Ten years ago, the teaching of French in British universities was in decline. Five years ago it was in peril throughout the land, with many French departments closing. As an academic subject, French nose-dived in terms of student recruitment figures, the discipline apparently destined to be confined to a branch of classics in Russell Group institutions. It was at risk from extinction in the former polytechnics where it became threatened even as a subsidiary subject in its market-friendly incarnation as Business French. To many, the choice was stark but clear – stake all on French for Business or die.

But for some, even this solution was either too little or too late to save the day, with the result that the subject was phased out as a meaningful part of their undergraduate provision from the early 2000s, as a string of French and modern languages departments and sections were closed, or disappeared into merged subject areas where languages – let alone French – seldom featured in the title. Yearly, members of surviving French departments would gather at the French Institute to watch a film d'art et d'essai and lament the situation – and the bleak outlook. Meanwhile, out in the wider British higher education debate, the main justification for this debacle was ‘jobs’. With globalisation, the world was set to trade and to communicate in English. Europe was losing its appeal as a trading partner in favour of emerging markets to the East. It was now deemed a luxury to keep languages on the syllabus for the over 14s, with the possible exception of Mandarin Chinese.

Fortunately, the gloomiest forecasts have not been verified by the turn of events, and in 2010 the situation has largely recovered in those French departments that remain. Even the more vulnerable post-1992 institutions now recruit full cohorts and the emphasis has shifted to the need not to overshoot the recruitment targets set by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. Former polytechnics have even upgraded their A-level entry requirements.