primary schools – up 10% compared to 2023. 

• Statutory support: 74.3% of responding primary schools favour making language learning mandatory (down from 84% in 2023). 

• AI use limited: Despite growing interest in digital tools, the majority of post-primary are not using AI for language teaching and in post-primary the use is still limited. 

• Pupil voices: While three in four Year 9 pupils enjoy language classes, 89% see little relevance to their future careers and less than one-third currently intend to study a language at GCSE. 

 
For the first time, the research also looked at AI technology in post primary and post-primary classrooms. It found that although some post-primary schools in Northern Ireland are using AI, uptake remains limited. A few schools (7.6%) use AI technology regularly and over two-fifths (41.9%) use it occasionally in a few lessons per month. However, nearly half (49.5%) do not use AI at all in language teaching. Meanwhile, in primary schools the majority (81.3%) of teachers have never used AI technology. 

This shows that while AI is beginning to make inroads into post-primary language classrooms - more so than in primary schools - most schools have yet to adopt it widely. Those that do are exploring its use to enhance engagement and potentially support grammar, translation, and speaking practice.  

Speaking about the research findings, Dr Collen from Queen’s said: “Artificial Intelligence is not just a buzzword; it’s a transformative force that is shaping industries, societies, and the way we learn languages. Our research suggests that AI is underdeveloped in local classrooms; the launch of the Strategic Review of the Northern Ireland Curriculum presents an opportunity to align language pedagogy with powerful knowledge from and through AI, enriching pupils’ learning and fostering skills which are relevant today and in the future.” 

The report also cites several factors as barriers to uptake at post-primary level. 49% of post-primary schools report that language classes won’t run without sufficient enrolment, a third (33.3%) of schools surveyed discourage lower-attaining pupils from taking languages and 36.2% report that pupils may be advised by senior leadership not to take a language. 

Teachers continue to express concern about the nature and content of external exams, describing them as one of the biggest challenges to providing high-quality language learning. Few schools reported that pupils received higher grades than expected in language exams. In terms of curriculum reform, 80% of teachers said they would welcome a defined word list at GCSE, giving students access to the most frequently occurring vocabulary. 

Also commenting on the research was Jonathan Stewart, Director, British Council Northern Ireland. He said: “We are encouraged by the positive trends revealed in this report - especially the growth in language learning at primary level and the growing number of schools offering exams in home, heritage and community languages. 

“At the British Council, we understand that learning a language fosters connections, trust, and understanding between people, communities, and countries. Through our Language Assistant Programme and our other international school programmes, we help connect Northern Ireland’s schools and young people with peers worldwide, enriching language learning through genuine cultural exchange and global perspectives. Language skills and international experiences are essential valuable assets for Northern Ireland’s future, particularly as young people face an increasingly complex and interconnected global landscape.” 

To read the full report and find out more about Language Trends Northern Ireland, visit:  https://nireland.britishcouncil.org/programmes/education/language-trends or follow #LanguageTrendsNI on X.  

The full Language Trends Northern Ireland report 2025 can be downloaded here: https://nireland.britishcouncil.org/programmes/education/language-trends 

 

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