Linguistics and Modern Foreign Languages in Schools

Ros Mitchell University of Southampton [email protected]

MFL in school: current GCSE trends

80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 71 69 67 64 60 59 51 46 44 44 2005 MFL entries 2006 2007 2008 % achieving A*-C (of those attempting) 2009 prov

MFL in school: current A level trends

30000 29000 28000 27000 26000 25000 26665 2005 28010 28377 29423 2006 2007 MFL A level entries 2008 29542 2009 prov

MFL in school: Current primary trends

• In 2008, 92 per cent of schools were offering pupils in KS2 the opportunity to learn a language within class time • 69 per cent of schools in 2008 were fully meeting the entitlement for all year groups • French remained the most common language offered (in nine out of ten of those schools providing a language). Spanish was offered in 25 per cent of schools and German in 10 per cent of schools.

• The typical model of delivery for languages was through discrete lessons each week,with the most common pattern being one lesson of around 40 minutes per week.

(Wade et al 2009)

Linguistics and MFL in schools: past influences

• Learning theories and MFL: – Behaviourism (  audiolingual pedagogy) – Nativism (  communicative pedagogy) – Cognitive models (  grammar pedagogy) – Skills and strategies (  strategy training) • Language models and MFL: – Structuralism – Functionalism (  communicative syllabuses e.g. Common European Framework)

1990s

MFL in school: a changing policy context

A National Curriculum “Languages for all” in Key Stages 3 and 4 2000s A National Languages Strategy (2002: end of “Languages for all”!) Key Stage 3 MFL Framework (2003) Key Stage 2 Framework for Languages (2005) Revised National Curriculum (2007) Key Stage 3 Framework for Languages (2009)

Languages in primary school: a debate on rationales

• Language awareness and learning how to learn (Candelier 2003; Hawkins 2005)

versus

• Development of communicative/ instrumental language skills (“the younger the better”)

Languages in primary schools: ‘language awareness’ initiatives (Hawkins 2005) Coventry “Pathfinder” project ‘Encounters’ with a range of local and international languages … investigating patterns in languages, similarities and differences across languages and preparing pupils for future language learning through the development of their capabilities in the four main language skills….

“Discovering language” project (Esme Fairbairn Foundation) Children are introduced to the basics of six languages … they will learn how meanings are conveyed in different languages e.g. some by 'synthetic grammars', different from the 'isolating grammar' of English, which conveys meanings mainly by the

order

of words. They will learn about the different ways in which languages convey messages in written form; they will become aware of the interrelation of languages through borrowing and have some idea of how languages change over time.

The Key Stage 2 Framework for Languages (DfES 2005)

Five strands: • Oracy • Literacy • Intercultural understanding • Knowledge about language • Language learning strategies

The Key Stage 2 Framework for Languages (DfES 2005)

Five strands: • Oracy • Literacy • Intercultural understanding • Knowledge about language • Language learning strategies

‘Knowledge about language’: proposals • • • • • When learning a new language, children reinforce and reinterpret knowledge and understanding gained in learning their first language(s).

In the early years children should develop insights into the sounds and some of the structures of the new language and compare them with their own language(s).

As they increase their understanding of the rules of sounds, spellings and grammar, they should begin to apply these rules when creating new language, both spoken and written.

As they progress, children should have frequent opportunities to apply previously learnt knowledge and rules in English and the new language.

Children will have experience of learning about and using simple grammatical terms such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and pronouns. They will need to apply this knowledge in the context of learning about languages which are new to them.

(DCSF 2005 p. 78) Children should have opportunities to: • Identify phonemes, letters and words which are similar to and different from English in spoken and written forms • Recognise commonly used rhyming sounds and learn how they are written • Understand and use a range of common words from all word classes… • Recognise that languages use different writing systems, have different ways of expressing social relationships, borrow words from other languages and describe concepts and ideas differently • Apply their knowledge of language rules and conventions when building short sentences and texts… • Understand and use question forms and negatives … • Understand that rules and conventions are respected by native speakers and are important for learners • Recognise some aspects of agreement where relevant, e.g. gender, singular/plural, pronoun/verb… • Recognise the importance and significance of intonation and punctuation.

