A 2023 YouGov ballot discovered that best 21% of UK adults can grasp a dialog in a language rather then their mom tongue. About part of the opposite 79% regretted now not enticing extra with languages in school, and greater than part of all the ones polled had been inquisitive about studying a brand new language.
Through comparability, some 60% of EU voters surveyed in 2022 reported excellent or talented international language abilities.
One thing is obviously going flawed with international language studying in UK colleges, and this isn’t making improvements to. As an example, A-level entries in fashionable languages in England as a proportion of all A-level entries has fallen since 2010.
But our analysis presentations that many pupils in England and Wales are keen on how language has been formed by means of society, tradition and historical past, and the way touch between other people from other backgrounds results in language alternate. A languages curriculum orientated round linguistics – the vital and analytical find out about of language itself – may meaningfully cope with the decline in language studying.
In March 2025, the period in-between record of an ongoing evaluation of faculty curriculum and evaluation in England used to be printed. This known as for adjustments to how language studying takes position in colleges.
One of the crucial problems known don’t seem to be unique to the languages curriculum. The authors indicate that, generally, pupils don’t see their lives and pursuits represented in what they’re taught, and that the curriculum isn’t aware of social alternate. On the similar time, the record recognises that younger other people’s working out of tradition via language is very important.
The nationwide languages curriculum has been recognised as problematic for a while. In contrast to all different topics at GCSE and A-level, together with extremely sensible topics like bodily training and track, languages in colleges are taught and assessed virtually purely as abilities: studying, writing, talking and listening. They lack vital, theoretical and analytical dimensions.
Moreover, the subjects coated, whilst vast, are socially skewed to the purpose that it will probably cause them to tricky for pupils to narrate to: discussions of alpine snowboarding vacations in a foreign country, as an example. This does little to modify the view that finding out languages is the keep of the elite.
Our paintings with language lecturers, along with colleagues Alice Corr, Norma Schifano and Sascha Stollhans, means that together with linguistics within the languages curriculum can take on a few of these shortcomings.
Linguistics may additionally give a contribution to studying in different topics.
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Linguistics lets in a language – with all of its richness and complexity – to be studied as a mental, cultural and historic object, enabling pupils to probe how it’s formed by means of (and shapes) society. Quite than just studying vocabulary and grammar, and the use of them to discuss, say, regional identification or multiculturalism, linguistics-based courses center of attention on how language pertains to those subjects.
Linguistics may additionally give a boost to the educating of alternative topics together with English as a primary or further language, in addition to topics akin to historical past, geography, maths and science. It’s because linguistics encourages a framework for research this is readily acceptable to different topics.
What’s extra, the comfortable abilities received from this way to language studying can give a boost to employability, fostering language mavens which are higher ready for the actual global. This might make college languages a ravishing selection even for the ones now not wishing to pursue a languages level.
For the United Kingdom to satisfy its societal, financial and industrial demanding situations, we require extra linguists of a wide variety, as this 2020 proposal for a countrywide languages technique from establishments together with the British Council and Universities UK highlights.
Our personal analysis presentations {that a} languages curriculum enriched with linguistics is interesting to each scholars and lecturers. It may possibly give a boost to motivation and self belief amongst pupils, whilst contributing to a extra various and complete studying enjoy.
We now have additionally proven that it will probably simply be built-in into language educating with out further trainer coaching. Above all, a linguistics-rich curriculum can lend a hand scholars really feel represented of their studying, letting them mirror on cultural and social problems they perceive and really feel strongly about.
The numbers discuss volumes
Language studying in colleges in England specifically has lengthy been in decline. The statistics masks wider systemic issues, too. College language departments are an increasing number of under-resourced or are last altogether. This implies fewer pupils studying languages at A-level and past, and plenty of fewer coaching to be language lecturers.
Plugging this scarcity with lecturers from in a foreign country has additionally transform an increasing number of tricky, in particular since Brexit, making a vicious circle.
There’s a knock-on affect for upper training. Ongoing closures of college language programmes have resulted in “cold spots” rising in portions of the rustic: spaces the place no universities be offering language levels. Get entry to to better language studying thus dangers turning into a postcode lottery, particularly for the ones with out the monetary approach to review a long way clear of their house the town.
A vital alternate in how languages are taught is wanted – and enriching language educating with linguistics may well be efficient, possible, and probably transformative.
