Want to get into Cambridge? Apply to study European languages

Chances of securing a spot at top universities such as Cambridge have doubled in five academic years as the number of applicants has fallen

Teenagers who dream of studying at Oxbridge should apply to study French or German, as their chances of being accepted have doubled in the past five years.

Chances of securing a spot at Britain’s top universities have soared because the number of applicants to European language courses has fallen, while the number of available places has remained the same.

The drop in applications is partly explained by a decrease in the popularity of European languages as a subject because of an emphasis from employers on business skills.

New data shows Cambridge University received 580 European language applications in 2010, and 165 acceptances, meaning 28.4 per cent of students were accepted. But in 2014 there were only 385 applications and 170 acceptances, meaning the chances of securing a place had soared to 44.2 per cent.

But while the chances of entering Cambridge doubled, the increase is much less marked at Oxford, where acceptances rose over the same period from 28.4 per cent to 32 per cent.

Other British elite universities have also seen a significant increase in the proportion of applications accepted for European language courses in the last five years.

Analysis by the Press Association looked at Ucas applications to study European languages, literature and related courses at the 24 Russell Group universities and the number of acceptances.

Overall, across all of the 24 Russell Group institutions - including the London School of Economics and Imperial College which did not record any figures for European languages - there were 17,390 applications in 2010 and 2,765 acceptances - a rate of 15.9 per cent. In 2014 across these universities, there were 14,075 applications and 2,455 acceptances – a rate of 17.4 per cent.

Critics claim the decline of foreign language studies can be traced back to a decision by Labour to make languages optional for 14-year-olds in England for the first time in 2004.

This triggered a sharp drop in the number of teenagers choosing to study the subjects – traditionally seen as the most difficult academic disciplines – at both GCSE and A-level.

Dr Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group, said that their universities want to see more students studying languages at GCSE and beyond.

She said: "It is a real shame that so many students have missed out on taking languages over the last few years, and we hope to see entries increasing at GCSE and advanced level.”

Ian Bauckham, headteacher of Bennett Memorial Diocesan School, in Tunbridge Wells, said that the number of applications for European modern foreign language courses fell by nearly 20 per cent between 2010 and 2014, meaning that the "reservoir of students" wanting to study languages has fallen markedly in this five-year period.

"Meanwhile, the average acceptance rate, so the proportion of applicants across the sample, who were accepted on to courses, has risen from 15.9 per cent in 2010 to 17.4 per cent in 2015," he said.

"This is a smaller increase than you might expect from the reduction in the number of applicants, which indicates that the number of available places has almost certainly decreased. However, it is still true to say that it is marginally easier to get into a European language course in 2014 than in 2010, but only marginally.”

A spokesman at Oxford University said: “Despite falling numbers of students taking language A levels in recent years, the number of applicants to study modern languages at Oxford has remained relatively consistent, as have success rates to study modern languages.

"We would never advise applicants to choose a course of study they weren’t interested in purely as a strategy to increase their chances of getting into Oxford.’

A Cambridge University spokesman said: “Cambridge accepts only the brightest and most committed of language students. To have the best chance of getting into Cambridge, we advise all potential applicants to study hard, read extensively around your subjects and apply for the subject you love.”