Language Learning in Europe

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Language Learning in Europe
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Languages in Europe

• The richness of Europe lies in the diversity of
  languages.
• The EU is a setting where people come together
  because their languages are respected.
• Multilingualism policy aims at ensuring
  multiculturalism.
• Languages are still very much on the agenda

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Continued

• Widespread general competence in foreign
  languages also plays its part in keeping
  xenophobia and intolerance at bay.
• Ján Figel Commissioner responsible for
  Education, Training, Culture and Multilingualism.
• The polyphony of languages echoes the polyphony
  of the minds which is at the core of European
  culture.Renaud DONEDIEU DE VABRES, French
  Minister of Culture
• Learning languages provides people with many
  benefits career possibilities, deeper
  understanding of ones own and others cultures.

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Language Statistics

• 25 member states
• 450,000,000 EU citizens
• 80 languages including minority languages
• Over 60 regional or minority languages
• 138 language communities
• In the EU an average of 1.3 1.6 languages are
  taught per pupil.

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EU Language Policy Development

• Unemployment of the 1980s. Mobility language
  skills - one way to balance employment - design
  of a language policy.
• 1989 Lingua Programme
• 1995 White Book Teaching and Learning.
• 1995 2006 Socrates and Leonardo I and II.
• 2001 European Year of Languages.
• Barcelona European Council 2002 call for a
  sustained effort "to improve the mastery of basic
  skills, in particular by teaching at least two
  foreign languages from a very early age" call
  for "linguistic competence indicator".
• 2003 Action Plan 2004-06.

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Education Training Life-Long Learning
Programme 2007 - 2013
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Recommendations implementation at the member
state level.

• European Language Label. National award to best
  linguistic activity
• Certification system
• More languages in Primary
• Over 30 million p.a.
• Programmes to disseminate information on minority
  languages
• Generally problematic to implement policies, eg.
  CEFR

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France

• Decision to improve as a result of European
  evaluation weaknesses in aural comprehension
  writing
• French policy to introduce a ML from the age of 8
  based on research. 2008 from 7
• Teaching languages at school cannot be limited to
  teaching communicative skills. It is part of the
  language teachers mission to contribute to the
  students general education by broadening their
  cultural references
• English, no matter its predominance, cannot be
  dealt with separately in any language policy
• Language teaching makes an important contribution
  to cultural education - towards the broadening of
  cultural references.
• 2005 Introduction of CEFR following discussion
  English as a means of communication for Europe v.
  the language against the cultural background
• Anne-Marie Lhérété, Ministère deducation
  nationale, de lenseignement supérieur et de la
  recherche, Inspectrice générale de langues
  vivantes Anglais

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Next Steps

• First ML from age 8
• Second foreign language to be gradually
  introduced for all students from 12 (second year
  of junior school).
• Certifications in cooperation with foreign
  European assessment bodies will be introduced.
• Creating interfaces between primary and secondary
  school, general and vocational high-schools.

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Modern Language Learning Traditions in the UK

• Long-standing tradition French
• From ma gouvernante to compulsory for all
• Further traditions German, Spanish, Italian,
  Russian
• Projects in Primary French, Spanish, German.
• CLIL the four Cs Curriculum Theory

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Recent Developments

• From 2001
• From 2004 no longer compulsory at post 14 level
  a statutory entitlement
• Decline in number of pupils in state education
  learning a ML at post-14 level (e.g. GCSE crop
  2006)
• Language learning in private education
• Possible revision of policies at school level
• Closure of university language departments

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Key messages

• Learning a lingua franca is not enough
• Mother tongue 2
• LLLL
• Meaningful communicative competence not
  necessarily Native Speaker competence

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Changes Flexibility

• One of the great challenges for the future will
  be learning to be flexible.
• Franklin Have you ever thought, Headmaster, that
  your standards might be a little out of date?
• Headmaster Of course theyre out of date.
  Standards are always out of date. That is what
  makes them standards!
• Forty years On, Alan Bennett

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The Place of Language Learning in Europe

• At long last, Europe is on its way to
• becoming one big family, without bloodshed,
• a real transformation a continent of
• humane values of liberty, solidarity and
• above all diversity, meaning respect for
• others' languages, cultures and traditions.
• (Laeken Declaration)