Opinion Articles

In this article, Edinburgh-based languages teacher Jonathan McBride argues that stories have the potential to transform modern languages teaching at all levels. Reflecting on his classroom-based research in schools in Canada, Switzerland and Germany, he considers how stories can increase linguistic input, motivation and help all learners to succeed.

In the following opinion article, Rowena Kasprowicz explores emerging research evidence demonstrating that, with the right conditions, linguistic progression is possible at primary school. Reflecting on this evidence and in light of the challenges for Key Stage 2/3 transition, Rowena argues for the importance of i) reducing variation in primary languages provision, and ii) facilitating robust communication channels between sectors to ensure that children’s language learning experiences at primary school are taken seriously.

In this article, Fiona Barclay considers the longstanding deficit in the social value associated with languages. She argues that this deficit has contributed to the sustained decline in the take-up of formal language-learning in Scotland, and proposes three avenues through which public perceptions of languages could be improved.

In this opinion piece, Sharon Jones, drawing on her teaching and research in languages and education, reflects on the potential of broadening access to the benefits of languages curriculum provision in primary schools. From the perspective of Initial Teacher Education in Northern Ireland, she considers the opportunities and challenges involved in taking the next steps towards excellence in this important curriculum area. 

In this opinion piece, Thomas Rogan suggests three ways in which teachers of MFL in mainstream primary classrooms might enhance their practice by taking cognisance of the practice of IM practitioners.

In this article, Vicky Gough and Philip Harding-Esch, drawing on their professional engagements with key stakeholders, argue that the time is ripe for a new focus on international experiences at school and at university. Not only does the evidence show improvements in individuals’ life outcomes, but the wider benefits align with emerging social, economic and geopolitical priorities – and could boost uptake of languages in schools and universities in the process.

In the following opinion article, Claire Gorrara and Lucy Jenkins explore how the Curriculum for Wales represents a radical shift in language education, embedding International Languages into the core of a learner-centred system. Arguing for early exposure, creative pedagogy, and cross-linguistic collaboration, they call for a multilingual mindset and sustained policy commitment to ensure languages thrive in Wales.

In the following opinion article Suzanne Graham and Alison Porter argue that primary language education needs a more meaningful and coherent rationale than it currently has. Their research offers suggestions for such a rationale, demonstrating that focusing on both linguistic skills and non-linguistic outcomes like creativity and empathy develops essential competencies for global citizenship, while potentially also solving some of the challenges of transition from primary to secondary education.

In the following opinion article, Neil Kenny, drawing on stakeholder discussions he’s been involved in via the British Academy over a number of years, calls for a new one-year Level 3 Certificate in ‘Applied Languages’ to be introduced in England. It would typically be taken alongside A-levels in a language in which the student has a GCSE but that they’re not pursuing at A-level.

In the following opinion article Lisa Panford finds that urgent intervention is needed to address the conditions into which languages teachers of Colour from the Global South are inducted. Further, their retention in the profession requires attending to the ways that policies and practices within our own subject discipline cause harm to People of Colour.

In the following opinion article John Worne argues that the UK’s national narrative needs to evolve to encourage regular engagement with languages at all levels. Rather than focusing only on 'fluency', a more appropriate measure is proficiency and utility. Alongside recognition of the UK's extensive existing linguistic diversity, it is time to recalibrate our approach to languages in the UK and develop a more positive mindset and inclusive approach.

In the following opinion article, Joseph Ford and Emanuelle Santos give a short account of work being done with a view to ‘decolonise languages’ in UK Higher Education and pose some fundamental questions that are still absent from mainstream discussions on the topic.

In this article, Oliver Hopwood, London-based languages teacher and Chair of the Independent Schools Modern Languages Association, supports moves to revamp MFL at GCSE. He calls on colleagues to engage in a long overdue conversation about how to develop a more engaging curriculum connecting language and culture.

In this article, Charlotte Ryland, Director of the Translation Exchange at the University of Oxford, considers the value of creative translation in the context of the proposed changes to GCSE MFL qualifications in England. She proposes that the creative translation approach and engagement with a community of linguists can have positive consequences for pupil motivation.

The article begins by considering the potential meanings of the phrase ‘Global Britain’ and considers the importance of communication within any international strategy. In this context, it foregrounds the necessity of joined-up thinking concerning the teaching of modern foreign languages. It looks at the implications of the proposed reforms to the subject content of GCSEs and argues that the formal consideration of culture needs to form part of the way in which the qualification is taught and assessed.

In this article, Suzanne O’Farrell MFL Consultant for ASCL considers the proposed changes to the GCSE MFL qualifications in England from the perspective of school leaders. The article examines the background context, their implications and unintended consequences for schools,  teachers and pupils.

In this article, Vincent Everett, Head of Languages at Northgate High School and Dereham Sixth Form College, shares his reflections on the proposed changes to the GCSE MFL qualifications in England. He welcomes the emphasis on phonics but raises questions about the set vocabulary lists and is concerned about how these proposals will function in  classrooms, and the impact on language learners.

In this article, Richard Hudson, Emeritus Professor of Linguistics at University College London and Fellow of the British Academy, discusses  the proposed changes to the GCSE MfL qualifications in England. He argues that grammatical and phonetic comparison can demystify difficult patterns and enhance learning and hopefully renew learner and teacher interest in the structure of languages in the language classroom.

In this article, colleagues from the Linguistics in Modern Foreign Languages Project consider the proposed changes to the GCSE MFL qualifications in England from the perspective of linguistics.  They identify several areas where engagement with key aspects of knowledge from the field of linguistics  may be useful in taking forward current proposals and in avoiding unintended consequences.

In this article, Mark Sebba, Reader Emeritus of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University, and Wendy Ayres-Bennett, Professor of French Philology and Linguistics at the University of Cambridge, reflect on the inclusion of language questions in the 2021 Census in England. They discuss the shortcomings of the current approach and argue that new and better questions are needed to capture the true extent of  England’s multilingualism.

In this article, Marc Debono, Associate Professor in Language Sciences at the University of Tours, challenges us to consider the role of  academic linguistic experts in court, arguing that academic expertise on matters of language, while it can be useful in court, must not be allowed to encroach on judges’ freedom to make their own decisions,  which, he argues, is a democratic imperative.

In this article, Andreas Krogull, Postdoctoral Researcher in Historical Sociolinguistics at the Leiden University, and Jeroen Darquennes, Professor of German and General Linguistics at the University of Namur,  issue a challenge to researchers of historical sociolinguistics to tackle research questions in ways that yield insights to inform contemporary real-world decision-making.

In this article, Ian Collen, Lecturer in Teacher Education at Queen’s University Belfast, looks at what Northern Ireland can learn from Ireland’s new languages strategy and also what Ireland can learn from recent initiatives in Northern Ireland.

In this article, Sharon Jones, Senior Lecturer in Education Studies with Modern Languages and International Placement Coordinator at Stranmillis University College in Belfast reviews Ireland’s Languages Connect strategy in light of Initial Teacher Education and current foreign language learning policy across the border in Northern Ireland.

In this article, Neil Kenny, Lead Fellow for Languages at the British  Academy, argues that the broadened notion of skill proposed by a new British Academy project, The Right Skills, provides a framework for articulating more accurately and effectively the full range of skills provided by language degrees.