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Languages

Volume 930: debated on Tuesday 19 April 1977

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6.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she is satisfied with present levels of attainment in modern languages in local authority schools.

Her Majesty's Inspectorate's recent discussion paper, based on a survey of 83 comprehensive schools, indicates some weaknesses in the teaching of modern languages. I hope that its findings and recommendations will encourage local education authorities and others concerned with language teaching to consider how improvements may be effected within the resources currently available.

For a country as dependent on world-wide trade as we are, is not Her Majesty's Inspectorate's report that only one comprehensive pupil out of 10 obtains an O-level pass in any foreign language thoroughly alarming? Is it not a direct consequence of the political imposition of comprehensive education on local authority schools?

The short answer to the hon. Gentleman is "No, it certainly is not". I agree with him that it is a great pity that far more children do not attain adequate standards in a modern language, but perhaps he is not aware that under the previous selective system no pupil in most secondary modem schools had any opportunity to study a modern language, let alone get a qualification in it.

As the younger one starts learning foreign languages the easier it is to get as much comprehension of them as possible, what prospects does my hon. Friend see of pushing the starting of learning languages back into primary schools more generally?

As I am sure my hon. Friend is aware, this was tried on a limited basis a few years ago and there was a considerable amount of dispute about the results of the experiment and the value of it. However, what we intend should follow from the Inspectorate's survey is a thorough study of what is happening in modern languages and a consideration of how modern language courses can better be planned, which will take into account the full range of schooling.

Is the Minister aware that many language teachers think that one of the reasons for the mediocrity of teaching that was brought out in that report from the Inspectorate is that English grammar is no longer taught in certain schools? Consequently, foreign language teachers spend much of their time teaching grammar from the beginning before they can go on to a foreign language. That does not enhance the enjoyment of that language, and it cuts into the time available for teaching it. Does the hon. Lady agree that it would help the teaching of foreign languages if all our schools returned primarily and secondarily to the teaching of at least the basic standards of grammar?

I am interested in the hon. Gentleman's observations. It may be that an inadequate understanding of grammar in all languages is a factor, but there are many factors that affect this problem, such as the lack of enough teachers of languages. Certainly the Inspectorate's report highlighted the lack of proper planning in language studies. It is difficult to single out one factor rather than another.