[lg policy] Language policy actors

[Harold Schiffman]

Language policy actors

The framework conditions governing early foreign language learning are
determined to a significant extent by educational and language policy
decisions originating outside the learning and teaching institutions
of nursery education, pre-primary education, primary education).

Decisions as to when children should start learning a first or second
foreign language and how such a learning programme should ultimately
be structured are made by numerous country-specific institutions and
interest groups. It is, of course, possible for language policy
provisions by an internationally federated body like the EU to
influence the prioritisation and the attractiveness of a foreign
language as a curriculum subject within a national education system.

Also involved are organisations promoting languages and
language-teaching, such as modern language teachers’ associations,
learned societies and specialist institutes, and bodies working
directly to further international understanding: all such groups seek
to influence the decision-making of the political actors by adducing
their respective subject-specific expert knowledge.

Political and subject-expert actors alike are to represent the
interests of language communities and languages-related professional
groups. It is thus particularly important that early years
practitioners, teachers and other experts in the area of early foreign
language learning should formulate their special interests clearly and
play an active part in debating language-policy issues. Scope for this
is provided e.g. through membership of specialist bodies,
participation in activities that encourage the learning of languages,
and participation in continuing professional development
possibilitie[s].

Recommendations

While the position with regard to early foreign language learning
programmes differs from country to country, a number of broad
recommendations can be formulated:

Decision-makers should ensure the following:

    * A clear and coherent languages education plan is developed, with
due regard to national and regional singularities
    * Clear guidelines on implementation of languages policy and the
fostering of language                learning are formulated
    * Structural and financial provision for the training and
continuing professional development of teachers is ensured
    * Objectives of reform measures are made transparent to the general public
    * Organisations promoting languages and language learning  are
integrated into the decision-making processes
    * Early language learning programmes for all children should be
easily accessible wherever possible

Organisations promoting languages and language learning should:

    * insist on active involvement in education policy decisions.

Linguistically qualified early years practitioners, language teachers
and other language teaching and language learning experts should:

    * formulate their professional and specialist interests and make
use of interest groups and specialist representatives to feed their
specialist knowledge into language policy debate.



http://www.goethe.de/lhr/prj/nef/per/akt/enindex.htm
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