Reason: 40
The promotion of respect for diversity of languages and of learning more than one foreign language at school is significant..It is a matter of helping learners: to construct their linguistic and cultural identity through integrating it into a diversified experience of otherness; to develop their ability to learn through this same diversified experience of relating to several languages and cultures
Reference:
Council of Europe (2001) Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)
Related Keywords:
Diversity, Identity, Intercultural competence, Learning, Multilingualism, Secondary sector, Values
Reason: 80
In modern languages and classical studies the study of other languages and cultures contributes to pupils’ understanding and values, beliefs and attitudes by offering them insights into and points of comparison with, the ways in which other peoples, whether today or in the past, have interpreted the world around them
Reference:
OFSTED (1994: 18) cited in Smith, D. (2002) ‘Spiritual development in the language classroom: interpreting the National Curriculum’ in the Language Learning Journal, No. 26, pp. 36-42
Related Keywords:
Culture, Related subjects, Secondary sector, Understanding, Values
Reason: 83
The modern language classroom is a place where people come to learn not only the foreign language but also to learn to live and act together as a social group, to learn what is expected and what is accepted within that social reality, to learn how to interpret the daily goings on in the classroom
Reference:
Brooks , F. (1993: 238) cited in Smith, D. (2002) ‘Spiritual development in the language classroom: interpreting the National Curriculum’ in the Language Learning Journal, No. 26, pp. 36-42
Related Keywords:
Secondary sector, Social cohesion, Values
Reason: 84
The particular ethos and forms of relationship encountered as students explore the social aspects of target language use and interact with one another in the modern language classroom can be seen as a potential arena for spiritual development. For instance, students and teachers must regularly attend to others’ halting attempts to convey meaning, and they may do so with respect, empathy, indifference or even derision. Students often find themselves making very public mistakes, and need both the humility to learn from them and the security that comes from expecting that they will be received with compassion and support. Students may find that they need to apologise or forgive, and they may need to be forgiven; all of these are language functions that can be met and practised in the target language. If spiritual development includes growth in qualities such as empathy, respect for others, mercy and humility, then such interactions are potentially fertile ground
Reference:
Smith, D. (2002) ‘Spiritual development in the language classroom: interpreting the National Curriculum’ in the Language Learning Journal, No. 26, pp. 36-42
Related Keywords:
Communication, Language learning skills, Personal and social development, Secondary sector, Values
Reason: 91
Of all the subjects in the National Curriculum, the study of a foreign language most directly addresses the existence of other cultures, opening up areas of knowledge and understanding which extend far beyond the way in which the language is spoken and written
Reference:
The Department of Education and Science; Welsh Office (1990) Modern Foreign Languages for Ages 11 to 16 (London: HMSO)
Related Keywords:
Culture, Knowledge, Secondary sector, Understanding
Reason: 132
Citizenship education calls for the teaching of values, understanding and skills as well as knowledge about life in other communities to help pupils develop a respect for cultural diversity. Language teachers have particular experiences to draw on (many will have spent a year abroad) which give them a vital role to play in the teaching of citizenship in schools. Language teachers have much more personal experiences of the issues that lie at the heart of citizenship education
Reference:
Brown, K., Brown, M. (2003) ‘Introduction - opening the debate on citizenship and modern foreign languages in Brown, K., Brown, M. (eds) Reflections on Citizenship in a Multilingual World (London: CILT), pp. 1-14
Related Keywords:
Citizenship, Diversity, Secondary sector, Teaching, Understanding, Values
Reason: 135
At A-level [in a foreign language], one important contribution to antiracism is the inclusion of vocabulary that helps learners to talk about cultural diversity
Reference:
Starkey, H., Osler, A. (2003) ‘Language teaching for cosmopolitan citizenship’ in Brown, K., Brown, M. (eds) Reflections on Citizenship in a Multilingual World (London: CILT), pp. 25-35
Related Keywords:
Culture, Diversity, Equality (equal opportunities), Qualifications, Secondary sector, Values
Reason: 138
The relationship between community languages and citizenship in the curriculum is potentially rich and thought-provoking
Reference:
Anderson, J., Chaudhuri, M. (2003) ‘Citizenship and community languages: a critical perspective’ in Brown, K., Brown, M. (eds) Reflections on Citizenship in a Multilingual World (London: CILT), pp. 53-65
Related Keywords:
Citizenship, Secondary sector, UK Community Languages
Reason: 174
Part of the reason for having second or foreign languages in the curriculum is the signal which this provision sends regarding the room which a school very visibly makes for the study of other cultures
Reference:
