1+2 Approach – Language Learning in Scotland

1+2 Approach – Language Learning in Scotland

(Notes taken from https://www.gov.scot/Resource/0039/00393435.pdf)

  • Children’s mother tongue with the addition of two other languages is recommended by the European Union and has already been implemented in other countries around the world.
  • There has been a “significant and worrying” decline in the last decade of pupils continuing their learning of languages to SQA level.
  • Young people are not being challenged or motivated enough whilst learning a new language.
  • The need for young people to learn additional languages will become increasingly important as the world becomes more globalised.

In order to deliver this framework:

  • An additional language needs to be introduced at an earlier stage in primary school.
  • Needs to be an enhanced partnership working between primary and secondary schools.
  • Needs to be a closer collaboration across all sectors of the curriculum.
  • More use of technology when teaching/learning a new language.
  • Regular access to native and fluent speakers to stimulate interest in learning language and other cultures.

Why does learning language matter?

  • Life enhancing
  • Opens doors to experiences which are not usually available to those with only one language
  • Enhances understanding of L1
  • Enable young people to participate fully in a global society and economy
  • Learning a language relates to the 4 main objectives in primary school (effective contributor, confident individual, successful learner, responsible citizen).
  • Business community recognises the importance of communicating in another language of potential clients.
  • ‘damaging perception’ that we don’t need to speak another language because everyone speaks English, has to be challenged.

 

  • The Working Group believes that the 1+2 approach is for all young people wherever they live in Scotland, urban or rural, schools big or small.
  • So much of children’s’ communication is in English (with their families and social media etc) that it does not seem as important to learn another language.
  • Only 6% of the world’s population has English as their L1.
  • English represented 51% of language usage on the internet but by 2011 this was down to 27%.

Starting Young

  • Lots of evidence to prove that young children learn languages more easily than older learners – mental flexibility.
  • Can enhance natural curiosity
  • Help to foster a positive attitude towards languages
  • Learning French, German, Italian and Spanish will continue to hold its importance.

Challenges

  • Staffing, training and funding issues
  • Other curricular areas seen as more important to teachers
  • Teachers not confident enough to teach another language or deliver lessons

 

  • The best lessons include a variety of approaches such as games, songs, direct teaching, group and paired work.
  • Most effective teaching is where teachers implement language learning across the curriculum and not just in their allocated time slot for modern languages.
  • Learning about the culture of a country frequently arouses enthusiasm for learning the language.
  • Challenges for introducing L3 are similar to those for L2 (staffing, funding, training).

Time Allocation

  • The Working Group does not recommend a fixed number of hours for the learning of language in primary schools.
  • Building blocks of language learning into the daily routine for learners, plus the use of the target language across other aspects of learning can avoid the danger that a ‘language hour’ is the first to go when there are timetabling issues.

 

 

 

 

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