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Report on Language Alliance Meeting

April 2005

On April 25, 2005, I attended a meeting by the Language Alliance, on behalf of the Association for Language Awareness. The meeting was held in BBC Broadcasting House in London.

The Language Alliance is a loose alliance of groups interested in supporting the UK Government's National Languages Strategy (available at http://www.dfes.gov.uk/languages/) The following list of participants at the meeting will give you an idea who these might be.

 

 

Representing

Kornelia Achrafie

 

Japan Foundation London Language Centre

Sam Barker

 

Dept for Education and Skills International Strategy

Duncan Byrne

 

Independent Schools Modern Languages Association

Dick Capel-Davies

Oxford University Press

 

Alison Emmett

 

BBC Worldwide

Stephen Eden

 

Institute of Linguists

Anne Farren

 

National Association of Language Advisers

Steven Fawkes

 

Association for Language Learning

Hilary Footitt

 

University Council of Modern Languages

Edwige Girardin

French Embassy

 

Kate Green

 

Language Ladder, Dept for Education and Skills

Joan Hoggan

British Council

 

Dick Hudson

 

British Academy

Natasha Khan-Qureshi

Dept for Education and Skills International Strategy

 

Debbie Marshall

 

BBC Worldwide

Sue Meyer

 

National Institute for Adult and Continuing Education

Pelayo Molinero

Spanish Embassy

 

Leo Murray

 

Centre for Information on Language Teaching and research

Paul Rowlett

 

Committee for Linguistics in Education / Subject Centre for Linguistics

Agneta Svalberg

Association for Language Awareness

 

Martin Swales

 

British Academy

Judith Swift

Trades Union Congress

 

José Antonio del Tejo

Spanish Embassy

 

Amy Thompson

 

Ethnic Minority Achievement Team, Lambeth

This report is based on my own notes and the notes taken at the meeting by the convenor, Steven Fawkes. Much of it will probably not be relevant/make much sense to people outside the UK, or unfamiliar with UK systems and institutions. However, some of the information could be of use to people wanting to put in research bids to UK funding bodies in the sense that it indicates what some of the big issues are at present.

The Language Alliance meets termly. Each meeting is followed by a meeting of LA representatives (usually Steven Fawkes and Hillary Footitt) with the National Director for Languages, Lid King.

A Higher Education (HE) report commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and authored by Hillary Footitt had recently been published. We were given a summary. The full version is available at http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RB625.pdf

  • Highlights include:
    • uptake of Modern Languages Degree courses continue to decline
    • this includes strategically important languages such as Arabic, Chinese and Japanese
    • so called 'International' courses are often international only in that they want to attract international students and there is often no language component
    • outreach programmes to schools and colleges depended on staff good will and were hence very vulnerable - universities as a resource were not being well used
    • on the positive side, many students choose to study languages as a non-specialist subject because they felt language skills was part of being a graduate in an international setting.

In summary, there is a loss of interest in culture / literature in HE (and languages as a named part of a degree) but a growth in Language Centres. The situation means that many language departments across the UK are under threat. To this can be added that uptake by UK students of places on the Erasmus programme has been disappointingly low.

Regarding Schools, it was noted that an entitlement to EAL has not been established and provision is haphazard. This is notable in cities like Leicester where some schools have over 90% of children with English as an Additional Language without the corresponding training of teachers. There are also issues of literacy and assessment which need to be explored. An interesting example from Leicester is a recent influx of a great number of Somali families via countries such as Holland and Sweden where they have acquired EU citizenship. The children thus arrive with at least two languages but not necessarily any English. Schools had to cope without extra support.

It was pointed out that speakers of other languages should be seen/could be a resource for the Strategy.

Another DfES document discussed was "Putting the World into World-Class Education. An international strategy for education skills and children's services." It is currently out of print but can be accessed at http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/DfES10772004.pdf

Most notable there are the goals, to which language would seem central:

1) Equipping children, young people and adults for life in a global society and work in a global community,

2) Engaging with our international partners to achieve their goals and ours,

3) Maximising the contribution of our education and training sector, and university research to overseas trade and inward investment.

The TUC representative pointed out that training opportunities in languages are very popular with trade union members, often with a view to communicating better in the workplace (e.g. Punjabi, Sign Language). Languages are consistently in the top 3 with ICT and improving Literacy/Numeracy.

A number of other issues were discussed, e.g.

  • how to encourage a perception of language learning as a transferable skill;
  • why languages are not compulsory in UK schools;
  • dominance of English cf Language Awareness agenda which could encourage more openness – learning from others (cf International best practice);
  • preparing people to work in a global environment; move towards International School Awards;
  • could universities (and other institutions) produce / publish an International strategy - including social inclusion agenda in services to students arriving from abroad?;
  • developing a sense that a graduate should have a language/ international dimension to their skills;
  • teaching by NS speakers (e.g. at HE) in some languages may need support for methodology?;
  • ‘exotic’ languages may be a way in e.g. 'Chinese for all' in Newham, Black Country Pathfinder ‘apprenticeship’ model inc Punjabi;
  • need to promote the excellent activity that does go on , e.g. the European Award stories; need to overcome pre-conceptions from home by working on adults

It was reported that a lot of work has been done in linking schools at British Council cf Global Gateway, with the hope this will filter through to older students

It was reported by the NIACE rep that in contrast to Erasmus, the Grundtvig scheme has been successful (enhanced adult mobility).

Future activities:

The Language Alliance could be put into DfES implementation plan as a contributing group.

LA will have a follow up meeting with the International section and with the National Director for Languages

LA will consider organising a seminar on the International concept, embedding related skills and so on.

LA will consider making recommendations for EU Presidency activities

Leicester 29.04.05

Agneta M-L Svalberg