Williams, K. (2001) ‘Towards a rationale for foreign language education: re-stating my reservations’ in the Language Learning Journal, No. 24. pp. 43-47
Related Keywords:
Culture, Secondary sector, Values
Reason: 175
The profile attached to Welsh, Scots Gaelic and Irish is an expression of respect towards the indigenous cultures of these regions. This argument is also relevant to the study in school of the languages spoken by immigrant populations
Reference:
Williams, K. (2001) ‘Towards a rationale for foreign language education: re-stating my reservations’ in the Language Learning Journal, No. 24. pp. 43-47
Related Keywords:
Secondary sector, UK, UK Community Languages, Values
Reason: 194
A unique contribution of foreign languages to emancipation lies in preventing the school community itself lapsing into parochialism
Reference:
Hawkins, E. (1981) Modern Languages in the Curriculum (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)
Related Keywords:
Equality (equal opportunities), Secondary sector, Uniqueness, Values
Reason: 195
Languages can leave pupils with a sense of achievement, lighting fires of curiosity about the polyglot world which will blaze throughout adult life
Reference:
Hawkins, E. (1981) Modern Languages in the Curriculum (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)
Related Keywords:
Lifelong learning, Personal satisfaction, Secondary sector
Reason: 215
A study into the effects of a school exchange visit found that post visit there was a marked attitudinal shift noticeable in the work of a number of pupils
Reference:
Taylor, A. (2000) cited in Fisher, L., Evans, M., (2000) ‘The school exchange visit: effects on attitudes and proficiency in language learning’ in the Language Learning Journal, No. 22, pp. 11-16
Related Keywords:
Experiential learning, Secondary sector, Study abroad, Values
Reason: 216
A study into the effects of a school exchange visit found that post visit there was clearly an improved grasp of the cultural practices of the target country
Reference:
Taylor, A. (2000) cited in Fisher, L., Evans, M., (2000) ‘The school exchange visit: effects on attitudes and proficiency in language learning’ in the Language Learning Journal, No. 22, pp. 11-16
Related Keywords:
Culture, Experiential learning, Secondary sector, Study abroad
Reason: 236
At A-level [in a foreign language] the syllabus is awash with thorny political issues, including: social issues; the environment; law and order; politics The study of such issues provides opportunities for developing two of the three main aspects of Citizenship as defined in the National Curriculum, namely 'social and moral responsibility' and 'political literacy'
Reference:
Starkey, H. (2002) 'Citizenship, human rights and intercultural education' in Swarbrick, A. (ed) Teaching Modern Foreign Languages in Secondary Schools (London: Routledge Falmer, The Open University), pp. 95-111
Related Keywords:
Citizenship, Personal and social development, Qualifications, Related subjects, Secondary sector
Reason: 239
Learning another language can help develop greater confidence and aptitude in the pupils' first language
Reference:
Swarbrick, A. (2002) 'Positioning modern foreign language teaching in schools: issues and debates' in Swarbrick, A. (ed) Teaching Modern Foreign Languages in Secondary Schools (London: Routledge Falmer, The Open University), pp. 3-22
Related Keywords:
English Mother Tongue, Personal and social development, Secondary sector
Reason: 241
Pupils need to confront other cultures if they are to be broadly educated and to understand the arrogance of the monolingual position
Reference:
Swarbrick, A. (2002) 'Positioning modern foreign language teaching in schools: issues and debates' in Swarbrick, A. (ed) Teaching Modern Foreign Languages in Secondary Schools (London: Routledge Falmer, The Open University), pp. 3-22
Related Keywords:
Culture, Education Studies, Multilingualism, Secondary sector, Understanding, Values
Reason: 247
Not only is understanding a language the gateway to understanding a culture, but MFL proficiency helps the individual to relativise human differences, and to realise we are all linked to, and yet different from the other. Ignorance of the Other leads to fear and confirms primeval notions of absolute difference: to deny pupils of any socio-economic or cultural background the experience of prepared structured contact with a foreign culture is to deny them one of the experiences they most need in order to emerge strengthened from the chrysalis of adolescence
Reference:
Nott, D. (2003) 'National language strategies post-Nuffield' in Head, D., Jones, E., Kelly, M., Tinsley, T. (eds) Setting the Agenda for Languages in Higher Education (London: CILT), pp. 119-130
Related Keywords:
Culture, Inclusion, Intercultural competence, Secondary sector, Values
Reason: 276
Inclusion of languages within the curriculum is often the catalyst for an international ethos across the school or college
Reference:
Wicksteed, K. (2004) 'Languages and the Baccalaureate' in Languages, Mathematics and the Baccalaureate (London: The Nuffield Foundation), pp. 12-17
Related Keywords:
Secondary sector, Values
Reason: 356
Modern Foreign Languages provides opportunities to promote: Social development, through exploring different social conventions, such as forms of address, through developing pupils’ ability to communicate with others, particularly speakers of foreign languages, in an appropriate, sympathetic and tolerant manner, and through fostering the spirit of cooperation when using a foreign language to communicate with other people, whether other learners or native speakers
