Glenalmond offers pupils the possibility of studying French, German and Spanish to GCSE, AS and A2 levels. Italian is also offered occasionally.

Spanish is an option in the fourth form, when pupils start a two year course to GCSE and have the option of AS and A2 in the sixth form.

All Modern Foreign Languages are taken with the OCR board at GCSE and with AQA at AS and A2 levels. There are four elements and exams in GCSE's: speaking, listening, reading and writing, with each exam counting for 25% of the total marks. The same elements are as relevant at Higher and A level, but there is a greater requirement for analysis and personal reaction to everyday and global preoccupations and problems.

Exam results have been consistently strong at all levels for many years. In 2007 French, German and Spanish had the best college results at A2 and AS level, there were ten grade A's in the French Highers set,and 11 A*'s in French GCSE.

Head of department is Jenny Davey, graduate of Edinburgh University and teacher of French, Spanish and German. Percy Shelley is Head of Spanish, but also teaches French and German, a well as being fluent in Portuguese: a true polyglot.

While the numbers of pupils studying modern foreign languages in the UK continues to fall, at Glenalmond numbers are increasing. The 2007 Lower Sixth Spanish intake was the largest ever (bigger than in any other Scottish independent school).