St Lawrence College
...Languages: opening a world of opportunities
(UCAS), the number of universities offering language degrees in the UK is now 30 per cent fewer than in 2000.
ENGLISH BACCALAUREATE In part to address this downward trend in the study of languages, in 2015 the government proposed that the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) be made compulsory for English schools. The EBacc is a school performance measure which shows where pupils have secured a C grade or above across a core of academic subjects at key stage 4. The five core subjects are English, maths, history or geography, the sciences and – crucially – a language.
A spokeswoman for the Department for Eduation said, “Having the opportunity to study a language is an important part of the core academic education that will help young people gain the knowledge and understanding they need to compete in an increasingly global workplace.
“As part of our work to address the historic decline in study of modern foreign languages, we have made it a compulsory part of the primary curriculum and introduced the English Baccalaureate, which includes the study of a [foreign language] GCSE. We hope to see 75 per cent of pupils studying it by 2022.”
However, until the EBacc becomes compulsory in 2020, there is concern that the language element is keeping down the number of students who are successfully achieving all five EBacc components. 2017 results showed that fewer pupils achieved the EBacc compared to 2016 and this was mainly due to a drop in language entries. Of those who only entered four of the five core subjects, the majority (80.4 per cent) were missing the language component.
The picture is somewhat brighter in Europe. Over recent years, some countries have lowered the starting age for compulsory language learning, with most pupils beginning when they are aged between six and nine. The German- speaking community in Belgium provides language training for children as young as three. However, while more than three-
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quarters of primary-school students in the EU learn English, the number of EU students taking French and German is below 15 percent.
KEEPING OPTIONS OPEN
“One of the purposes of education is to prepare a child for the future,” explains Susan Stewart, head of multilingualism at The International School of London (ISL) Surrey. “For an international child, who may be moving from one assignment to another, keeping all their language options open is crucial.” ISL is a coeducational IB World School for students aged from two to 18 where 27 different languages are spoken by the students. TASIS The American School in England is an independent coeducational school for day pupils aged from three to 18 and boarders aged from 14 to 18. According to Edward Spencer, head of English as an Additional Language, “Learning different languages opens doors to new horizons, as well as providing a competitive edge in the global jobs market. With advances in transport and modern communication technologies, the world is a smaller place in which the acquisition of foreign languages is now more crucial than ever.” Says Tim Jones, deputy head (academic) at Sevenoaks
School, “We think that there are huge benefits to learning alongside students from other countries and cultures. Many of the world’s problems stem from xenophobia or miscommunication, and solutions tend to come from familiarity and shared ground. It is important to us that everyone can celebrate their cultural identity and their languages.”
CELEBRATING THE MOTHER TONGUE Several international schools in England give English as
an Additional Language (EAL) students the chance to develop and extend their first language as part of their international education.
ISL offers a mother-tongue language and literacy programme that is part of the school curriculum and helps
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