Modern Foreign Languages Study - Essay Example

MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES (How is the Study of Languages Implemented within Primary Schools Which Languages are offered to Primary School Children and, How is this being taught) MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES CONTENTS: Abstract 1 Key Words 2 Acknowledgements 3 Introduction 4 Literature Review 4 The Investigation and Its Setting 9 Methodology 10 Research Activity 11 Findings and Analyses 12 Conclusions, Professional Values and Recommendations 12 References 13 Appendices 14 1 ABSTRACT Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) study, as a part of National Curriculum is gaining importance in our times of globalization. The policy of the government is that by the year 2010 all children in key stage 2 must learn another language in addition to English. Access and engagement in modern foreign languages gives proper guidance to students who has English an additional language. The assumption is that the starters in English can learn MFL faster than than others. Study of a foreign language will enable the children to have a cultural bondage with the outside world. As such learning of MFL should be given prime preference in order to make our young citizens to become global citizens, in the matter of social integration.(http://www.qca.org.uk/qca_7348.aspx, viewed on 14th March 2009). This is why the researcher has intended to analyse the issues such as (i) how is the study of languages implemented within primary schools, and (ii) which languages are offered to primary school children, and (iii) how is this being taught etc., in schools The necessity for teaching of Modern Foreign Languages had not been felt strongly till the beginning of the last decade.The National Curriculum implemented widely in the EU between the 1880s and the 1890s entitled the students between 11 and 2 16 years of age to learn modern foreign language. The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) ardently encourages the researchers to work towards the betterment and practice of modern languages and has provided a strong financial support to streamline the process. And therefore this research is focused on the modus operandi of MFL teaching at primary level schools in London. The details of the report on the research conducted by me are elaborated in four main chapters, viz., (i) review of literature (ii) methodology (iii) data collection, and (iv) conclusion. This dissertation is conceived by combining theory and practice propped by the information acquired from the review of literature along with a brief research conducted in primary schools adopting different methods such as survey, observations and interviews. Its aim is to collect data on the study of modern languages at primary levels in London and on how it is implemented by teachers, and how it is conceived by the children. The findings arrived at, established beyond doubt that MFL learning should get the prime position in the National Curriculum, and the present system of teaching must be improved to some extent, so that this will make our young citizens well acquainted with international understanding and harmony through cultural awareness. Such a step will make them ideal citizens. KEY WORDS: Modern Foreign Languages National Curriculum Key stage 2 Additional Language Linguistic Cultural 3 Social Integration DfES (The Department for Education and Skills) ACKNOWLEDGEMENT In the outset I must express my heartfelt thanks to my learned Guide who helped me a lot with timely directions and advice to complete this assignment well in time. And I do extend my thanks to the lecturers and professors of the University as well, who supported me with their revered wisdom and guidance throughout, so as to enable me to fulfil my assignment. I take this opportunity to thank my friends and parents who have imparted their knowledge in a friendly and loving manner, and the librarian of the University, without whom this project would not have been materialised. My acknowledgement also goes to those who have made significant contributions to the research work, and shared responsibility and accountability for the results. The details of the institutions and the children are given below: a primary school which has permitted me to scrutinize their language lessons language teaching staff, whose language teaching lesson I have observed children in Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, who allowed me to observe 4 INTRODUCTION : Linguistic skill and confidence make any person of any level an excellent communicator. If this skill and the resultant confidence are bestowed on young children they will walk steadily to the mainstream with a will to understand the people of the world creating peace and harmony. The inherent knowledge to create a better human community. The MFL learning is focused on this basic principle. The MFL was made an optional subject in KS4 in 2003. The intention was to give opportunity to KS2 learners to learn foreign language by the year 2010. For, MFL learning will influence the overall motivation of the children and self-esteem. The study of a foreign language will make the children understand and appreciate the cultures and others aspects of different countries, the people and the different communities as well. This will enable them to think of themselves as global citizens as well as British citizens. Moreover it will stimulate the children's curiosity and will persuade them to develop enquiring minds. They will reflect on their own culture and will start comparing it with the cultures of other countries.