TES – Katharine Carruthers 
Language learning in UK schools is in decline. GCSE take-up of these subjects in some areas has dropped by as much as 50 per cent, and the trend continues at A level: the number of students studying German A level, for example, has dropped by 45 per cent since 2010, while French – still the most popular foreign language – has also been in steady decline. But there’s one language that’s bucking the trend. It’s one that could open up a new world of opportunity to students. It’s the most widely spoken first language in the world. It is Mandarin. (more)