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Children of five 'should be taught Somali in schools'
Last updated at 23:52pm on 12.03.07
Lord Dearing demands that every seven-year-old should learn a foreign language in the classroom
Children as young as five should learn Polish, Afghan and even Somali under plans to shake up language learning.
A review into how the Government could reverse a sharp decline in pupils studying languages has recommended that primary schools teach languages spoken in their community.
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Lord Dearing, the report's author, demanded every seven-year- old should learn a foreign language in the classroom, a measure backed yesterday by Education Secretary Alan Johnson.
And he said successful schools should introduce them at Key Stage 1 - when pupils are five.
The report was commissioned after the Government made languages optional for pupils aged 14 in 2004.
Since then, the number of children taking a language GCSE has plummeted from nearly 80 per cent to 51 per cent.
The Government was yesterday accused of undermining Lord Dearing's proposals by refusing to reverse its decision.
Mr Johnson said catching children young was the best way to nurture their interest in foreign languages.
He added: "The earlier you start learning a language the better. Making language study compulsory from seven to 14 gives pupils seven years to build up their knowledge, confidence and experience."
This would encourage them to take language GCSEs, he said.
Lord Dearing wants the Government to set a target of up to 90 per cent of pupils learning languages after the age of 14.
And he warned ministers should return to compulsory GCSE languages if the drop in the numbers studying the subject persisted.
MPs, businesses and unions criticised the decision to keep languages GCSEs optional.
Lord Dearing's report also said language GCSEs were too "stressful" compared to other subjects and it should be easier for pupils to achieve better grades.
Under proposals unveiled yesterday, schools would teach "world" languages, including Urdu and Mandarin, alongside those of major European countries.
This would improve the international job prospects of young people in a global economy.
But schools should also teach local languages spoken by immigrants from Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa.
Pointing to the success of supplementary schools run by ethnic communities in addition to mainstream school, Lord Dearing suggested teachers should offer classes in languages including Afghan, Somali, Greek, Hebrew, Turkish, Russian and Farsi.
Describing the languages spoken at home by many pupils in British schools as a "national asset", he said: "We should value community languages."
A Department for Education spokesman said individual schools would decide what language to teach.
She added: "A school in a Somali community might decide to teach Somali because there are people who speak the language and children would hear it or read in the community every day. This might encourage them to learn other languages as they get older."
Reader views (21)
Now this is a good New Labour idea - set targets for foreign lanquages such as Somalian then, as now, have unrestricted immigration and they might actually meet their first targets ever!
- Dave Bristol, Bristol England
How about insisting that the Somali's learn English?
- Paul, Harrow, UK
How about teaching our children to speak English properly, that would be a start!.
And then maybe a language that would give them more chances in life when they are of an employable age.
- Barry, Birmingham
They are kidding, right? Right?
- Jay, London
A major second language like French or German would be a very good idea. Somali? Where are they going to get enough teachers fluent in this minor language?
- Norcot, Rutland
The younger the better if you ask me, but as to what other languages children in the UK should learn, that is another question.
- Flo, London, UK
How ridiculous!
How about teaching 5 year olds how to speak English properly first! Then and only then, should they consider a second language. On the subject of the second language, how about something useful like French or German?!
- Sanjay, Hounslow, UK
By all means teach worthwhile world languages like Chinese or Russian, but Afghan? Somali? So much for the world economy - this Government seems determined to make Britain fit for the Third World economy!
- Ronnie, York
Let's concentrate on getting everyone to speak English first and foremost.
What good will it do my 12 yr old son to learn these obscure foreign languages?
- Stan Heron, Northumberland
The issue is very simple: the earlier, the better. How that is organised obviously requires considerable thought and planning. There are children across the continent that are already in effect bilingual by the time they leave primary school.
- Michael, Brussels, Belgium
In our eldest daughter's school (she is eight this year) the pupils will begin to learn English. The standard of a second spoken language here in France is noticeably higher than that of English children in the UK. Knowledge of an additional language can only benefit the children. It must be made interesting though. I wish that I had applied myself or had a more interesting lesson at school, as it is much harder to learn French for me now, thirty two years after leaving school!