(http://www.nc.uk.net/nc/contents/MFL-home.htm, viewed on 14th March, 2009) How MFL is implemented in Primary Schools Pupils have to work independently, in pairs and groups and they are allowed to practise their spoken and written language skills. Their progress will be evaluated and this will reflect the effectiveness of their approach. This will enable them to realise that communication is a two-way process. They will learn to express their opinions, and will listen to others patiently to account the different views. 5 It is widely accepted that "Learning to communicate effectively with others in a language that is not their mother tongue prepares pupils to become responsible, tolerant citizens in a multilingual world".( http://curriculum.qca.org.uk/key-stages-3-and-4/subjects/modern-foreign-languages/MFL_and_the_national_curriculum_aims.aspx, viewed on 15th March, 2009) The following points were strictly adhered to while modern foreign languages are implemented in schools for key stages 1 and 2: The target language was used both for interaction as well as teaching The questions were aptly graded. Skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing sharpened through multi-skilled activities were undertaken. Aided work, group work and independent work guided by various interacton modes and under the supervision of tutors were carried out. Modern foreign languages (MFL) is not an obligatory national curriculum subject at key stages 1 and 2, but it is the policy of the government that by 2010 every child in key stage 2 should be entitled to learn a language other than English. An ever-increasing number of schools have already provided some MFL teaching at key stage 2, and provision is anticipated to grow, both across schools and across the four years of key stage 2 (The education of asylum-seeker pupils, Ofsted, 2003, page 14). By learning a foreign language, children can be given a stronger sense of their relationship to others in the world. They come to know that their mother tongue is only one of many languages spoken by others, both in this country and abroad. They can 6 appreciate the effort made to communicate in English by those for whom this is not their first language, such as most new arrivals. Learning MFL can therefore make a significant contribution to the social integration of new arrivals (The education of asylum-seeker pupils, Ofsted, 2003, page 14). Which Languages are offered to Primary School Children The introduction of MFL into British primary schools for all Key Stage 2 pupils from 2010 is not seen as an important subject by many people, and consequently British people are very poor at foreign languages compared with most other Europeans. In the year 2007 Britain declared that children of Key Stage 2 level would be able to learn an MFL from the year 2010. Several primary schools already have some MFL instruction but currently it is the decision of the individual school or Local Education Authority. However from 2010 it will be an entitlement area. This means that all children are entitled to learn an MFL but it will not be a core part of the national curriculum. (http://www.eltnews.com/columns/young_learners/2009/01/introducing_foreign_languages.html, viewed on 15th March, 2009) This means MFL has only a status of entitlement and not statutory . As such there will be no pre planned study programme or hard and fast rules for MFL teaching in primary schools. There are only some lesson plans by Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) for French, German and Spanish languages. The primary schools can select any of these languages for teaching. French and German are the most popular MFL in these schools. Some schools also teach Italian and community languages viz., Urdu, Arabic, Bengali, Gujarati, Chinese, and Somali. 7 These community languages are spoken by the people residing in a certain area, and as such the schools in the locality teach these languages. Schools can teach one or more languages throughout Key Stage 2. This entitlement is totally different from Japan, where the only foreign language taught in the primary schools is English. How is MFL taught in Primary Schools The period between the 1980s and 90s witnessed a sudden boost in the importance of teaching of Modern foreign languages in the EU educational system. This was augmented by the implementation of National Curriculum consequent on the1988 Education Reform Act. This was enlivened by the assumption that the young people above the age of sixteen years are adept in the communication through foreign languages. It is an inevitable and integral part of the preparation for stepping into a successful social life. The highly popular vocational courses like the General National Vocational Qualification (GNVQ), the Free Standing Vocational Qualification such as FLIC and FLAW and GCE(General Certificate of