I.1. Modern foreign languages in the curriculum: 1900 - 1988
I.1.a. Academic plan?
Between the 1880s and 1904, many students had the opportunity to learn modern foreign language. The main language of instruction was French; However, German was also sometimes taught. This was the case in most schools that existed at the time, although the school was less compulsory, and compulsory education was intended only for a few students between the ages of six and twelve years.
In 1904, the Board of Education suppressed modern foreign languages from the curriculum. It has been provided for almost 60 years. This had an impact on the generations of British pupils, since so far languages have not seemed important; and therefore for many years the English claimed that they could not study them.
The Education Act of 1944 was a turning point for the education system of the United Kingdom. This made the school compulsory at the age of 5 to 15 years. The Ministry of Education, which became the Department of Education and Science, presented the “tripartite system”. High schools were converted to gymnasiums. for the most capable students, the high schools became the “Middle Modern Schools” and most of the students in their cast and the “Secondary Technical Schools” for those who have technical / scientific ability. The age when the transition between primary and secondary schools was to be made became more definite in the 1980s, when different age groups were divided into five key stages. Students should have started high school at the end of key phase 2.
In 1944, local educational municipalities provided funds and equipment for schools. They also justified the necessary resources and paid for the teachers. They had to make sure that there is enough space to accommodate all pupils aged 5 to 15 years within the catchment. They also determined the length of the school day. They had a general overview of the curriculum, but no control as such. Over time, how local governments managed their area was completely different, and the focus on certain types of schools had a huge impact on the wider community.
The Secretary of State had no legal right to determine the content of the curriculum. The Department of Education and Science inquiries regarding the curriculum were extremely limited, with the exception of religious studies (daily worship and religious education became statutory). The subjects taught, as well as the methods and content remained the teachers and the main teachers. That was until the 1980s, although Her Majesty’s Inspectorate and the Office of Educational Standards checked and reported on schools. No major changes occurred until 1988.
Therefore, between 1904 and 1964, the teaching of languages, as we perceive it in 2005, was very limited, in the few schools that offered this option. These were mainly gymnasiums or public schools. In fact, often students were taught only Greek or Latin. Where modern foreign languages were available, the main skills were reading and writing. The emphasis was on grammar, literacy and the communicative aspects of languages that were completely overlooked. Emphasis was placed on the development of intellectual skills, and teaching methods were used for classical languages. Modern foreign languages were not considered as a means to an end; The ability to communicate with a target language speaker turned out to be very insignificant. The goal of learning a language was to raise yourself to the highest academic standards and become part of the elite.
I.1.b 1960s-1970s: ambiguous positions
Until 1965, universities in the United Kingdom required future students to have a basic knowledge of a foreign language in order to process their applications. The decision taken at the Permanent Conference on University Joining in 1966 ended with a hundred-year requirement with access to higher education. This can be seen as an underscore of the status of languages. Monolingualism has since become acceptable even from people who at that time considered themselves cream. nation.
Some highly regarded universities, such as Cambridge, tried to continue the prerequisite for a modern language in order to be more selective and have very high academic competencies in their candidates. However, they were invented in this way, as stated in a reporter at the University of Cambridge, issue 335/109, January 17, 1979: “The university concludes that no university in isolation can afford to interfere with the entry requirements aimed at encouraging the breadth of education in the sixth form ... they must be imposed by the Department of Education and Science. " It is interesting to note that, ironically, the decision to suppress the linguistic background was made in the same year when the Center for Information on Language Learning was established.
However, the suppression of basic competency requirements in languages can also be interpreted as a way to democratize university entrance and make it accessible to more candidates. Indeed, since before the 1960s, languages were mainly taught in gymnasiums and public schools, which used electoral entry processes and the necessary parents. funding, this solution allowed students who attended middle modern schools to apply for a university course.
The government tried to take some steps to improve the situation. The feasibility study was conducted in 1962 for the early start of the study of modern foreign language in primary schools. Sir Edward Boyle launched the French of 8 pilot program, and the Nuffield Foundation prepared the necessary training material. In 1970, a preliminary report was written by Dr. Claire Birstall of the National Foundation for Educational Research, which shows a consistent “linear correlation” between students. performances and parenting. The National Foundation for Educational Research published the final report on the French of 8 program in 1974, as a result of which the government decided to refuse support in financing the scheme ...
I.1.c. The birth of new secondary schools
In the 1960s, the education system shifted to a more childish system, targeting children to both individuals and kinesthetic teaching methods. This, apparently, is directly related to the introduction of secondary schools, schools of the new generation, in which the eleven-year exam was no longer accepted for admission.
