Language Learning – a new paradigmA personal view

Lid King, National Director for Languages

3 issues

• English

• Internet

• Globalisation

Information

Once people are on the highway they will enjoy full egalitarian access to vital on-line resources. Within twenty years, as commerce, education and broad-scale communications services move onto the highway, an individual's ability to be part of the mainstream will depend, at least in part, on his or her using it.

Bill Gates, 1995

Information and knowledge

Through acquiring much information unaided by instruction, they will appear to possess much knowledge, when in fact, for the most part, they will know nothing at all.

Plato, c. 400BC

The future of English

The emergence of English as the de facto world language is one of the most striking phenomena of the 20th century.

Paradoxically, the more English becomes used as the world language, the more British citizens will need skills in other languages.

David Graddol

European and global visions

“Proficiency in several Community languages has become a precondition if citizens of the European Union are to benefit from the occupational and personal opportunities open to them in the border-free single market. This language proficiency must be backed up by the ability to adapt to working and living environments characterised by different cultures.”

The European Commission

Teaching and Learning: Towards the Learning Society (1996), p. 67

European and global visions

“the rich heritage of diverse languages and cultures in Europe is a valuable common resource to be protected and developed … a major educational effort is needed to convert that diversity from a barrier to communication into a source of mutual enrichment and understanding.It is only through a better knowledge of European Modern Languages that it will be possible to facilitate communication and interaction amongst Europeans of different mother tongues in order to promote European mobility, mutual understanding and co-operation and overcome prejudice and discrimination.”

Council of Europe: Common European Framework of Reference (1997), p. 1

Barcelona European Council

A competitive economy based on knowledge, involving further action:

• to improve the mastery of basic skills, in particular by teaching at least two foreign languages from a very early age

• establishment of a linguistic competence indicator

The 1990s paradigm of languages for all

Arbitrary

GCSE (National Curriculum)

Specialists (A-level)

Professionals (FLAW / BTEC)

16+

11-16

5-11

An agenda for languages (2001)

Individuals identity and understanding of others

Communities a sense of past and confidence in the future

Economies survival and prosperity

Societies political progress and peace

A VISION OF LANGUAGES AND LANGUAGE CAPABILITY AS BASIC LIFE SKILLS

Languages: the next generation

Nuffield Language Enquiry

“Languages, by virtue of their direct

contribution to economic competitiveness,

intercultural tolerance and social cohesion, should have the status of a key skill alongside literacy, numeracy and ICT.”

Languages for All: Languages for Life:A Strategy for England

Vision

• Lifelong skill

• To be used for business and pleasure

• Open avenues of communication and exploration

• Instil broader cultural understanding

An essential part of being a citizen

A new paradigm

KS2 Framework

KS3 Framework

Specialist Vocational Recreational 14+

11-14

7-11

Primary Entitlement

Every child should have the opportunity throughout Key Stage 2 to study a foreign language and develop their interest in the culture of other nations. They should have access to high quality teaching and learning opportunities, making use of native speakers and e-learning.

By age 11 they should have the opportunity to reach a recognised level of competence on the Common European Framework and for that achievement to be recognised through a national scheme. The Key Stage 2 language learning programme must … be delivered at least in part in class time.

Progress to date

• Baseline research

Final report published in September 2004

• Curricular developmentsKS2 Framework for MFL

• Finding the teachers

Primary ITT

Teaching Assistants

• Regional support structures being built

A rationale for early language learning

• Enjoyment and creativity

• Support for literacy and oracy (a new literacy?)

• Learning gains

• International Understanding

The Languages Ladder

Language Ladder stages NC levels

General qualifications NQF

Breakthrough: grades 1-3 1 - 3 Entry 1 - 3 Entry Level

Preliminary: grades 4-6 4 - 6 Foundation

GCSE

Level 1

Intermediate: grades 7-9 7 - EP Higher

GCSE

Level 2

Advanced: grades 10-12 AS /A / AEA Level 3

Proficiency: grade 13 Level 4

Mastery: grade 14 Level 5

14-19Concerns Solutions

X Motivation / take-up -

‘the lost generation’

X Year 9

X Curriculum content

Promotion

E-learning and

innovation

New content – work-

related, CLIP

Tomlinson

NetworksLEAs

FLAs

SLC hubs

BusinessNon-specialist schools

ASTs Comenius

Centres

Teaching

Assistants

HEIs

The National Languages

Strategy

Pathfinders

Concerns and challenges

• Primary delivery and funding

• Defence and development post-14

• Quality in CPD

• Implementation model

• Rationale and vision