The Decline of German Language Learning in French Schools: Causes and Implications

“Ich spreche Deutsch”. A phrase that we hear less and less in French middle and high schools. According to the Ministry of Education, in 1994, more than 600,000 students were learning German as a first language. There were only 231,000 in 2015 and 139,814 in 2022 (i.e. 2.5%). The share of students studying Goethe’s language as a second language is higher, reaching 14.8% in 2022 (or 656,000 students).

A progressive disaffection linked, according to Thérèse Clerc, president of the Association for the Development of German Teaching in France (ADEF), to the rise in power of Spanish. “France is the only European country where there is such a proportion of students learning Spanish. No doubt because this language is considered easier and it is used in many countries. »

Parents are also unaware that fluency in German is a real plus on a CV. “It is an asset both for working in Germany – which is the leading economic power in Europe – and for working with Germans,” insists Anne Tallineau, general secretary of the Franco-German Youth Office (OFAJ) . Moreover, the job offers published on Apec in March 2023 show that German is the second language the most requested by recruiters after English.

Little initiation in primary school

The desire to learn German should be aroused from an early age. However, it is not the case. Although primary school students have language teaching, in 2022 only 3.6% of them were studying Goethe’s language. “National education wants English to be the first language of initiation. Especially since the international study Pisa of 2025 will assess the English skills of 15-year-old OECD students,” explains Violaine Bigot, professor of language sciences and author of a study on the subject*. “However, all studies on the subject conclude that the earlier we expose a child to a language, the more he will want to choose it,” comments Anne Tallineau. Aware of this fact, France announced in January its intention to double the number of German-speaking assistants in schools.

The 2015 college reform also played a role. It removed part of the bilingual classes which allowed students to study two languages ​​simultaneously from the 6th grade. This had repercussions on the number of German students. “It broke a dynamic,” believes Thérèse Clerc. Certainly, these balance classes were put back in place at the start of the 2017 school year, but parents do not always know this.

German is no longer a passport for the best classes

There was a time when choosing German as your first language guaranteed you to be in a good class and, what’s more, with less crowded classes. This is no longer the case today. “College principals and high school principals tend to distribute Germanists across several classes to encourage school diversity,” notes Violaine Bigot.

Parcoursup also seems to have harmed Schopenhauer’s language. Because learning German is considered difficult, parents fear that their children will receive a bad grade in continuous assessment, which would tarnish their academic record. Unfounded preconceptions according to Thérèse Clerc: “The student evaluation grids are the same for all languages, so German teachers are not more strict than the others.

58% of open positions still vacant

Last but not least – or rather endlich – German suffers from a serious shortage of teachers, due to a vocations crisis. In 2023, 58% of positions at the German Capes were not filled: only 86 people were admitted for 205 positions offered. “Germanists find more financially attractive professional prospects in the private sector,” explains Thérèse Clerc. This lack of teachers is not new and is reflected in the working conditions of German teachers, who are often forced to share their time between two or even three establishments. Because for the moment, National Education wants this language to be offered in as many establishments as possible.

And when German teachers are sick or on maternity leave, it is not always easy to find replacements. “Courses not provided in colleges discourage students and their parents from choosing the discipline. For there to be strong demand, there needs to be a sustainable and quality educational offer,” underlines Violaine Bigot.

The hope of a renewal

Even if the results are not very rosy, the Germanists have not said their last word. ADEAF puts forward several suggestions to support the discipline: pre-recruitment in license 2 or 3 of future teachers to encourage vocations, the creation of specialized teaching in two languages ​​at high school, etc.

For its part, the OFAJ strives to promote the language of Goethe. “We financially support school trips and sports trips for young people in Germany. We also offer exchanges of primary school teachers so that they can improve their skills in the language of the neighboring country,” says Anne Tallineau. It remains to be hoped that certain German stars will make middle school students want to learn their language: “We remember that the rock group Tokio Hotel had in its time encouraged many teenagers to learn German,” recalls Violaine Bigot.