ePolitix.com Stakeholders comment on the government-commissioned review on teaching modern foreign languages in primary schools.

Stakeholder Response: AQA

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AQA director general Dr Mike Cresswell said: "In stressing the importance of languages for life and in broadening the approach to language learning by encouraging children to learn languages for their intrinsic value rather than for an exam, Lord Dearing and his team have done the promotion of language learning in the UK a great service.

"AQA will be supporting the acquisition of language teaching skills by teachers at all levels, particularly at primary level where children meet systematic foreign language learning for the first time.

"Primary teachers need to feel confident enough in their knowledge of languages to make their teaching fun and children need to feel that learning languages is an enjoyable activity, just like any other.

"That is what excellence and enjoyment in learning are all about.

"We also look forward to working with the regulatory bodies for qualifications on the development of alternative courses and forms of assessment.

"In these, and in other, ways we will support the key aim of Lord Dearing’s report: a renaissance of language learning in this country."

Stakeholder Response: PAT

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PAT general secretary Philip Parkin said: "PAT was pleased to contribute to the review, through written evidence and in meetings with Lord Dearing. We will study the proposals in full and give a more detailed response. 

"We welcome the main findings of this innovative and intelligent report, including the recommendation that the teaching of languages should start at primary school.

"This country has a poor reputation for success in modern languages, partly because, for many pupils, language teaching starts too late.

"Many children would benefit greatly from starting to learn other languages at an age when they have an enhanced capacity to absorb them.  If they start learning modern foreign languages earlier, pupils are less likely to feel self-conscious about speaking them when they become adolescents.

"Those who succeed at, and enjoy, languages are more likely to continue with them through their secondary education.
"Forcing pupils to learn a language beyond the age of 14 can be counter-productive if they do not have the aptitude or ability. If they are enthused about other languages early enough and become familiar with them, they are more likely to wish to continue with them, reversing the unfortunate decline in the number of students taking languages at GCSE.

"However, it is essential that teachers and support staff receive the training and resources they need.  We need people who are qualified to teach, we need resources for teaching these different languages and we need time to train people in order to do it properly. As Lord Dearing recommends, these changes must not be rushed but introduced gradually.

"Secondary schools may also need support to assimilate pupils with varying levels of ability in a variety of foreign languages.

"It will also be a challenge to recruit and train enough teachers so schools can offer foreign languages. It may be necessary for primary schools to pool their resources, sharing teachers or perhaps using the facilities at secondary schools.

"There are immense educational and economic benefits to be gained from the study of a foreign language and it would be an enriching experience for primary pupils. However, an enriched curriculum should not become an overloaded curriculum, with additional pressures of delivery alongside current demands.

"To avoid an already overcrowded primary curriculum becoming overloaded, we would suggest an easing of the pressures around key stage two assessment to compensate."

Stakeholder Response: NUT

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Steve Sinnott, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: "Ron Dearing had a tough job. Once the decision was taken to drop the requirement to teach 14 to 16-year-olds a modern foreign language, the message went out that it was a second class subject.

"Ron Dearing is, of course, right when he says that, 'catch 'em young', has to be the principle for modern foreign languages. Of course young people are more open to a new language.

"But introducing a new requirement in primary schools cannot be carried out on the cheap.

"Alongside training, there will be a need for a fully expert teacher to be available to every primary school. The primary curriculum itself remains hopelessly overloaded.

"With a limited number of teachers covering all subjects, small primary schools will have their own special problems in introducing a new subject.

"I call on the government to audit the additional staffing and training needs of all primary schools and to meet them before introducing such a requirement. 

"It is vital that all schools in an era of global communication enable young people to learn languages other than their own. There is an enormous range of modern foreign languages which can be drawn on here in the United Kingdom.

"Simply requiring schools to deliver and placing them low in the league tables if they don’t, is not the answer. Modern foreign languages are far more important than that."

Stakeholder Response: ATL

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Dr Mary Bousted, said: "We are pleased the Government is making learning a foreign language compulsory in primary schools.

"However, language teaching needs to be transformed to make it motivating for pupils so we have young people who are able to converse confidently in another language.

"We hope sufficient funding is made available to match this ambition and make it a reality."