The events that took place in the 1960s are explained by many factors that influenced British society. It was a time of relative prosperity. There were no difficulties with unemployment, and this had a very positive impact on the perception of the community and their desire for rapid progress in many areas. Local education authorities encouraged innovation in schools.
The idea of comprehensive education, which implies that all students attend secondary school, instead of sitting on eleven-odd exams, which was a selective process to determine whether a child can enter secondary, grammar or special school, came rather late to United Kingdom. Other European countries have already adapted their education system to a changing society spawned by World War II and its aftermath. Between 1945 and the early 1950s, some local municipalities offered to create secondary schools by education, but the government highly relied on this idea and even decided to strengthen the system in favor of gymnasiums.
By the early 1960s, the Labor government changed its plans and became full-fledged for general education schools and began offering to cancel eleven plus the exam. As society flourished and the middle class expanded, public opinion was approved by the new generation of schools. The current system was seen as very unequal, benefiting boys more than girls, and the middle class more than the working class.
The 1964 Labor Manifesto for general elections attached great importance to eliminating eleven plus exam and developing secondary schools; however, after winning the election, the government did not require local education authorities to be comprehensive. Therefore, secondary schools began to exist in high schools. The government tried to continue developing its plan of action, but it never succeeded in passing the Law, since the Labor Party lost the general election in 1970.
Although the project did not fully reach its original goal, many high schools decided to become non-selective. Some of the grammar schools that had a direct grant from the government became comprehensive because they had only one alternative, which was to turn into completely private schools.
In 1969, the Department of Education issued Circular 18/69, forcing teachers of modern foreign languages to undergo vocational training for training in supported schools. It was considered vital to eliminate the lack of competence in the classroom, especially after the first general certificate of education in modern foreign languages was introduced in 1964. The Department of Education also published a circular that year (2) / 64), emphasizing the importance of developing teaching and learning languages, taking into account the economic and political context and the need to be competitive in international and European business. Indeed, the United Kingdom tried to become a member of the Common Market, and in all areas it was necessary to try to get a positive response, which they ever received in 1973, when the UK entered the European Economic Community.
In 1977, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate (HMI) published the report “11-16: The Red Book”, which proposes the inclusion of a modern foreign language in the main curriculum. They advised to teach the language four times a week for the forty-month week. In the same year, HMI conducted a survey “Modern Languages in Secondary Schools”, which came to a disturbing conclusion: two out of three students who started a language at the age of 11 threw it at the age of 14. Only one of ten students reached the General Assembly of the Ordinary Level after five years of studying a language.
The report also notes the lack of professional competence of teachers who did not plan their lessons adequately, the lack of work patterns, the fact that class objectives are not clear and that the lessons were not complex enough. Although the teachers were obviously partly responsible for the situation, they had to face new difficulties caused by general education schools. The groups they taught were mostly mixed skills; and this learning context implied the use of differentiation, challenging more capable students and helping students to have learning difficulties. The emphasis was not on writing skills, as it was before. They had to adapt their teaching methods to meet these new needs.
The first Education Act, Margaret Thatcher, which was published the same year that she became prime minister, returned the right to local governments to choose students for high school. She recalled the Education Act, promulgated by the Labor Government in 1976. She also ruled that the government should monitor the school curriculum.
I.2. Significant changes: 1985-1996
"The irresistible growth of English as an instrument of international communication made it possible to assert that the educational costs of creating a low level of communicative skills were too high to be justified in the curriculum under the pressure of the physical and human sciences." New "students when modern ) became compulsory in general education schools, was low, with a 60% drop out rate, which had a disastrous effect on the morale of teachers ”(Hawkins, 1996: 325). This is an analysis made by Hawkins in a speech by George Perrin, director of the Center for Information on Language Learning, in 1976 at King's College in London.
In 1985, the Department of Education and Employment published a document entitled “The Best Schools”, which stated that most secondary school students should receive a course in modern foreign languages, which can be factual, and that the second language should be offered in m year or 9th year for students who benefit from it. However, a year later another report showed signs of very low achievements in modern foreign languages. In the same year, 59,860 boys sat a certificate of secondary education, and 17.63% earned a qualification; 103 466 girls passed the same exam and 22.63% passed. The results were better, although for students who were at the general level of a general certificate. Among the 58,962 boys who took the exam, 58.87% of them got a grade from A to C. As for 88,695 girls who did the same exam, 60.47% got from A to C, which was an assessment of passing for this specific exam.
After all the previously mentioned reports, the Consultative Document on the curriculum for students aged 11 to 16 years, submitted in 1987, recommended the inclusion of a modern foreign language in foreign languages. This means that the language will be compulsory for all students within five years. This also meant that after the five-year course, they would have to go through a formal survey.
In 1988, the long-awaited reform of the examination system took place. In 1978, the Waddell Report already recommended a single exam at the age of 16 to replace the General Certificate of Education and the Certificate of Secondary Education.
