<div dir="ltr"><h1 class="">Experts: pupils missing out on language skills because of lack of qualified staff</h1>
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<p class=""> Teacher shake-up needed to deliver language skills, experts warn</p>
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<p style=""> <a href="http://www.heraldscotland.com/author/profile/75991/">Andrew Denholm</a> / <span class="" itemprop="datePublished">5 hours ago</span> / <a href="http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/" itemprop="articleSection">News</a></p>
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<a class="" href="http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13953170.Teacher_shake_up_needed_to_deliver_language_skills__experts_warn/#comments"><span class=""></span> 2 comments</a>
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PUPILS are missing out on vital language learning because of a lack of qualified staff, experts have warned.
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Currently, teachers in Scottish schools need only one language to qualify as a modern languages teacher.
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<a href="http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13093070.Languages_class_target_unachievable/"><strong>However,
under the Scottish Government 1+2 policy all pupils are now expected to
learn two modern languages until the end of the third year of secondary
school.</strong></a>
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Gillian Campbell-Thow, president of the Scottish Association of
Language Teachers (Salt), said only a shake-up of teacher training could
deliver the policy.
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Speaking after the annual Salt conference at Strathclyde University,
in Glasgow, she said: “The Scottish Government policy should give every
child the chance to learn two languages, but you cannot deliver the
policy if you don’t have dual linguists.
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“At the moment, universities will accept graduates who only have one
language and, while they would encourage them to have a second teaching
subject, that may not be a language.
</p>
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“A lot of people would welcome a bold move by the Scottish Government
to say you cannot be qualified as a language teacher in Scotland unless
you have two languages.
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“If the government is suggesting we should be delivering 1+2 in
schools then there has to be a move from them to support that with
better qualified staff.”
</p>
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<img src="http://www.heraldscotland.com/resources/images/4257342.jpg?type=article-full" title="Herald Scotland: " alt="Herald Scotland: " border="0" height="620" width="620">
</p>
<p>
<strong>Maureen McKenna</strong>
</p>
<p>
Maureen McKenna, executive director of education for Glasgow City
Council, backed the call at a speech to the conference, on Saturday.
</p>
<p>
She said: “We need to have a closer look at the opportunities for
young people entering into initial teacher education. If we want 1+2 to
be embedded we can’t just leave it to local authorities.
</p>
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<p>
“Surely it must be time to look at the postgraduate course for
language teachers. Can we really agree that one language is enough?”
</p>
<p>
The call comes at an uncertain time for modern languages in Scottish schools.
</p>
<p>
Recent figures seemed to indicate that a long-term decline in the
number of pupils studying languages at Higher appeared to have been
reversed.
</p>
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However, numbers have dropped significantly over the past decade with
the decline blamed on the fact many schools no longer see them as
compulsory, despite school inspectors calling for them to be a "core
element" in the first three years of secondary.
</p>
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In addition, as part of cuts to education budgets, two-thirds of local
authorities have scrapped foreign language assistants, although some
are now reinstating them.
</p>
<p>
A recent report by the Scottish Government's Languages Working Group
said a decline in language learning at Scottish schools and universities
was costing the economy at least half a billion pounds every year.
</p>
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Under 1+2, all pupils are expected to be learning two languages, in
addition to their mother tongue, by the time they leave primary.
</p>
<p>
The plan, which councils are expected to deliver by 2020, brings
Scotland into line with many other European countries where learning a
second language starts in early primary school and learning three
languages is common.
</p>
<p>
However, critics have argued the target is far too ambitious and is
not being supported sufficiently with funds or adequate training for
teachers.
</p>
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<p>
<a href="http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13203917.Scotland_angers_European_allies_over__failing__language_policy/"><strong>There
has also been criticism from representatives of a number of European
countries including Germany, Switzerland and Austria who said some
language learning had actually declined.</strong></a>
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<p>
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We are encouraged that the 1+2
policy is being implemented throughout Scotland, but clearly there is
more to do to ensure children get as much choice and opportunity as
possible to learn a language. We are continuing to invest in this
policy, providing local authorities with an additional £7.2m in 2015-16
to drive this work forward, in addition to the £9 million invested in
2013-15." <br></p><p><a href="http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13953170.Teacher_shake_up_needed_to_deliver_language_skills__experts_warn/">http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13953170.Teacher_shake_up_needed_to_deliver_language_skills__experts_warn/</a><br></p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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