National Curriculum: Carolyn Robson on modern languages

Carolyn Robson, Executive Headteacher of Rushey Mead School (Teaching School) in Leicester, talks about what she's excited about modern languages in the new National Curriculum.

[@WaineBGallagher]

Easy to recruit LAs before Brexit. I wonder how easy it is now. She's not really saying anything new, though. Has the Dept. of Education decided what language is going to serve primary kids best when they transition to secondary education? Carolyn alludes to this towards the end when she says that primary schools often ask "If we teach Mandarin or Arabic, what continuity is there for the pupils?" and then proceeds not to answer the question. It's no surprise to learn that in non-English speaking countries, English is taught at primary level and then continued through to the end of high school - usually as a compulsory subject. Why do successive governments in the UK just tinker around the edges with MFL in England and Wales? The answer I would give to those primary schools is "Look at the secondary schools you're feeding into and offer the language that those schools teach. Agree with the other feeder primary schools that you will all teach the same language from the same Key Stage and then meet regularly to keep everyone on track. As a former secondary MFL teacher, I can tell you that when one group of Year 7s arrive from a school that has been taught e.g. French in Year 6, and they're sitting in a class of kids who haven't learned that language, it's extremely frustrating for all concerned: those that have learned the language are bored at going over the same material again (even if the resouces are different), those who are learning for the first time get a bit sick of the same kids knowing the answers to the questions and always getting the highest marks in tests, etc., and the teacher having to find ways to make the subject interesting to kids who are effectively treading water, while serving the needs of the many who are starting out.

[@chriswinter6672]

Yawn !!!