Key Data on Teaching Languages

at School in Europe 2012 (Eurydice)

Rome 29 November 2012

Daniela Kocanova

Education, Audiovisual and Culture

Executive Agency (EACEA)

Eurydice

Network

Education systems and policies

in 33 European countries

Addressed topics

• Starting age of foreign language teaching

• Number of foreign languages learnt

• Diversity of foreign languages learnt

• Taught time devoted to foreign language learning

• Expected minimum level of attainment

• Initial teacher education

Compulsory starting age of

foreign language teaching

Source: Eurydice

Being phased in

<8 years

≥ 8 - <10 years

≥ 10 years

Foreign language teaching starting earlier

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

EU

-27

BE

fr

BE

de

BE

nl

BG

CZ

DK

DE

EE IE EL

ES

FR IT

CY

LV

LT

LU

HU

MT

NL

AT

PL

PT

RO SI

SK FI

SE

UK IS LI

NO

HR

TR

2005 2010

: : : :

Trends in the percentage of all pupils attending primary education (ISCED 1)

who learn at least one foreign language, 2004/05, 2009/10

Source: EACEA; Eurydice; Eurostat Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe 2012 Edition

Data: Eurostat, UOE

More pupils learn languages

EU

200

5 E

U 2

01

0

78%

67%

%

Trends in the percentage of all pupils attending primary education (ISCED 1) who learn

English, 2004/05, 2009/10

Source: EACEA; Eurydice; Eurostat Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe 2012 Edition

Data: Eurostat, UOE

More pupils learn English

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

BE

fr

BE

de

BE

nl

BG CZ

DK

DE

EE IE EL

ES

FR IT CY

LV LT

LU

HU

MT

NL

AT

PL

PT

RO SI

SK FI

SE

UK IS LI

NO

HR

TR

EU

200

5 E

U 2

01

0

73%

61%

%

: : : - - :

Minimum time allocated to foreign languages as a compulsory subject,

as a proportion of total taught time in primary and general secondary education, 2010/11

Source: EACEA; Eurydice; Eurostat Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe 2012 Edition

Data: EURYDICE

Taught time quite low

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

BE

fr

BE

de

BE

nl

BG

CZ

DK

DE

DE

DE

EE IE EL

ES

FR IT

CY

LV

LT

LU

HU

MT

MT

NL

AT

AT

PL

PT

RO SI

SK FI

SE

UK IS LI

LI

LI

NO

HR

TR

Primary education Secondary education

X

%

X No compulsory foreign languages Compulsory subject with flexible time allocation

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

BE

fr

BE

de

BE

nl

BG CZ

DK

DE

EE IE EL

ES

FR IT CY

LV LT

LU

HU

MT

NL

AT

PL

PT

RO SI

SK FI

SE

UK IS LI

NO

HR

TR

Percentage of all students attending lower secondary education (ISCED 2) who learn 2 or

more language(s), 2004/05, 2009/10

Source: EACEA; Eurydice; Eurostat Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe 2012 Edition

Data: Eurostat, UOE

At secondary level more students learn 2 foreign languages

EU

200

5 E

U 2

01

0

61%

47%

: : : :

• French and German:

the most popular foreign

languages after English

in most European countries

• Languages learnt by students in

Europe are almost exclusively

English, French, German,

Spanish, Italian and Russian.

At secondary level

6 dominating languages

• Depending on the countries,

Spanish, Russian and Italian:

learnt by a substantial

percentage of students

• English: clearly the most

learnt foreign language

across Europe

Expected attainment levels for the FIRST LEARNT FOREIGN LANGUAGE

(End of compulsory general education or lower secondary education), 2010/11

Source: EACEA; Eurydice; Eurostat Key Data on

Teaching Languages at School in Europe 2012 Edition

Data: EURYDICE

Expected attainment levels: A2 or B1

Initial education of foreign language teachers

Minimum duration and level of initial teacher education of specialist or

semi-specialist foreign language teachers in lower secondary education, 2010/11

Bachelor’s level Master’s level Teacher education abroad

Source: EACEA; Eurydice; Eurostat Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe 2012 Edition

Data: Eurydice.

UK (1) = UK-ENG/WLS/NIR

Existence of recommendations on the content of initial teacher education and the period

spent in the target language country, 2010/11

Period spent abroad: Few recommendations

No recommendations

Recommendations exist on the content of

initial teacher education for prospective

foreign language teachers

Recommendations include a period to be

spent in the target language country

Teacher education takes place abroad

Source: Eurydice.

Requirements for prospective CLIL teachers

Normal qualifications

of a fully qualified teacher only

Normal qualifications

+ additional qualifications

No type A CLIL provision

Source: EACEA; Eurydice; Eurostat Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe 2012 Edition

Data: Eurydice.

Qualifications required to work in schools using the CLIL model

in primary and/or general secondary education, 2010/11

• Earlier start of foreign language teaching in most countries;

• Since 2005, the percentage of pupils in primary education learning at least one

foreign language has substantially increased in many countries; this goes hand

in hand with the increasing prevalence of the English language;

• Taught time devoted to foreign language learning quite low at primary level;

• Percentage of students learning 2 languages is increasing at secondary level;

• Languages learnt by students are mostly English, French, German, Spanish,

Italian and Russian.

• At the end of compulsory education, the expected minimum level of

attainment for the first learnt foreign language is A2 or B1 in most countries.

• Only a few countries recommend that future language teachers spend a

period of training in the target language country.

Key messages

Key data on Teaching Languages

at School in Europe

2012 Edition

Many other issues addressed by

• Class size

• Content and Language Integrated

Learning (CLIL)

• Use of ICT

• And more…

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/key_data_series/143EN.pdf