Language Trends 2007

Coping with change

Prepared originally for use by Duncan Byrne, ISMLA

Linda Parker, ALLTeresa Tinsley, CILT

Languages Show, November 2007

The survey

• 6th Language Trends survey (2002-2007)• To explore provision and take-up in languages• 2,000 secondary schools • 43% response from 860 schools, maintained and independent

Questions asked

• Take up of languages in years 10 & 11• Languages offered• Whether schools have set the required benchmark • Factors affecting take up • Accreditation offered• Key Stage 3• Post-16 • Involvement in support networks

Context

• September 2004 – schools can make languages optional from 14 (KS4)• January 2006 – request to schools to set a Benchmark at KS4 • Summer 2006 – 51% take GCSE languages• March 2007- Languages Review (Dearing)• Summer 2007 – 46% take GCSE languages

Dearing Review

‘an innovative and common sense plan for encouraging a renaissance in languages in schools and beyond’

‘We must encourage a more varied languages offer which suits a range of requirements for young people’

Participation at Key Stage 4

Maintained schoolsOver half have fewer than 50% of their pupils studying a language in Year 11 Just under one third (29%) have fewer than 25%

Independent schools 88% have more than 75% of pupils studying a language in Year 11

But…

In Year 11, participation in languages is only slightly down on last year (2006-07)

In Year 10, numbers are stable

Schools with good take up

Participation is higher in:• Selective (grammar) schools• Schools with high educational achievement • Schools with pupils from an advantaged social background • London and the South of England• Specialist Language Colleges

Schools with poor take up

Participation is lower in:• Comprehensive schools• Schools with lower educational achievement • Schools with pupils from disadvantaged social backgrounds• North East and Midlands• Other Specialist Colleges

Specialist schools

‘We are a Performing Arts school. MFL is in same option block as drama/dance which affects our figures’ Yorks and Humber, 40% take-up at KS4

‘We have become a Media Arts college. Therefore all students have to opt for a media arts subject. Their choice is limited to two only options & this has had a dire effect on the take up of languages’ East of England 10%

Bucking the trend

‘All pupils study French at KS3. Top sets also take German and German is a popular option at KS4 among these pupils. Most pupils continue with French at KS4. 12 pupils are now learning Italian for GCSE. A large proportion of our students continue with French and/or German at KS5’.

Maths & Computing College, North West, 100% take up of languages

Benchmarking

• Only 17% of schools have set a benchmark for take up

• Only 13% of schools with a less than 50% take up have set a benchmark

• These proportions have not increased since last year

Benchmarks

Over half of schools which have set a benchmark have set it at 50%

• Some have set it at 60%• One has set it at 20%• One has set it at 90%

Confusion over the status of the benchmark

Benchmarks

Languages Departments are keen to set a benchmark to give focus to their recruitment efforts, but ...

School leadership teams often seem unwilling to participate in the setting of benchmarks for KS4 language learning

Benchmarks

‘I have been advised that regardless of the Dearing review and Government recommendations, the school will not be setting a benchmark’Comprehensive, North East, 6% take up

‘I have asked for school to comply with guidelines but am told they “apply over the whole country, so individual schools don't need to worry”!!’Comprehensive, East of England 14% in Y11, 2% in Y10

Benchmarks

‘I discussed this with the head teacher whose view is, that if languages are made available to all through the options process, then that is all the school needs to do!’ Comprehensive, East Midlands, 21% take up

“It is only with an extremely supportive school leadership group, favourable option blocking and strong, mixed ability KS3 teaching that we have been able to achieve our take up rates.”Comprehensive, London, 50% benchmark

Benchmarks

But also evidence of benchmark being enforced:

‘OFSTED special two-day survey in October 2006 criticised us for not having at least 50% take-up, despite the school having reduced the options from 4 to 3 that year’.

Yorkshire, Specialist Science College 32% take up

Factors influencing take up

3/4 say the option blocks system in their school has a negative effect on take up

Student attitudes have a negative effect

School policies/ethos more often have a negative effect than a positive one

Parental attitudes

Parental attitudes are as likely to have a negative effect as a positive one

‘Much of the problem is the perception by parents of the need for languages. Many ask if students can drop FL study in Year 7 to concentrate on English & Maths. Students…do not see languages as a useful acquisition’. Sports college, North West 0% take up

Factors influencing take up

2/3 say promotional activities have a positive effect

Over 1/3 say use of alternative accreditation and good results have a positive effect

Factors influencing take up

‘Since languages were made optional at our school we have seen a decline from about 130 (in 2005) entries before optional languages to 60 in 2007 (at GCSE). The number of A* - C grades has remained roughly the same but as a percentage this has rocketed but even this seems to have no effect on our pupils’East of England, 30% take up, Maths and Computing College

Languages

55% of schools report a decline in numbers for French

44% of schools report a decline in numbers for German

35% of schools report an increase in numbers for Spanish

Languages

More schools now teach Spanish than German

Maintained schools 69% Spanish, 67% German

Independent schools 88% Spanish, 84% German

Accreditation

29% of maintained schools offer accreditation other than GCSE (up from 22% in previous years)

Growth in use of Asset Languages – 14% of maintained schools using it, up from 9%

30% of schools interested in using Asset Languages

The independent sector

“Languages for All” at KS4 is still the norm in the independent sector. They are only optional in 1/6 schools.

Optional KS4 languages tend to be found in schools with significant numbers of SEN pupils or those with EAL.

The independent sector

French is giving way to Spanish, with German squeezed. However, German A Level is still being taught in 80% of independent schools

The number of independent schools teaching Mandarin, Italian, Russian and Japanese is increasing rapidly

Nevertheless, new languages are often, even usually, taught outside the curriculum

Key Stage 3

• Growth in use of accreditation

• Introduction of new languages

• 28% of schools have shortened lesson time for languages

• 6% of schools have reduced KS3 to two years (from 3)

Key Stage 5

‘This year has seen the discontinuation of both French and German at KS5’ West Midlands, Science College, 30% at KS4

‘Our pupils are very interested in science/medicine related courses and therefore although many have A* for GCSE, they discontinue language in sixth form’ London, independent, 100% KS4

Participation in networks

61% of maintained schools part of a network

21% of independent schools

•KS3 Strategic learning networks•CILT 14-19 Learning Networks•ALL

Other findings

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) involves 2% of schools

28% of schools fast-track a proportion of pupils to take GCSE early

69% of maintained schools and 94% of independent schools offer opportunities for two languages

The independent sector

Despite innovation in languages offered, the independent sector does not seem to be widely engaged in new qualifications or CLIL

Independent schools appear notably more reluctant to participate in learning networks

Conclusions

Stabilisation – challenge of rebuilding

Evidence of good practice and innovation

Widening gap between linguistic “haves” and “have-nots”?

http://www.cilt.org.uk/research/languagetrends/2007/secondary.htm

 

http://www.cilt.org.uk/research/statistics/index.htm

Further information

Findings, summary, data tables, regional analysis concerning Secondary

http://www.cilt.org.uk/research/languagetrends/2007/secondary.htm

 

Current analyses on other phases of education including HE

http://www.cilt.org.uk/research/statistics/index.htm