Spanish has become the most popular foreign language for GCSE students after overtaking French for the first time, however, mind you language. English speakers learning Spanish often make mistakes with pronunciation, especially with vowel sounds and unaspirated consonants like ‘p’, ‘t’, and ‘k’. They also frequently misuse prepositions, struggle with the subjunctive mood, and encounter challenges with “false friends” (words that sound similar but have different meanings).
Additionally, Spanish requires the use of a “personal a” before direct objects that are people, which is not present in English. One highlight doing the rounds is a simple expression which should be avoided, according to Claudio Guasti, City Lit’s Head of School Culture and Communication. He explains that people may think they’re saying they’re too warm, but actually they could be saying something embarrassing. Claudio said: “Using ‘Estoy caliente’ as a literal translation of ‘I am hot’ in English may cause you some embarrassment, as this phrase means ‘I am aroused’.
“Instead, you should say ‘tengo calor’ (I have heat). Avoid using ‘soy cálida/cálido’ (I am warm). In this context, it refers more to someone’s personality, like being a warm or kind person, rather than physical temperature.” That said, the popularity of Spain as a holiday destination, as well as its standing as a “global language” may have contributed to the GCSE’s success, it was suggested.
But while the increase in Spanish entries has been seen as a positive step, there are concerns about the impact of declines in entries for other foreign languages, such as French and German.
Entries for GCSE Spanish were up 2.6% this year – from 133,395 in 2024 to 136,871 in 2025, figures published by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) – which cover England, Wales and Northern Ireland – show.
Meanwhile, entries for French dropped to 132,808 – down 1.4% from 134,651 last year.
German continued to see a fall in entries – down 7.0% this year compared with 2024 (from 35,913 to 33,391 entries). Vicky Gough, British Council schools adviser, said the growing popularity of Spanish shows “real appetite for language learning”.
She said: “We need the success of Spanish reflected across all languages through exchanges, cultural programmes and real-world connections that demonstrate why languages matter. Our research also reveals a significant socioeconomic gap: pupils in the top fifth of the most advantaged state schools in England are around 32% more likely to take a language GCSE than their peers elsewhere, meaning many young people from less privileged backgrounds miss out on opportunities their peers benefit from.”