Reference:
DFEE, QCA (1999) Modern Foreign Languages: The National Curriculum for England (London: HMSO)
Related Keywords:
Communication, Personal and social development, Secondary sector, Teamwork, Values
Reason: 357
Modern Foreign Languages provides opportunities for pupils to develop the key skill of: Communication, through developing their awareness of the way language is structured and how it can be manipulated to meet a range of needs, and through reinforcing learning in specific areas such as listening, reading for gist and detail, and using grammar correctly
Reference:
DFEE, QCA (1999) Modern Foreign Languages: The National Curriculum for England (London: HMSO)
Related Keywords:
Communication, Key skills, Language awareness, Language learning skills, Learning, Linguistics, Secondary sector
Reason: 358
Modern Foreign Languages provides opportunities to promote: Thinking skills, through developing pupils’ ability to draw inferences from unfamiliar language and unexpected responses, through enabling pupils to reflect on links between languages, and through developing pupils’ creative use of language and expression of their own ideas, attitudes and opinions
Reference:
DFEE, QCA (1999) Modern Foreign Languages: The National Curriculum for England (London: HMSO)
Related Keywords:
Academic skills, Creativity, Critical thinking, Language awareness, Personal and social development, Secondary sector
Reason: 359
Through the study of a foreign language…Pupils also learn about the basic structures of language. They explore the similarities and differences between the foreign language they are learning and English or another language, and learn how language can be manipulated and applied in different ways. Their listening, reading and memory skills improve, and their speaking and writing become more accurate. The development of these skills, together with pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the structure of language, lay the foundations for future study of other languages
Reference:
DFEE, QCA (1999) Modern Foreign Languages: The National Curriculum for England (London: HMSO)
Related Keywords:
English Mother Tongue, Key skills, Language awareness, Language learning skills, Linguistics, Secondary sector
Reason: 368
In common with the study of the mother tongue, the study of modern foreign languages contributes to the whole school curriculum by: Combining linguistic skills (which are themselves both physical and intellectual) with personal and social development I
Reference:
The Department of Education and Science; Welsh Office (1990) Modern Foreign Languages for Ages 11 to 16 (London: HMSO)
Related Keywords:
Language learning skills, Personal and social development, Secondary sector
Reason: 369
By its very nature the study of a foreign language adds a distinctive dimension of its own: It exposes learners to new experiences and enables them to make connections in a way which would not otherwise be possible, and this in itself deepens their understanding of their mother tongue; Operating with a more limited stock of language both brings out the need for strategies for communication and makes learners more conscious of the meaning of words and the structure of sentences; The sounds and intonation patterns of the foreign language present a challenge to learners' capacity to discriminate and imitate
Reference:
The Department of Education and Science; Welsh Office (1990) Modern Foreign Languages for Ages 11 to 16 (London: HMSO)
Related Keywords:
Communication, English Mother Tongue, Language awareness, Learning strategies, Personal and social development, Secondary sector, Uniqueness
Reason: 370
The use of a foreign language to communicate with other people, whether fellow-learners or native speakers, fosters the spirit of co-operation and provides practical proof of the value of learning a foreign language. This lays the basis for understanding the potential of linguistic competence in adult work and leisure: it helps learners to appreciate that they are citizens not only of the United Kingdom but also of Europe and the rest of the world. It encourages them to enter into and respect the attitudes and customs not only of other countries but also of the different communities making up their own society. With developing linguistic competence comes an enhanced awareness and heightened awareness of another culture, which enables pupils to gain access to and participate in that culture
Reference:
The Department of Education and Science; Welsh Office (1990) Modern Foreign Languages for Ages 11 to 16 (London: HMSO)
Related Keywords:
Citizenship, Communication, Culture, Intercultural competence, Secondary sector, Teamwork, Understanding, Values
Reason: 371
The first hand experience of another language brings a new perspective to pupils' perception of language, enabling them to make comparisons which sharpen their understanding of the concepts in both languages. Even in the early stages of learning, when pupils' linguistic resources are limited, the study of a modern language contributes new elements to their developing knowledge of the world and of other countries' cultures. It can offer valuable opportunities for reinforcing knowledge by enabling them to talk and write in the foreign language, albeit in simplified form, about what they have learnt in other subjects. It also develops an awareness in pupils of the value of knowing another language, and of the interpretative skills which it gives them
Reference:
