The charts show how the proportion of foreign language learners aged 14 to 16 varied across the two genders in a particular English-speaking nation, and the three most studied languages in 1984 and 2007.
From the charts, it seems evident that studying a new tongue is more popular among girls. Also, French is the most chosen by students, while Spanish is the least popular throughout the given period.
In both given years, the percentage of teenage girls studying a foreign language far exceeded that of their male counterparts. In 1984, almost half of the 14- to 16-year-old female students learned a different tongue, while the data for the boys was only 30%. The gap narrowed in 2007 as the rate of teenage female language learners dropped to 40%, while boys witnessed a more modest decline, to 25%.
The ranking of the top three languages studied by students remained unchanged throughout the period. In 1984, French dominated the chart with votes from 50% of young language learners, far surpassing the percentage of those studying German and Spanish, which were at 20% and almost 5%, respectively. In 2007, despite a 25% decline, French still maintained its top position among the three categories. The figure for German also fell, but to a lesser extent, by only 7%, whereas the rate of Spanish learners rose to more than 10%.