One foreign language isn’t enough: While English has been the most widely used foreignlanguage in Egypt since the beginning of the twentieth century, the use of second foreign languages has been picking up in recent years amid an increasingly globalized job market. Capitalizing on the demand for foreign languages, private schools have been pouring more resources into deepening their offerings. And eager to catch up, public schools will next year begin rolling out new languages to students at a younger age. But first, what shapes the demand and supply for foreign languages in Egypt?

It all boils down to personal preference: Parents’ choices for what language they choose for their kids tend to be guided by their dispositions towards the job market, said Abeer Ahmed, founder of the Egyptian Mothers Union for the Advancement of Education. For families interested in technical fields, German programs and applied technology schools that offer Chinese and Korean can be attractive options, seeing as these languages are increasingly in demand within those fields. Conversely, for those drawn to the humanities, French, Spanish, and Italian remain popular options, she explained.

German is the second foreign language of choice for 70% of students in most private and international schools, while French comes in second, Private School Owners Association Deputy Chairman Badawy Allam told Enterprise. German has become increasingly popular over the past two years, he said, with many students who had initially opted for French switching to German in schools where that is allowed.

But why? Of the ten parents we surveyed, four said they chose German for their children because of its grammatical ease and similarities to English, while three others opted for French because of their own familiarity with it. The remaining three said their choices were based on their children’s requests.

The trend is more apparent at the elementary level: Throughout grades one to six, 80% of students study German at Future Leaders Language Schools, its chairman Ahmed El Khateeb, told us.

Why German? The strong demand for German can be attributed to its perceived ease compared to other languages as well as its role in helping students secure jobs at home and abroad, Allam said. German programs usually focus on technology education, which comes in handy for students who want to pursue a career in the sector, he explained.

French could see a resurgence in the coming years on the back of Egypt's growing efforts to strengthen ties and economic relations with the rest of Africa where the language remains prominent, said Teachers Syndicate head Khalaf El Zanaty. While French is eclipsed by German and other languages in Cairo, it remains the top choice across other governorates, he added.

But are schools equipped to handle the surge in demand for foreign languages? Private and international schools invest heavily in capacity building to keep pace with competition, British International College of Cairo CEO Ahmed Samir said. These schools work to attract competent language instructors and provide them with training — an approach that serves as a marketing strategy that helps attract students.

The public sector is lagging behind: Public schools have been facing a severe shortage of teachers in general, and language instructors in particular, on the back of low teacher salaries, both El Khateeb and El Zanaty said. The shortage is further compounded by a high retirement rate and a lack of replacements, El Zanaty said. Meanwhile, teacher training is scarce and language labs are neglected, he said, suggesting that addressing these issues would greatly improve the overall quality of education.

Gov’t plans to step up its game next year: Public schools are set to offer elective second foreign languages to students starting grade seven — rather than grade 10 currently — starting from the academic year 2024-2025. Students will have the choice between Italian, German, and French and must study their language of choice throughout middle and high school. The plan is to equip students with a strong foundation in their chosen language by the time they graduate, a source at the Education Ministry told Enterprise. The three languages were chosen — after careful consideration with educational experts — based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages as well as their relevance to the job market until 2050, the source added.

Russian could also be on the table: Russia’s Education Ministry said in March of last year that it had reached an agreement with its Egyptian counterpart to offer Russian as a second language at Egyptian schools and universities.

The gov’t is already building up the workforce for it: Some 16k new teachers — of which a large portion are instructors of German, French, and Italian — have been appointed at public schools for the next academic year, according to our ministry source. The ministry is training these teachers in partnership with the German Goethe Institute and other foreign cultural centers, the source added.

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