Many thanks to all who fed me ideas on language teaching and policy for a
symposium last weekend under the aegis of the Club of Three (ie Britain,
France, Germany) on Towards a Multilingual Society in Europe. Among those
present were the French and German Ambassadors, Helena Kennedy and others
from the British Council, the Goethe Institut, the Franco-British
Council,the Institut Francais, Sir John Boyd and Trever McDonald of
Nuffield Report, academics, ministers from the Laender, the director of
Radio France International, President of Institut National de la langue
francaise, journalists and publishers, Margaret Hodge and Lord Puttnam,
Chair of the General Teaching Council (briefly) and Lord Weidenfeld.
National Policies:
New French policy: foreign language from age 6 + second FL before end of
primary school; teachers to be competent in FL; integration of FL in
teaching other subjects, eg history taught in mix of native and FL.; in due
course FL competence a requirement for university entry and all teachers.
Ultimate aim: English as key skill + 2 further FLs. Funding has been
allocated; compulsory measures to be put in place.
German scepticism: need for realistic targets given limitations of
manpower and finance. Saarland policy = neighbour language + one other
widely used FL (code for English?) from age 7 on. English as key skill.
England: FL in primary school hampered by lack of teachers with FL;
specialist language schools to inspire the others; new AS A2 may improve
take-up of FL; international bac as best hope of broadening curriculum;
Margaret Hodge showed good will but not much policy; Puttnam warned that
the re-structuring of education 16-19 would occupy all energies for the
next few years, so policy on FL would have to wait(!). The many languages
in multi-cultural city schools, but few practical policies to harness these
skills.
Wales : bi-lingual schools as good environment for further FL learning
Scotland: relative failure of new FL scheme to retain people through to
university or to provide usable skills. Need for broader cultural
approaches outside of school to back up educational policy.
Recurrent General Issues
Early start; integration of FL in other teaching; exchanges in and outside
of schools; assistants and lectors; teacher training to include a period
abroad or a year or so abroad post-training;teacher exchanges; mutual
recognition of qualifications needed; all students to spend a term abroad;
FL a condition of university entry (?) or of graduation (?); specialist
language degrees and othersubjects + FL both needed; better conditions,
status and pay esp in UK for teachers; apprenticeship and vocational
exchanges or periods of training abroad; false dichotomy between grammar
and communication skills - both essential; false dichotomy between
functional language-skills and intercultural competence - both essential;
false dichotomy between European languages and wider programmes (Arabic,
Chinese etc); need to raise FL status; FL to become sexy, be recognised and
rewarded by employers. Kevin Keegan as better role model than Jack Straw
for competence in German; exchange junior football teams; pop bands;
choirs; youth clubs; seek private/public finance for such projects. The
aim: "European student, teacher, citizen".
Thanks again to all those who contacted me. The cheering side was the
general enthusiasm for languages, the depressing side the statement by
Puttnam presaging continuing lack of political will.
elizabeth
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