‘Knowledge about language’: proposals • • • • • When learning a new language, language(s).

children reinforce and reinterpret knowledge and understanding gained in learning their first In the early years children should develop insights into the sounds and some of the structures of the new language and compare them with their own language(s ).

As they increase their understanding of the rules of sounds, spellings and grammar, they should begin to apply these rules when creating new language, both spoken and written.

As they progress, children should have frequent opportunities to apply previously learnt knowledge and rules in English and the new language.

Children will have experience of terms to them.

learning about and using simple grammatical such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and pronouns. They will need to apply this knowledge in the context of learning about languages which are new (DCSF 2005 p. 78) Children should have opportunities to: • Identify phonemes, letters and words which are similar to and different from English in spoken and written forms • Recognise commonly used rhyming sounds and learn how they are written • Understand and use a range of common words from all word classes… • Recognise that languages use different writing systems, have different ways of expressing social relationships, borrow words from other languages and describe concepts and ideas differently • Apply their knowledge of language rules and conventions when building short sentences and texts… • Understand and use question forms and negatives … • Understand that rules and conventions are respected by native speakers and are important for learners • Recognise some aspects of agreement where relevant, e.g. gender, singular/plural, pronoun/verb… • Recognise the importance and significance of intonation and punctuation .

Languages in primary schools: current practice

• Teachers are mainly motivated by commitment to intercultural understanding/ internationalisation • Teachers are keen to build confidence and motivation by making lessons fun • Teachers concentrate on a single language (usually French) • Oracy is the main focus of classroom activity, followed by literacy and ICU • ‘Knowledge about language’ receives limited attention (Cable et al 2008)

Languages in primary schools: the Rose proposals (2009)

5.5

Because language is a tool for communication – comprising speaking, listening, reading and writing – learning a new language strengthens a child’s command of their mother tongue. Given appropriate opportunities, they will make explicit links between the two.

…..

5.7 ….

the knowledge, skills and understanding we want children to acquire in languages should be situated within the

understanding English, communications and languages

programme of learning in order to best exploit the links between English and the chosen language(s).

A period of flux for MFL

• Changing curriculum models, both external and internal to MFL • Issues of coherence and consistency within and between educational stages • Fuzzy strategic targets (where is CEFR?) • Problematic subject-specific professional skills and knowledge base among curriculum designers and teachers

The ongoing contribution of linguistics to MFL

• Provide principled accounts of language itself (including pedagogic grammars) • Describe and explain rates, routes and likely outcomes of instructed language learning (e.g. early learner grammars, variability) • Inform language pedagogy • Inform multilingual ‘language awareness’ programmes and ‘links’ with English

…. But potential can be realised only in partnership with educators at all levels

References

Cable, C. et al (2008).

Language Learning at Key Stage 2: A longitudinal study. Interim findings from the first year

. DCSF Research Brief RBX-08-08.

Candelier, M. (2003).

L’Eveil aux Langages a l’Ecole Primaire.

Larcier.

Brussels: de Boeck and Council of Europe/Council for Cultural Cooperation (2001).

Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: learning, teaching, assessment.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

DCSF (2009).

Key Stage 3 Framework for Languages

. http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/mfl DfES (2002).

Languages for All: Languages for life, a strategy for England

. Nottingham: DfES Publications.

DfES (2005).

Key Stage 2 Framework for Languages

. Nottingham: DfES Publications.

Hawkins, E. (1984).

Awareness of Language

. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Hawkins, E. (2005). Out of this nettle, drop-out, we pluck this flower, opportunity: rethinking the school foreign language apprenticeship.

Language Learning Journal

32: 4-17.

Macaro, E. (2007). Do near-beginner learners of French have any writing strategies?

Language Learning Journal

35 (1): 23-35.

Rose, J. (2009).

Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum: Final report

. London: DCSF.

Wade, P. and Marshall, H., with O’Donnell, S. (2009)

at Key Stage 2

. London: DCSF

Primary Modern Foreign Languages Longitudinal Survey of Implementation of National Entitlement to Language Learning

Woore, R. (2009). Beginners' progress in decoding L2 French: some longitudinal evidence from English Modern Foreign Languages classrooms,

Language Learning Journal

37 (1): 3-18.