Modern languages: Key Stage 3 in English Curriculum Essay

The problem of learning modern languages has emerged with the spread of the international relations. Students in key stage 3 understand that the more they learn in their age, the more opportunities they are going to have in the future. To understand the importance of the modern languages in key stage 3 in English curriculum, the following portfolio has been created. Using the article “Languages needed, but no plans to learn” by Joe Light as a practical reference to the problem, the information may be used as the motivational note for students. Teachers should explain that having a desire to learn languages in the future, they may face the problem of inability for doing this. Reading the article by Joe Light (2011), teachers can consider the importance of doing something now, and students can be highly motivated.

Modern languages in key stage 3 play very important role in English curriculum. It is obvious that too much attention is paid to communication and the languages students learn. Anna Bawden reports that “Modern languages are increasingly becoming an elite subject, dominated by the middle classes and concentrated at the top universities” (2007). The problem has been created by the closure of the departments in the universities because fewer and fewer students choose languages as their future profession. It is predicted that in the nearest future the UK linguists is going to be a rare profession.

To solve the problem, its roots should b considered. Students’ at the key stage 3 have language as a compulsory subject, still, after 14 years old students have an opportunity to choose whether to choose language studying or not. Only half of students choose it. Thus, the teachers in key stage 3 have a responsible task – to encourage students learn modern languages in the future. The article under discussion offers numerous reasons why students should learn languages, especially English, Spanish, German and Italian.

The report ‘Modern foreign languages: Programme of study for key stage 3 and attainment targets’ (2007) offers the information about students’ achievements, skills and abilities obtained while learning. This can be considered as guidelines for teaching. The structured information in the report allows us to consider the attainment targets of studying, such as listening and responding, speaking, reading and responding, and writing. Each attainment target is discussed in detail where the information is presented about the samples of the tasks which may be given for students. Moreover, the level of students’ competences is mentioned in the report in the relation to each target. One of the most useful features of this report is presentation of the levels. Teachers can check students’ development within each target. This opportunity is created by means of the detailed description of students’ abilities from the 1^st up to 8^th level (‘Modern foreign languages’ 2007).

Continuing the discussion of the topic of the importance of languages and the planning in English curricular, the following report should be dwelt upon. “Inspection of Modern Languages: Observations and Issues” (2004) is a report which is aimed at offering teachers the information which may be helpful in school development planning. This piece of writing touches more topics if to compare it with “Modern foreign languages”, the main idea of this report is not just to inform teachers about the competences students should acquire, but also contribute to the whole teaching process. The information in the report is a structured and analyzed critics of reports collected from different schools which deal with modern languages. Reading the information, one may find the information devoted to quality of language provision and of teaching and learning.

The report does not offer solutions and recommendations, it just presents the critical overview of the situation in other schools and enumerates some strategies which may be used to solve the problems. The information from the report should be thoroughly considered and the conclusion should be made. It is possible to use the information from the report in practice. On the one hand, the report provides us with the helpful theoretical hints connected with the problems students and teachers face. On the other hand, practical recommendations are offered, which may be used after slight corrections and adjustment to the situation in the school and students’ skills and level of knowledge (‘Inspection of Modern Languages’ 2004).

The article ‘Putting languages on the (drop down) menu: innovative writing frames in modern foreign language teaching’ by Taylor, Lazarus & Cole (2005) offer the InterActive Education Project aimed at teaching students learn foreign language. Students of 14 years old may be offered this specific system. One of the main advantages of the system is that it does not only teach students grammar, vocabulary and other features of the language, but also offers socio-cultural background. According to Taylor, Lazarus and Cole (2005) “The InterActive Education Project, however, had a strong socio-cultural perspective, rather than focusing on theories of linguistics” (p. 437). The peculiarity of this project is that information and communication technologies are used for teaching writing. It is possible to take some specific ideas from the article and apply those while teaching students modern languages. Some pieces of information may be used separately from the whole InterActive Education Project.

The absence of the policy for primary modern foreign language provision is the United Kingdom is the main focus of the discussion in the article ‘Primary modern foreign languages: an overview of recent research, key issues and challenges for educational policy and practice’ by Hunt, Barnes, Powell, Lindsay and Muijs (2005). Considering the motivation of students of different age, the authors of the research concluded that students between 11 and 14 have positive attitude to learning modern languages, still, they required more motivation than students of the primary school. Research may be helpful inn motivating students learn modern languages in key stage 3, as the problems students face are described.

Teachers should understand the reasons of students’ lack of desire to learn languages and consider those. Being legally directed the research shows that UK needs common legal documentation in the relation to teaching modern languages. This may help structure the work in the whole country and encourage teachers use the experience offered by other schools. The authors of the research make a conclusion that “switching languages between KS2 and KS3 fails to achieve continuity, though some emphasis on transferable language learning skills may help to improve performance in the second foreign language at secondary school” (Hunt, Barnes, Powell, Lindsay and Muijs 2005, p. 380). His information is really helpful for develop in English curricular as teachers should reconsider it and use other techniques is the existing ones are ineffective.

Barnes (2005) also describes the problem of motivation in her article ‘A passion for languages: motivation and preparation to teach modern foreign languages in eight cohorts of beginning teachers’. The focus of the article is the motivation to study language in key stage 4, where it is not compulsory any more. Those teachers who teach key stage 3 students bear greatest responsibility as they have to encourage students choose language learning on the further stages. The research conducted in the article shows that only passion and great desire to learn language in the future may be the reason for students to choose it in key stage 4. Teachers should motivate students and use the information presented in the research as the basis for creating curricular and planning the lesson.

Hiep (2007) in the article ‘Communicative language teaching: unity within diversity’ considers the problems connected with communicative language teaching. On the one hand, students understand that importance of this practice and try to implement it in the teaching process. On the other hand, teachers do not consider all the purposes of communicative language teaching and implement only the primary one. Facing the problems in the implementation, teachers do not see the reasons for them and continue using the same strategies in teachers. Hiep (2007) writes “CLT should not be treated as a package of formulaic, prescriptive classroom techniques” (p. 200). Teaching should be creative. The inspiration teachers experience while creating lesson plan should be delivered to students and only in this case communicative language teaching is going to be successful. The article and the research conducted on the problem of communicative language teaching helps teachers understand their main mistake and direct their attempts at the correct area.

Reference List

Barnes, A 2005, ‘A passion for languages: motivation and preparation to teach modern foreign languages in eight cohorts of beginning teachers’, Research Papers in Education, vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 349-369.

Bawden, A 2007, ‘Chattering classes’, The Guardian. Web.

Hiep, P 2007, ‘Communicative language teaching: unity within diversity’, ELT Journal: English Language Teachers Journal, vol. 61, no. 3, pp. 193-201.

Hunt, M, Barnes, A, Powell, B, Lindsay, G & Muijs, D 2005, ‘Primary modern foreign languages: an overview of recent research, key issues and challenges for educational policy and practice’, Research Papers in Education, vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 371-390.

‘Inspection of Modern Languages: Observations and Issues’ 2004, Inspectorate. Web.

Light, J 2011, ‘Languages needed, but no plans to learn’, Wall Street Journal (Online). Web.

‘Modern foreign languages: Programme of study for key stage 3 and attainment targets’ 2007, Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. Web.

Taylor, A, Lazarus, E & Cole, R 2005, ‘Putting languages on the (drop down) menu: innovative writing frames in modern foreign language teaching’, Educational Review, vol. 57, no. 4, pp. 435-455.