Learner Uptake and Attainment in Scotland: A Response Focusing on Gaelic and Urdu

This article responds to Scott’s “Modern Languages in Scotland: Learner Uptake and Attainment 1996-2014” (Scott, 2015) and considers how a theoretical framework derived from the field of Language Policy and Planning can deepen our understanding of trends in uptake and attainment for Modern Languages in secondary. Using the examples of Gaelic (including Gàidhlig and Gaelic [Learners] Education) and Urdu at secondary school, this article re-contextualises attainment data and places them into a broader discussion of capacity structures and the potential impact that status (including policy and prestige) has on student choices in secondary.