The certificate of secondary education, presented in 1965, which was developed for those students who could not reach the traditional level O, has historically been replaced by the General Certificate of Secondary Education with the publication of the Education Reform Act 1988. This new exam, which was launched in subjects, focuses on the evaluation of the four skills of listening, writing, reading and speaking. For many years this was considered one of the greatest achievements in the field of modern foreign languages. Keith Joseph was then Secretary of State for Education. His decision to initiate a new general certificate of secondary education was aimed at ensuring that local governments did not interfere in the assessment. Until now, the curriculum was in their hands and often fulfilled the requirements of some specific universities. He did not necessarily follow logical and progressive content.
Testing and assessments were to become a regular procedure in which students of future generations had to sit at the age of 7, 11, 14 and 16 years. individual results will not be available to everyone, but general school results will be available. This was the birth of the league tables, which many British schools feared. League tables are now published in newspapers and analyzed on television. This affects parents in the desires they express for their children, who will be enrolled in one school and not in another.
The main innovation in the field of educational reform in 1988 was the creation for the first time of a prescribed national curriculum for all public schools for students from the age of five. As part of this curriculum, it was determined that languages will figure as the main subject in secondary schools, although unofficially many secondary schools that prior to this law had the right to decide whether they want their students to learn the language before the age of 16 or not, already made them statutory.
In 1996, the Education Act reinforced all previous laws from the famous Butler Education Act of 1944, but in the field of languages he actually confirmed the fact that modern foreign languages were the subject of a foundation and that all students in the 10th year had to pass their French German or Spanish GCSE. Schools had to obey the law.
I.3. Nuffield Request
The Nuffield Foundation is a charitable trust that was created in 1943 by William Morris, also known as Lord Nuffield. He was the founder of Morris Motors. His initial goal was to "promote social well-being, especially through research and practical experimentation." Фонд стремится достичь этого, поддерживая работу, которая приведет к улучшению в обществе, и которая основана на тщательном анализе и информировании объективными и надежными доказательствами. »(www.nuffieldfoundation.org).
Доход фонда основывается на доходности инвестиций, что делает его полностью независимым от правительства. Это означает, что запросы, исследования и отчеты являются объективными и непредвзятыми. Фонд предоставляет гранты для различных проектов и поддерживает ученых и социологов. LaTely, они приступили к осуществлению программ по обеспечению доступа к правосудию для всех; они спровоцировали программу по защите детей и вложили средства в развитие некоторых стран Содружества, особенно в том, что касается образования и здравоохранения. Фонд проводит сравнительное исследование о пожилых людях и озабоченность их финансовыми проблемами в более поздней жизни. Они также сохраняют то, что называется открытой дверью, для финансирования миссий, которые им представляются. В идеале, эти инновационные проекты должны быть связаны с одной из основных областей деятельности, таких как обучение и социальное обеспечение, право и общество, наука и образование.
Фонд «Наффилд» успешно работал над «Образованием 14-19» и как пересмотреть существующую систему, чтобы информировать будущую политику. Они также изучали трудности с речью и языком, чтобы попытаться улучшить работу, выполняемую в настоящее время. Оценка - еще одна приоритетная область. Они изучили политику и практику учебных программ с особой попыткой увидеть, как информационные и коммуникационные технологии используются в школах.
Весной 1998 года к Фонду обратились преподаватели языка. представителей и делегатов из мира бизнеса, чтобы узнать о ситуации с современными иностранными языками в Соединенном Королевстве. Комитет из десяти человек, назначенный попечителями Фонда, проработал два года по следующим вопросам:
o «Какую способность на языках потребуется этой стране в ближайшие двадцать лет, если она будет выполнять свои экономические, стратегические, социальные и культурные обязанности и цели и чаяния своих граждан?
o В какой степени нынешняя политика и договоренности отвечают этим потребностям?
o Какое стратегическое планирование и инициативы потребуются в свете нынешней позиции? »(Фонд Наффилда, 2000: 10).
Комитет под председательством сэра Тревора Макдональда опубликовал консультативный доклад, озаглавленный «Куда мы идем с языками?», И затем многие опросы проводились внешними агентствами. После двух лет совместной работы с такими организациями, как Ассоциация языкового обучения, Центр информации по преподаванию и изучению языка, многие университеты, местные органы образования, бизнес-школы и торговые палаты, они опубликовали окончательный отчет и брошюру с рекомендациями «Языки: следующее поколение» 10 мая 2000 года.
