In a better state

In quoting the modern languages application statistics for Oxford University ("A sorry state of affairs", June 10), the fact that many students apply for joint courses, combining a language with another subject, was overlooked. Those students bring our average annual number of language applicants to 766, not 388 as the article stated.

That said, the point that languages are being taught less in schools, particularly in the maintained sector, is something we are conscious of. We have increased our efforts to build bridges to higher education. These efforts include: running summer schools in modern languages for state pupils; extending and supporting the option of starting languages from scratch; and developing aptitude tests that show a student's potential for studying language rather than simply testing what they have been taught so far.

These efforts have paid dividends in increasing the proportion of state pupils applying to study languages at Oxford. We have more applicants from the maintained sector alone than there are places - and almost all arepredicted the very best grades.

Though we would welcome more language teaching in maintained schools, we are not "dependent" on independent schools to fill all our places just yet.

Stephen Parkinson
Chairman, Modern languages faculty board, Oxford University