Launch of the The Forum on the Future of Language Learning in English Schools

The future of languages logo depicting different coloured speech bubbles with the word 'Hi' translated in 32 languages.

Launch of the The Forum on the Future of Language Learning in English Schools

 

On Saturday 20th February, Dr Arlene Holmes-Henderson attended the launch of the Forum on the Future of Language Learning in English schools. This group is convened by Dr Charlotte Ryland, Oliver Hopwood and Ruth Wilkes. They seek to bring together a diverse range of stakeholders and professions covering:

  • education - both primary and secondary10
  • research - education, applied linguistics and cultural studies
  • policy
  • translation
  • access & outreach

At the launch event, 20+ representatives from these sectors discussed the feedback from an initial questionnaire about the current state of languages education in schools and sought to find common ground for future developments re: curriculum redesign, teacher training, resource development, cross-phase collaboration and policy support.

Was there consensus?

NO! Some said we should focus on French, German and Spanish because that’s where historical sector expertise lies, others said that we ought to use this opportunity of reflection to consider a much more ambitious suite of language options and should support Russian, Mandarin, Polish and Portuguese in a more strategic way. Dr Arlene Holmes-Henderson obviously advocated for Latin and Greek at both primary and secondary. Some wanted more focus on grammar and vocabulary, others wanted far less. Some were keen to see the use of authentic texts in the classroom, used in combination with Google Translate. Some liked Duolingo as a learning tool, others hated it. So even within this small group, fragmentation was clear.

Next steps

The steering group is going to draft an open letter for review by attendees at the launch which communicates the key issues facing language learning in English schools, for review/signatures as appropriate.

 

Back to: Dr Arlene Holmes-Henderson's Knowledge Exchange Fellowship page