The Department of Education and Science; Welsh Office (1990) Modern Foreign Languages for Ages 11 to 16 (London: HMSO)
Related Keywords:
Culture, Education Studies, English Mother Tongue, Knowledge, Language awareness, Language learning skills, Related subjects, Secondary sector
Reason: 372
Because the study of a modern foreign language involves re-learning how to express oneself, it is well suited to dealing with topics from subjects as varied as history, geography, technology, mathematics and the sciences. Even basic work with numbers, prices and measures reinforces mathematical understanding
Reference:
The Department of Education and Science; Welsh Office (1990) Modern Foreign Languages for Ages 11 to 16 (London: HMSO)
Related Keywords:
Key skills, Multidisciplinarity, Related subjects, Secondary sector
Reason: 373
The study of a modern foreign language can contribute to cross-curricular dimensions and themes, e.g. personal and social education, multicultural perspectives, the European dimension in education, citizenship, careers education and guidance, economic and industrial understanding, environmental education and health education
Reference:
The Department of Education and Science; Welsh Office (1990) Modern Foreign Languages for Ages 11 to 16 (London: HMSO)
Related Keywords:
Citizenship, Education Studies, Multidisciplinarity, Personal and social development, Secondary sector
Reason: 374
Many common vocabulary groups deal with the environment of the home and foreign countries and provide excellent opportunities for raising important contemporary issues. Consistent cross-references between the home and foreign countries can help learners to stand back from received opinions and come to a more balanced view of both cultures
Reference:
The Department of Education and Science; Welsh Office (1990) Modern Foreign Languages for Ages 11 to 16 (London: HMSO)
Related Keywords:
Economic, social and political dimension, Intercultural competence, Secondary sector
Reason: 375
The study of modern foreign languages also has an important contribution to make to cross-curricular skills and competences. These skills include for example social, through communication and cooperation; personal, by developing creativity and imagination; study, through observation, research and planning using a variety of media; and vocational, through communicative competence, independence, problem-solving and decision-making
Reference:
The Department of Education and Science; Welsh Office (1990) Modern Foreign Languages for Ages 11 to 16 (London: HMSO)
Related Keywords:
Academic skills, Autonomy, Communication, Creativity, Key skills, Multidisciplinarity, Personal and social development, Problem solving, Secondary sector, Teamwork, Technology
Reason: 376
The study of any modern foreign language is unique because of the existence of people who speak it as their mother tongue. Learners have opportunities through contacts with native speakers and especially through visits and exchanges to practise and extend their knowledge in a way which few other subjects can offer
Reference:
The Department of Education and Science; Welsh Office (1990) Modern Foreign Languages for Ages 11 to 16 (London: HMSO)
Related Keywords:
Experiential learning, Knowledge, Residence abroad, Secondary sector, Study abroad, Uniqueness
Reason: 396
Education in languages at school has an essential role to play in preparing all students for citizenship of the wider society. If it helps them become sensitive to the languages and cultures of others and develops in them sufficient confidence and competence to be able to use their languages, however modestly, in their interactions with other citizens, then they are more likely to understand others and to be respected by them. In this way the wider society becomes more open, democratic and inclusive
Reference:
Scottish Executive, Ministerial Action Group on Languages (2000) Citizens of a Multilingual World: Key Issues (www.scotland.gov.uk-library3-education-mwki-07.asp)
Related Keywords:
Citizenship, Communication, Democracy, Inclusion, Intercultural competence, Personal and social development, Secondary sector, Understanding, Values
Reason: 397
Children from heritage and community language backgrounds going through school will in many cases bring aspects of their culture with them, including their language. For them a modern language such as French, German, Spanish or Italian may be their third or fourth language, and English not necessarily their first. In line with current policies favouring respect for ethnic diversity and social justice, it will be important to provide opportunities for linguistic development and accreditation for those who wish to continue to develop their skills in a heritage or community language or who wish to develop a language which is a significant part of their cultural identity, including British Sign Language
Reference:
Scottish Executive, Ministerial Action Group on Languages (2000) Citizens of a Multilingual World: Key Issues (www.scotland.gov.uk-library3-education-mwki-07.asp)
Related Keywords:
Culture, Diversity, Equality (equal opportunities), Identity, Qualifications, Secondary sector, UK Community Languages
Reason: 398
Teaching a modern language then fits into a broader framework of 'languages and learning' at school. It has a central role to play in helping all students connect the notion of linguistic and cultural diversity here with the notion of linguistic and cultural diversity in the wider Europe where many millions of people speak a language (whether an indigenous language such as Breton, Catalan, Basque, Frisian, Friulian, Ladino, Sorbian or an indigenised language such as Turkish in Germany or Portuguese in Luxembourg) that is not the majority language of the country in which they live