For those schools that don't have specific language teachers, I can't see any problem with an introduction to the language through one of the many teaching CD's such as the excellent BBC one, 'Muzzy'. The earlier they have it the better. Our eldest daughter was having French lessons in her school in the UK in year two.
- Paul Bradford, Monflanquin, France
French language tuition was completely merde at my school. As one of the few schools in the area to have an audio language lab, our french teacher took the opportunity of playing Dark Side of the Moon instead of the required french conversation tape. I definately think this was beneficial.
- Paul, Harrow, UK
Although I am in favour I do not like compulsion. This could stretch some of the smaller village primary schools. These usually do exceptional well with the basics but may not have access to a language teacher. The councils would love it though as they always think 'big is beautiful' and would have a reason to shut them down.
- Michael, London
Well, whether or not English has become the language of the Internet and international relations, I think this is a great idea. Taking away the compulsion to learn a language inevitably erodes language departments in schools, to the point that they are under-resourced for those who want to use them.
At school, I didn't even have the option to learn a second language, other than French, which I disliked (and still do, despite my C-grade O-level). But how much easier it would have been to have been offered access to a beautiful, commercial language such as Spanish or Russian, rather than struggle with it at night classes, as I had to much later in life.
- Jonny, London
OK, I'm probably biased having grown up in the Canadian system where children learn French from the age of five, but it seems to me that children can function well in two languages, provided the language instruction is of high quality. My four-year-old nephew- not a geinus, just a regular kid - attends a French-language daycare and speaks both French and English at a normal four-year-old level. That's quite common here.
Having French lessons throughout my school years actually improved my English, since it made me more aware of grammar, register and structure. That, in turn, made it easier for me to pick up a third language. I think that would have been the case if we'd been taught German or Cantonese, or any other language in addition to English. I know children in the far North who are learning English, French and the local native language without any trouble.
That brings me to my last point: being bilingual, or multilingual, does not guarantee a job and any careers counsellor who says so should be fired. When language skills are added to other abilities, however, they improve chances for employment. I estimate that my salary in a job that requires a second language is about 25 per cent higher than for the same job without the language component. That's nothing to sneeze at.
- Judy, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Shame our kids can't spell or string a sentence together. We can go on to learning other languages once they've actually mastered how to do it in English first!
- Sue, Orpington, Kent
Richard - yours is the short term view! You may be in demand for IT skills now but at 40 you are over the hill in the industry. A 43yr old friend, after redundancy, has been unable to find another job in mainstream IT. He then decided to stress his fluency in French. Et voila, he has secured a well payed job on the fringes of IT.
- Michael, London
Richard, this might be your experience, but when I came to London 9 years ago, my language skills were in high demand, earning me more money than similar positions without languages. I had studied English and history in Germany and was surprised about the opportunities I had here just because I could provide the use of foreign languages. It was so much easier than at home.
- Iris, Kent
I wonder how expensive the "major Government inquiry" worked out. It's common sense that the younger a child is exposed to foreign languages, the easier they ask to soak up; at that age, EVERY experience is a learning experience and isn't even 'work' as such - but is truly beneficial down the line.
It's shameful how badly brits abroad cope with foreign languages, whereas every european I know speaks 2 or 3 other languages fluently.
- Marianne, SW
From the vocabulary (or lack thereof) currently used by most young people that I hear when I'm out and about, the government would be much better off trying to teach English in schools.
- Lloyd, London
As prospective, modern-languages undergraduates, we were promised the earth. As we neared the end of our studies, the career's service emphasised our language ability as “an asset”. Once out in the big wide world, we realised that employers are indifferent to our competence in foreign languages, and that many regard it as an eccentric hobby. Fine - if your vocation is teaching, or if your long-term plan is to emigrate to the country or countries of your chosen language. Otherwise, I would say that an early grounding in IT would be of much greater benefit. I ended up having to switch to IT in order to be able to secure employment in the UK. I have also found that career opportunities affording the opportunity to make use of language skills pay less than similar opportunities with no language requirement.
- Richard, Madrid, Spain
