Foreign Language Teaching in Schools in Europe

EURYDICE

Directorate-General for Education and Culture

Foreign Language Teaching in Schools in Europe

European Commission

EURYDICE

Eurydice Studies

Foreign Language Teaching in Schools in Europe

Eurydice The Information Network on Education in Europe

This document is published by the Eurydice European Unit with the financial support of the European Commission (Directorate-General for Education and Culture).

Available in German (Der Fremdsprachenunterricht an den Schulen in Europa), English (Foreign Language Teaching in Schools in Europe) and French (L'enseignement des langues ?trang?res en milieu scolaire en Europe).

D/2001/4008/1 ISBN 2-87116-311-1

This document is also available on the Internet ().

Text completed in December 2000. ? Eurydice, 2001. The contents of this publication may be reproduced in part, except for commercial purposes, provided that the extract is preceded by a complete reference to `Eurydice, the information network on education in Europe', followed by the date of publication of the document. Requests for permission to reproduce the entire document must be made to the European Unit.

Cover photograph: ? Photo: 2000 Stock Image, Benelux Press Bruxelles, Belgium.

EURYDICE European Unit Rue d'Arlon 15 B-1050 Brussels Tel. (32-02) 238 30 11 Fax (32-02) 230 65 62 E-mail: info@ Internet:

Printed in Belgium

Preface

PREFACE

Following the lead given by the European Commission and the Council of Europe, 2001 has been declared the European Year of Languages. The year will be marked by an impressive series of events and initiatives which we hope will result in the increasingly active promotion of both foreign language teaching and the linguistic diversity characteristic of Europe. Indeed, the issue of languages is unquestionably at the heart of the development of a Europe synonymous with culture and citizenship.

Furthermore, it has now been formally stated that the command of at least two foreign languages by the time young people complete school should be a central objective enabling all citizens to derive full benefit from their right to free movement and actively contribute to better mutual understanding among the peoples of Europe.

From this standpoint, the comparative study carried out by Eurydice constitutes an original and exceptionally rich appraisal of the teaching of foreign languages in the 29 countries taking part in the Socrates programme. It is both a timely and essential reference work on the subject, and I wish to express my warmest thanks to the Network for this vital contribution to improved mutual understanding between European countries on a topic attracting such strong common interest.

This is, indeed, the most comprehensive study on the teaching of foreign languages to have been completed hitherto at European level. It contains a detailed analysis of the way teaching in this area is organised, the approaches and content of curricula, arrangements for the training and recruitment of teachers and the initiatives developed within education system to provide linguistic support to minority languages. The book is all the more valuable for placing in a historical perspective the many reforms carried out in this area over a period of several decades. These changes bear witness to the steadily increasing importance attached by national policies to the teaching of foreign languages. The account of actions undertaken at Community level since the launching of the Lingua programme is yet a further reminder of the Union's commitment in this field.

The book thus provides a guide to the steadily increasing effort invested at all levels in the promotion of foreign language learning. Special mention is made of the way in which pedagogical research is taken into account in approaches recommended in the curriculum, as well as the inclusion of languages among the compulsory subjects from the earliest years of primary school in many countries and the increased mobility of teachers towards countries speaking the language that they teach. However, further progress is still required to prevent the personal and professional development of each of us from being thwarted by linguistic barriers.

In this respect, a few questions merit further consideration: what is required to ensure that the consistently strong preference among pupils for learning English, or even the status of English as the first compulsory foreign language, do not compromise preservation of the linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe? How is one to effectively overcome recurrent urgent problems relating to the recruitment of teachers skilled in languages? How can one be sure that recommended new teaching methods will really be put into practice in the classroom? These questions call for answers both in terms of the resources that should be earmarked for the in-service training of teachers and the adjustments that have to be made to the organisation of teaching as such.

In this respect, Community action is essential. It is for this reason that the Commission will continue to encourage and support action by the Member States and ensure that the linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe remains one of its top priorities.

Viviane Reding European Commissioner for Education and Culture

January 2001

3

CONTENTS

Contents

INTRODUCTION

7

1. Background to the study

7

2. Scope of the study

8

3. Methodology

11

4. Structure of the study

12

Glossary

15

CHAPTER 1 LANGUAGE SUPPORT IN A MULTILINGUAL ENVIRONMENT

21

Introduction

21

1. The role of language in the education system of countries with several state languages

24

2. The role of minority/regional languages in European education systems

25

3. Language support for children of foreign mother tongue

36

4. Language support for speakers of non-territorial languages

44

CHAPTER 2 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

47

Introduction

47

1. Overview of major reforms

47

2. Main scope of reforms from the 1970s to the present day

58

3. Diagrams illustrating the organisation of foreign language teaching in 1974 and 1984

75

CHAPTER 3 ORGANISATION OF TEACHING

81

Introduction

81

1. The place of foreign languages in education systems

81

2. Range of languages offered in compulsory education

94

3. Time allocated to foreign language teaching

100

4. Standards as to number of pupils in foreign language classes

104

5. Special initiatives: exchanges between foreign language pupils

105

Annexes

107

5

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