IAN Wishart's piece on Jenny Wilde (Worcester News, Tuesday, September 6) the former Elgar College pupil who achieved one of the best GCSE scores in the country in German, has prompted me to add a few comments to complement what was an informative and well-researched article.

While it is true that numbers taking languages at GCSE level in some local high schools will fall, there is as yet no evidence that there will be a corresponding fall in the number of students, like Jenny, seeking to continue with languages at AS and A Level.

Indeed, language classes in Years 10 and 11 comprising pupils who have opted to continue with a language may produce more enthusiastic linguists than in recent years.

At Worcester Sixth Form College we have seen a significantly rise in student numbers in AS French and Spanish this year, while our German A Level numbers are the highest since 2001.

Last year, we introduced Italian at AS Level, and are now actively encouraging our students to try out new languages, such as Japanese, Russian or Greek, which form part of our extensive evening programme.

While Jenny will be one of relatively few pursuing language courses at higher education level in two years' time, her chances of getting into a top university to study languages could not be higher as some of the country's most esteemed faculties are crying out for talented linguists.

Jenny has made a good decision to come to the Sixth Form College to study languages. The skills she will develop (e.g. social, inter-personal, technical and entrepreneurial) will be much sought after by universities and upon graduation. Fewer linguists are unemployed a year after graduation than in any other subject area.

PETER CORBISHLEY,

Head of Languages,

Worcester Sixth Form College.