Это был чрезвычайно простой и долгожданный доклад, который имел большое значение для ряда специалистов как в сфере бизнеса, так и в сфере образования. Он получил неоднозначную критику из газет; один из журналистов-рефератов «Таймс» отреагировал довольно негативно и обрек некоторые рекомендации как на утопию: «Тем не менее, пока неясно, где бы ни был отчет Наффилда, облегчающий наше национальное смущение. Тест на компетентность на иностранном языке, но они правы призыв к более углубленному изучению языков в младших школах, специализированных начальных школах и улучшенном преподавании языка в второстепенных областях »(TES, 10 мая 2000 года). В этом заявлении выражаются смешанные чувства по некоторым аспектам доклада, и он весьма упрям с точки зрения средних школ.
В окончательном отчете Nuffield Languages Inquiry был сделан ряд выводов из основных выводов:
o «Английские носители языка, как правило, полагаются на то, что их язык говорит по всему миру.
o Отсутствие владения одним или несколькими языками в человеческих ресурсах Соединенного Королевства. У многих иностранцев есть возможность найти работу в стране, тогда как, похоже, это не так.
o Языки не учатся эффективно в средних школах, а количество предлагаемых языков слишком ограничено. Часто современные иностранные языки представлены как незначительные даже в школах. Уровень достижения слишком низок.
o Положения 16 для языков являются слишком специализированными и должны расширяться; после заседания GCSE, 90% студентов убрали язык, который они изучали.
o Правительственные инициативы не являются последовательными на протяжении всех обязательных школьных лет, и в университетах нет перехода.
o Обучение в языках начинается слишком поздно в развитии ребенка, и это было бы намного выгоднее, чем более ранний возраст.
o В рядах современных факультетов иностранных языков в университете наблюдается кризис в числах.
o Отсутствуют преподаватели с квалифицированными языками, а предыдущий пункт означает, что число новых сотрудников не будет увеличиваться. "
Комитет, работающий над этим докладом, среди которых сэр Джон Бойд из Черчилльского колледжа в Кембридже внес предложения по смягчению ситуации. Хотя доклад первоначально был призывом, сделанным различными неправительственными группами, Комитет прямо направил правительство в свои предложения. В британском обществе должен быть поднят профиль современных иностранных языков. Говорить более чем на одном языке должно стать приоритетом. Для этого следует ожидать, что правительственный представитель будет работать конкретно по этому вопросу. Языки должны обучаться ученикам с семилетнего возраста, в возрасте нет никаких запретов, а у детей есть внутренняя мотивация к обучению. Необходимо улучшить преподавание и изучение современных иностранных языков в средних школах. Студенты должны обладать необходимыми навыками для изучения другого языка в будущем. Учебная программа должна быть пересмотрена, и существует большая потребность в дифференциации подходов и содержания, чтобы каждый отдельный студент мог извлечь выгоду из опыта изучения языка.
В докладе также сообщается об отмене решения, принятого в 1966 году, что отменило необходимость владения языком в университете. Тем не менее, должны быть альтернативные курсы на языках для детей от 16 до 19 лет, которые не желают специализироваться на языках, но которые все равно хотели бы иметь определенный уровень компетентности. Информационные и коммуникационные технологии, которые в полной мере развиваются в школах, должны быть частью преподавания современного иностранного языка, а последняя должна стать «ключевым навыком», так как численность, грамотность или информационно-коммуникационные технологии уже есть.
Ключевое послание Комитета по расследованию Наффилда связано с политикой, которую правительство должно будет предпринять для повышения стандартов в области образования. «Национальная стратегия в отношении языков должна обеспечить последовательный и последовательный путь изучения языка с раннего детства через жизнь. Чтобы заложить прочную основу для этого пути, обучение для всех детей должно начаться в начальной школе и стать устойчивым аспектом их собственной школы (...). Правительству следует принять меры для разработки национальных рамок для определения уровней компетентности языка и предоставления набора надежных описателей классов для уровней достижения, к которым должны быть привязаны все языковые требования ». (The Nuffield Foundation, 2000: 94).
Итак, окончательный отчет Nuffield Inquiry попытался решить проблемы, которые должны были быть решены для удовлетворения языковых потребностей страны в начале XXI века. В 2001 году попечители Фонда учредили Программу языков Наффилда для дальнейшего развития выводов и, что более важно, рекомендаций. Их цель заключалась в том, чтобы помочь перейти от теории к практике, работая вместе с правительством и различными учреждениями, которые должны были участвовать в процессе, чтобы сделать его функциональным, например, ассоциациями языков и бизнес-консультантами. Они хотели внести свой вклад в проект, предоставив свой опыт в предстоящих политических дискуссиях, продвигать языки в сообществе. Несмотря на то, что они хотели играть определенную роль в рождении новых стратегий, они также решили, что их участие не должно превышать двухлетнего периода, после чего правительство должно было бы выполнить и реализовать эти предложения.