Education) saw the enthusiastic new generation of youngsters satisfying their quest for knowledge by mastering the foreign languages.The Advanced 'A'level Examinations were followed by the Advanced Subsidiary levels'AS' and the A/AS level MFL learning has been highly valued since then. Apart from the diversities, the ability and interests of the A/AS level learners has been a supporting factor in the matter of scientific, technological and economical education. The major factors that curb the enthusiasm of the learners to go for A/AS Levels in MFL are the great demands that they have to deal with than that of their previous 8 educational system. Anxiety to meet the demands in this field resulted in a large number of drop outs in the A/AS levels. The increasing drop out of learners not withstanding the demands will create a risk of inadequacy in the number of them going into Initial Teachers Training. So, steps have to be taken to ensure the retaining of an adequate MFL base for those at key stages of 1 and 2 years. There have been numerous guidance documents from various governmental bodies and commercial publications to help deal with the question of how to teach and assess MF learners from the key stages 1 and 2. Recently, through debates and discussions, ideological and socio-political questions the type of qualifications required for the twenty first century teaching should be academic, vocational or a combination of both. This is rather surprising considering the high-stakes involved in the A/AS exams which is preceded by a university entrance exam followed by an enormous media attention when the results are released. Although most schools that include MFL in their key stage 2 curriculums teach French, any modern foreign language may be taught. There are many primary schools already teaching community languages. This can be beneficial to all children when a number of new arrivals in the school come from a country or community where that language is spoken. For example: new arrivals who speak the community language as their mother tongue will be able to communicate with children in the school who are learning it as a foreign language. This will add greatly to the welcoming atmosphere created by the school. 9 as the new arrivals learn English they are more likely to experiment using it if they have seen their peers struggle with a second language children who are learning the community language as an additional language will appreciate the value of being able to communicate with new arrivals from the outset some newly arrived children may have had little or no prior education and therefore may not be literate in their mother tongue. They will benefit from learning to read and write as well as speak their first language. The 'Little or no prior education' area provides guidance on this. children who speak the community language as their mother tongue can participate fully, demonstrate what they know, and excel. This will increase self-esteem and confidence. (The education of asylum-seeker pupils, 2003,Ofsted, page 14). THE INVESTIGATION AND ITS SETTING: A visit to a primary school of children between the age groups of 4 to 11 will be undertaken. The children with the written permission of their parents will be interviewed and the staff of the school will also contribute to the research. The following will be interviewed with the help of a questionnaire. Range of children in a primary school, aged 4 to 11 (one class in Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2) 10 Language teaching staff LEAs in the London borough There will not be any exclusion and the participation will be optional for all. Signed written consent will be essential for the participation. METHODOLOGY: The research was done through journals, texts and online search. Learning a foreign language is an important part of developmental psychology, and the language knowledge reverberate a child's temperament to open up to an atmosphere which is representative of a state of distinctness. When a child chooses to study a foreign language it means that the child is willing to step outside to the comparatively lately gained comfort zone of their native language, which they may not yet have fully mastered. By doing so they are entering into a completely different language which is most likely to stretch their learning abilities (Shafer & Kipp, 2006). Some children show a real willingness to learn foreign languages, while some others are determinedly resistant (Durkin, 1995). This may reflect upon their ability (or lack of it) to develop social relationships and to accept other cultures (Shafer & Kipp, 2006). A constant refusal to learn foreign languages may be indicative of some kind of educational problem; since learning a foreign language is a special challenge for primary-aged children, a negation to take part in such lessons might be taken as an early pointer of challenges which might later impact upon other aspects of educational participation (Smith et al., 2003). 