UK: Government to drop oral language exams

[Harold Schiffman]

Government to drop oral language exams
Decline in uptake of language courses at GCSE level blamed on tests
being "too stressful"

Joanna Hosa
16 March 2008

Following a sharp decline in the number of teenagers taking GCSE
language courses, the government has proposed that the oral test be
dropped on account of being "too stressful".

Language orals are to be replaced by a number of assessments over the
length of a course. Candidates will be assessed by their teachers
rather than external examiners.

Ministers hope the proposals will make language GCSEs more popular.

The language GSCE - and its Scottish equivalent, the Standard Grade
language exam - are no longer compulsory and are increasingly
unpopular. In 2005, UK entries in both French and German were down by
14.4 and 13.7 per cent respectively, with enrolment still in free
fall.

Ellie Johnson Searle, Director of the Joint Council for
Qualifications, said: "If we have fewer people taking modern languages
at GCSE level, fewer will go on to take A-levels. Consequently fewer
will choose language degrees at university."

David Hart, General Secretary of the National Association of Head
Teachers, added: "The collapse of modern foreign languages is a
catastrophe. The government must reverse its policy which permits
students to opt out at 14, otherwise there will be a crisis in state
school language teaching."

Jim Knight, the Schools Minister, said that students with linguistic
talents are wanted by both businesses and higher education
institutions.

Critics say that the government's plan is ill-conceived and means
lowering the GCSE standard. Guardian commentator Philip Henscher
claims that oral ability in class may not mean a student can speak a
foreign language "to any degree at all."

Mr Knight defended the scheme: "The new oral tests will be just as
challenging but will also be fairer and give a true reflection of
students' ability." The aim is not to make language GCSEs easier, but
"more rigorous, relevant and accessible".

http://www.journal-online.co.uk/articles/show/2996

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