Schools to get £340 for languages

Many primaries are already teaching languages

Primary schools in England will receive about £340 extra each next year to support compulsory languages teaching.

From 2010 all those over seven must learn a foreign language.

That change, plus a recommendation that £50m be spent on language learning, was accepted by ministers in the spring after an independent review.

The focus on primary schools is aimed at reversing the sharp decline in the numbers continuing to study languages to GCSE level, which is now optional.

Ministers are directing £35m next year towards training existing primary teachers, providing specialists and buying books and other resources.

But the Department for Children, Schools and Families has made it clear this is only £5m more than schools are getting this year - for more than 14,700 schools, an average of £340 each.

The remainder of the money will be spent supporting links between schools and universities and on a website.

The National Association of Head Teachers represents many primary school heads.

Its general secretary Mick Brookes said many schools were already making good headway on languages, either within the timetable or by offering after-school clubs.

"The capacity of schools to develop that is somewhat dependent on funding. There may well not be enough."

He said it was essential that language lessons were made fun for children, so they looked forward to them, that they were relevant and that primaries and secondaries liaised on which languages were taught so that early learning could be built on.

Motivation

A review of language teaching by Lord Dearing concluded in the spring with calls for languages to be made compulsory for children aged seven and over at primary school.

The government ended the compulsion for teenagers to learn a modern language up to the age of 16 in 2004, at the same time introducing an "entitlement" for primary school children to learn languages.

Since then, there has been a slump in the numbers of children taking language GCSEs.

This year, the number of candidates taking French GCSE fell by 20,000 - a cut of 8%, while German fell 10% on last year.

Research by Cilt, the national centre for languages, last month suggested that in half of England's secondaries, only 50% of GCSE pupils are taking languages.

Developing a love for languages is a lifetime asset that broadens your horizons Jim Knight, Schools Minister

Schools minister Jim Knight defended that decision to make languages optional after 14.

He said: "Compulsory French or German GCSE study simply does not motivate pupils.

"By continuing to invest in more long term solutions, such as better trained teachers and more innovative resources, we will generate enthusiasm and confidence for studying languages in secondary school and beyond - far more effective than simple compulsion."

Mr Knight said the answer was to make children enthusiastic about languages at a younger age.

"Developing a love for languages is a lifetime asset that broadens your horizons - benefits I want all primary school children to have."

In secondary schools, the government said money would be spent on intensive language classes for teenagers and on supplying university language students to act as "ambassadors".

Lord Dearing said: ¿'I invite all head teachers to see this announcement as an opportunity."

He said primary schools should press ahead with languages with the confidence that increased funding was secure for a further three years.

Secondary schools should make a reality of a policy of 'languages for all', backed by new curriculum options and a more lively curriculum for the GCSE.