Languages decline sees numbers drop to zero at UK universities

Studying a modern language at degree level is just too hard for most people, sadly.

I have had good value over the course of 40 years from keeping up languages. It gives you a wider range of things to read and you aren't confined to what someone else thinks is worth translating. This is for those with an interest in humanities. In business, English is generally the lingua franca. You don't have to major in it.

A language on its own is not super interesting from a career point of view. I would argue its value is much higher when aligned with another subject (e.g. business, engineering). Students who have to pay for tuition nowadays, probably factor this in to their choices.