11 Questionnaire was the second methodology adopted. Questionnaires were distributed to the staff and the children of the school I have visited. Qualitative research Questionnaires to LEAs in the London borough combined with quantitative research Interviews (about 10 to 15 min.) and questionnaire to be filled out by language teaching staff Observation of language teaching (3 lessons in total) Interview of Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 class children (10 to 15 min. each class) about language learning - Do they like it What do they like best in their language lesson Etc. RESEARCH ACTIVITY: The intention was to investigate and examine the significance of Modern Foreign Languages. The present situation of language provision in primary schools was examined and how far languages have been put into practice in Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 was also researched. A closer look at successful language teaching in the primary classroom was also observed. The aim was to become more skilled with regard to primary language teaching with the intention of applying the newly gained knowledge to a place of work by offering to teach German as part of the curriculum. Additionally, it is the intention to apply the knowledge gained to become proficient in the teaching of Modern Foreign Languages and to inform others about the significance of language learning today. 12 FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS: The research conducted indicated that the development of foreign language teaching is not linear. There have been two main branches in the field and they are empirical and theoretical. Jesperson, Palmer, Leonard Bloomfield are the ones who promote mimicry and memorization with pattern drills. These methods follow from the basic empiricist position that language acquisition basically results from habits formed by conditioning and drilling. In its most extreme form, language learning is basically the same as any other learning in any other species, human language being essentially the same as communication behaviours seen in other species. Given that human languages share many common traits, the idea is that humans share a universal grammar which is built into our brain structure. This allows us to create sentences that we have never heard before, but can still be immediately understood by anyone who understands the specific language being spoken. (Diller, Karl Conrad, 1978). CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Knowledge about language is now a key concept. It is important that pupils have some understanding of how languages relate to each other, for example through language families, and about how languages work. This gives their learning a context and helps to develop language learning skills, building on the strand in the Key Stage 2 MFL framework. Advice to other schools: 1. Try out some of the lessons which combine MFL and literacy work at Key Stage 2. 13 2. Find ways of using the National Literacy Strategy to MFL learning's advantage. 3. Make maximum use of specialist MFL teachers by strengthening links between 4. phases and getting secondary teachers to work in a primary setting. 5. Win the hearts and minds of all MFL teachers in your school before embarking on such a project. 6. Motivation is everything: if the pupils want to do something, they will do it. 7. Think carefully about progression with regard to what the pupils will do after completing an early GCSE.(Hudson, R 2000). REFERENCE: 1. .(http://www.qca.org.uk/qca_7348.aspx, viewed on 14th March 2009). 2. .http://www.nc.uk.net/nc/contents/MFL-home.htm, viewed on 14th March, 2009) 3. ( http://curriculum.qca.org.uk/key-stages-3-and-4/subjects/modern-foreign-languages/MFL_and_the_national_curriculum_aims.aspx, viewed on 15th March, 2009) 4. (http://www.eltnews.com/columns/young_learners/2009/01/ introducing_foreign_languages.html, viewed on 15th March, 2009) 5 The education of asylum-seeker pupils, 2003, Ofsted, page 14. 6. Diller, Karl Conrad (1978), The Language Teaching Controversy. Rowley, 7 Massachusetts: Newbury House. ISBN 912066-22-9. 8. Hudson, R. (2000) 'Grammar Teaching and Writing Skills: The Research Evidence' available from dick@ling.ucl.ac.uk. 14 Appendices: QUESTIONNAIRE 1. How motivated are British pupils to learning a foreign language 2. Are there differences in motivation between pupils of different abilities 3. Do boys and girls differ in their motivation to learn a foreign language 4. Are pupils more motivated to learn some languages than others 5. Are there differences in motivation between pupils of different ages 6. How could teachers improve pupils' motivation 7. How was the study designed 8. Does it promote understanding of cultures of other communities 9. Are you satisfied with the present teaching methods 10. Do you have any suggestions to further the teaching method 11. Does this study of MFL seem beneficial to you 12. Does it increase your awareness 13. How many languages you know now 14. Which MFL you learn most 15. Do you have any suggestions in the selection of language 16. What is the scope of German language in this school as MFL 17. Are you satisfied with curriculum 18. What are the implications of the study for teachers of modern languages 19. Are the Learning Objectives clear 20. Is the foreign language learning experience a pleasant one 21. Are you confident even if you make mistakes when you speak foreign language Read More

 

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