[EDLING:889] Foreign languages are alien to most children

[Francis M Hult]

icBirmingham

http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_objectid=15697149&method=full&siteid=50002&headline=foreign-languages-are-alien-to-most-children--name_page.html


Foreign languages are alien to most children 

Jul 4 2005
  
Foreign language provision in British schools is again under the spotlight. Education 
Correspondent Shahid Naqvi looks at the issues....

It is a fact that Britain is the most foreign languageresistant country in Europe. 

While most of our European cousins are likely to be able to speak to us in English, the 
reverse is the exception rather than the norm. 

Our laziness with foreign languages is partly borne from a belief that the rest of the 
world speaks English. 

Britain's confusion when it comes to foreign languages is reflected in Government policy. 
Until 1988 studying languages was not compulsory in schools. As a result, it was largely 
the province of more able students or those from privileged backgrounds in the independent 
sector. 

The introduction of the National Curriculum made it mandatory for all pupils aged 11 to 16 
to study at least one language. 

The policy has proved difficult to deliver however. 

Teachers have expressed concern about difficulties motivating pupils and relatively low 
levels of attainment, putting teenagers off from future study. 

Ofsted reported the quality of language teaching to be less satisfactory overall compared 
with other subjects. 

As a result, in September last year the requirement to study language at GCSE level was 
abolished and replaced with an "entitlement". 

Since then, many schools have reported a decline in uptake. 

In March the Government's qualification body claimed Alevel foreign languages were in 
"chronic decline". And Ministers have put greater emphasis on foreign languages at primary 
level. 

Earlier this year they announced a £115 million package to give every primary school pupil 
in England the chance to learn at least one additional language 

Councillor Jon Hunt (Lib Dem Perry Barr), chair of Birmingham's education scrutiny 
committee, said the policy was a "paradox" that needed to be explored. 

"I think it is alarming. We are moving to the bad old days when young people couldn't get 
a proper education." 

Bill Anderson, of the Birmingham branch of the National Union of Teachers, said: "One of 
the problems is schools are having difficulties recruiting the teachers. 

"There is a shortage of people who are willing to enter teaching as linguists. 

"If there is a strategic shift to put language in primary schools that means you have to 
retrain the workforce or develop a new workforce. This isn't being addressed." 

Accusing the Government of "muddled thinking", he added: "Either they want people to 
engage in the process of learning language, in which case it is a good idea to start them 
young, or you impose this test culture which means kids are going to choose what they 
perceive to be easier subjects in secondary schools." 

The Learning and Skills Council for Birmingham and Solihull recently carried out an 
area-wide review of languages in the area. 

Its results mirrored the latest study by Birmingham City Council. 

David Cragg, director of the LSC for the region, said: "What we found was far too many 
schools were only able to offer one modern foreign language." 

Mr Cragg disputed that the switch last September to give pupils an "entitlement" to study 
language at GCSE rather than making it compulsory for schools to offer it was a "red 
herring". 

"We had language as a compulsory element in the National Curriculum and it was withering 
on the line and disappearing in prominence," he said. 

"The end of language as a compulsory element at Key Stage Four isn't the issue. The issue 
is what can we do to the 14-19 curriculum to add additional languages?"