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The UK government has announced a new PMFL initiative for England and Wales, but it will be some years before every UK primary school automatically teaches MFL.

To help schools choose whether to start now, we've set out some of the arguments often cited by advisers in favour of introducing a Modern Foreign Language to the primary school curriculum.

 

In the U.K. and most other countries, when pupils go on to secondary school they follow a compulsory structured foreign language course from age 11 to 16.

Primary schools that introduce language learning at an earlier age may do so for a number of purposes:

  • Broaden horizons - Many schools couple language learning with school twinning and exchange visits, so that pupils have access to foreign people and cultures at an early age, gaining all sorts of mind-broadening experiences with benefits across the curriculum.
  • Encourage positive attitudes to MFL - Some argue that by showing that language learning can be fun and by giving pupils experience of successful communication, early learning encourages a 'can do' attitude to foreign languages - so that pupils approach secondary school MFL lessons with greater enthusiasm and anticipation. In this respect, being taught a foreign language by the primary class teacher who teaches everything else, helps reinforce the hidden message that 'everyone can do it.'
  • Improve later performance in MFL - Many believe that an early start can dramatically improves later performance in languages, but the evidence to support this claim is mixed. How ever, research studies have shown that younger children can enjoy learning languages, and before adolescence often benefit from a lack of self consciousness about mimicking authentic accents and styles of speech.

Why some primary schools have introduced a foreign language into their curriculum

What do you think? Send us an e-mail to contribute to the debate.
Meanwhile, here's our list:

10 Position Statements

1. Good age to start

An early start works well (they say) because young children are keen and naturally receptive to learning a foreign language. Before puberty, they are willing and able to mimic pronunciation and body language - without the inhibitions and self-consciousness of older students.

They have natural curiosity, and a great capacity to absorb new vocabulary and ideas. All this helps give them a good start, with benefits such as more authentic pronunciation that persist long-term.

For boys particularly - who often turn away from languages as a "girls' subject" - early success may be critical to avoid them starting at age 11 with an already fixed idea that languages are "too difficult".
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1. Good age to start

2. Suitability of primary school environment

Children are in a secure and familiar environment, with a teacher and other children whom they know well. The child typically spends the whole day with one class teacher, who covers the whole curriculum. That teacher's willingness to speak a foreign language offers a powerful model to the children, reinforcing the message that "everyone can speak languages". She can exploit many opportunities to use a foreign language in everyday classroom routines (such as calling the register), and in parts of lessons such as maths and physical education (such as counting in the foreign language). Aspects of the foreign culture can be explored across the curriculum - in art, music, story-telling, geography, history etc.
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2. Suitability of primary school environment

3. Our economy needs more people who can speak languages

The UK is increasingly a part of Europe both culturally, economically and politically. Our businesses and public organisations need more people who can communicate with foreigners, and are aware of their cultures.

It is argued that a national change of attitudes to language learning would assist international competitiveness. An early start could contribute (they say) by encouraging children, parents and teachers to accept learning one or more foreign language(s) as a natural and feasible element of compulsory education.

Convinced? A lot depends on whether you agree that an early start does improve long-term language performance...
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3. Our economy needs more people who can speak languages

4. Early fostering of international awareness of other cultures

Many children grow up in a narrowly nationalistic monoglot environment - not helped by a media that's not much interested in the rest of the world. Is it up to schools to redress the balance - and can they?

It's argued that children's ability to see the world from someone else's point of view is greater when they are younger - before prejudices have become deep-rooted. It is a good time to broaden their horizons and develop awareness of their own and other cultures and languages - to dispel myths and stereotypes, and bring children into direct contact with speakers of other languages.
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4. Early fostering of international awareness of other cultures

5. More enthusiasm for life-long language learning

It is argued that an early introduction to language learning, well done, will give children the confidence to make a success of language learning throughout their lives. Early success will promote enthusiasm for language learning and positive attitudes to languages and cultures other than their own.

Much depends on whether secondary school teachers use or ignore what pupils had learnt when younger. At worst pupils lose motivation and become terminally bored whilst going over the same ground in their next school. Primary teachers can help by working on liaison with colleagues in the next phase of education, and with other primary schools in the same area - so that pupils arrive at secondary school with a common level of experience with MFL.
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5. More enthusiasm for life-long language learning

6. Enhance skills with their own language

It is perhaps not surprising that, when extra lesson time, resources and money are being diverted to help improve children's basic skills of literacy that linguists should claim that learning a foreign language is a good way to improve children's command of their own mother tongue.

But is this convincing? They say that study of another language reinforces understanding of grammar, and of the small details of language - sounds, rhythms, intonation. It offers the opportunity to compare and contrast means of expression, in a new context.

It offers a new context for developing existing skills in practising decoding and the phonic aspect of word level work; for pupils to read widely for information and enjoyment; for pupils to improve the accuracy of their writing. It helps train pupils to listen carefully - to sounds in words; to features of formal and informal talk; and to grasping the main points in an argument, reading, discussion or series of instructions.
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6. Enhance skills with their own language

7. Greater personal self-confidence

Success in anything boosts your self-confidence, but (it's argued) the constant rehearsal and performance as teacher and pupils interact in a language lesson is particularly good for enhancing self-esteem.

These sort of learning activities help children gain the confidence to speak in the foreign language in front of other class-mates and to a variety of audiences including native speakers. It improves children's concentration and general listening skills. As they experiment with language, success helps develop the whole personality of the child.
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7. Greater personal self-confidence

8. Help students with learning difficulties

Starting to learn a foreign language often seems to offer children a fresh start from a common baseline -they don't start way behind their peers from the cumulative effect of years of problems.

They may benefit from revising concepts from other areas of the curriculum, e.g. number, time, etc.
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8. Help students with learning difficulties

9. Help children do better in MFL exams

If children learn foreign languages for longer they will reach higher standards - like in Europe where MFL often starts early, and is part of the compulsory curriculum in many countries until the age of 19.

Research has so far failed to reveal improvement in exam performance that correlates with an early start - though for many children potential benefits may have been thrown away in the transition to secondary school [see E above]. There is some evidence that improved pronunciation persists.

If an early start at MFL helps children develop transferable skills of independent learning, of memorising and manipulating language for their own purposes - this will help their progress in foreign language learning at secondary school - and later in life.
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9. Help children do better in MFL exams

10. Help children in later careers

Parents are often keen for their children to get a "head start" through an early start to learning languages.

We think it is important to make the decision to introduce a language for positive reasons. Some schools are under pressure to teach a language because of increased competition and in some cases because of parental demand. Discussion and consultation with staff, parents and governors need to be carried out so that, if the decision is made, it is well founded and everyone is committed to its success. The commitment, after a possible trial period, should be viewed as long term. Issues such as staff expertise and liaison with secondary schools will need to be addressed.
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10. Help children in later careers

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