English is a second language for 1 in 8 pupils in England

[Anthea Fraser Gupta]

The governmental source is at:
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000786/Language081b.xls

The Daily Mail (like all UK newspapers) has a particular political
stance, which is why it presents bilingualism and immigrants as a Bad
Thing.

The governmental data is quite cautious. Practice about how children's
first languages are recorded is likely to vary from school to school,
but the figures are sensible figures for those children who speak a
language other than English at home: many of these children ALSO speak
English at home. Speaking (for example) Punjabi does not preclude
speaking English as well. So these are not the figures of those who do
not speak English.

The main concern at the moment seems to be with the newly-big languages,
especially Polish, which have resulted in an intake of children,
sometimes concentrated in particular places, in places (such as
Peterborough) that have not had much ethnic minority representation in
the past.

Resources need to be delivered, of course. But the 'disunited nations'
stuff and the classroom 'battle to educate a massive influx of
immigrants' are very much the message the Daily Mail likes to give.

Here is a contrasting, feel-good story from The Telegraph (there are
several like this every year):

-----------------

A-level results: Afghan exile gets into Oxford

A student from Afghanistan who spoke little English three years ago
scored four As in his A-levels today to secure a place at Oxford
University. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/education/2558630/A-level-results-Afghan
-exile-gets-into-Oxford.html


*     *     *     *     *
Anthea Fraser Gupta (Dr)
School of English, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT
<www.leeds.ac.uk/english/staff/afg>
NB: Reply to a.f.gupta at leeds.ac.uk
*     *     *     *     *
  

> -----Original Message-----
> Subject: English is a second language for 1 in 8 pupils in England
> 
> English is a second language for 1 in 8 pupils in England
> 
> 
> 
> One in eight pupils speaks English as a second language, a 
> report has revealed.
> 
> The Government survey highlights the 'disunited nations' in 
> classrooms as teachers battle to educate a massive influx of 
> immigrants. In some areas more than 70 per cent of pupils 
> arriving at the school gates do not speak English as their 
> mother tongue.
> 
> Full story:
> 
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1045097/English-second
-language-1-8-pupils-England.html