Reference:
Scottish Executive, Ministerial Action Group on Languages (2000) Citizens of a Multilingual World: Key Issues (www.scotland.gov.uk-library3-education-mwki-07.asp)
Related Keywords:
Diversity, Equality (equal opportunities), Intercultural competence, Less Widely Used and Lesser Taught (LWULT) Languages, Secondary sector, UK Community Languages
Reason: 408
Languages departments have for long made an important contribution to the intercultural ethos of schools, not only through language teaching but also through school visits abroad and reciprocal school exchanges. The foreign language assistant has been a cultural ambassador valued by many staff beyond those who teach languages
Reference:
Scottish Executive, Ministerial Action Group on Languages (2000) Citizens of a Multilingual World: Key Issues (www.scotland.gov.uk-library3-education-mwki-07.asp)
Related Keywords:
Experiential learning, Intercultural competence, Secondary sector, Study abroad, Teaching, Values
Reason: 409
In a multilingual world a modern language has enormous benefit to offer all students at primary or secondary school, regardless of their age or their aptitude, their starting- or their finishing point, and including those with special needs. The benefit arises from their being enabled to access and interact with real people who speak and use other languages; and to engage with relevant, interesting and up-to-date information presented by modern means
Reference:
Scottish Executive, Ministerial Action Group on Languages (2000) Citizens of a Multilingual World: Key Issues (www.scotland.gov.uk-library3-education-mwki-07.asp)
Related Keywords:
Accessibility, Communication, Information acquisition, Networking, Secondary sector, Technology
Reason: 410
As students progress through their education at school, a modern language will be of benefit to their personal and educational development in a variety of ways. It will allow them to establish contact with people of their own age who speak other languages and to access information from other cultures. It will help them thereby to understand that experience of the world through another language can be just as 'real' and 'valid' as experience of the world through English. It will offer them the positive experience of developing an entirely new mode of understanding and expression and an opportunity to acquire an explicit understanding of what the components of language are and how these may be manipulated for different purposes. It will allow them to derive cognitive benefits through problem-solving, memorisation, recall, making connections, attending to detail and pragmatic strategies. All of these are basic transferable skills that can be activated or enhanced through a modern language. Learning a modern language will help students to develop strategies for learning and using language that will assist them not only with their current modern language but with others also that they may subsequently learn. It will encourage them to appreciate and participate in cultural and linguistic diversity
Reference:
Scottish Executive, Ministerial Action Group on Languages (2000) Citizens of a Multilingual World: Key Issues (www.scotland.gov.uk-library3-education-mwki-07.asp)
Related Keywords:
Culture, Diversity, Intercultural competence, Key skills, Language awareness, Learning strategies, Networking, Personal and social development, Problem solving, Secondary sector, Understanding
Reason: 432
In common with the study of the mother tongue, the study of modern foreign languages contributes to the whole school curriculum by:... Inculcating valuable study skills: attention to general and detailed meaning in listening and reading; predicting, selecting, comparing and interpreting information; and memorisation;
Reference:
The Department of Education and Science; Welsh Office (1990) Modern Foreign Languages for Ages 11 to 16 (London: HMSO)
Related Keywords:
Academic skills, Language learning skills, Learning strategies, Secondary sector
Reason: 466
Modern Foreign Languages provides opportunities to promote:.. Financial capability, through opportunities to cover work-related contexts within the topic of the world of work
Reference:
DFEE, QCA (1999) Modern Foreign Languages: The National Curriculum for England (London: HMSO)
Related Keywords:
Key skills, Multidisciplinarity, Secondary sector
Reason: 468
Modern Foreign Languages provides opportunities for pupils to develop the key skill of .. Application of number, through talking and writing about the time and measures in the target language, and carrying out conversions about distances and currency
Reference:
DFEE, QCA (1999) Modern Foreign Languages: The National Curriculum for England (London: HMSO)
Related Keywords:
Key skills, Secondary sector
Reason: 475
Modern Foreign Languages provides opportunities to develop the key skill of:.. IT, through using audio, video, satellite television and the internet to access and communicate information, and through selecting and using a range of ICT resources to create presentations for different audiences and purposes
Reference:
DFEE, QCA (1999) Modern Foreign Languages: The National Curriculum for England (London: HMSO)
Related Keywords:
Communication, Information acquisition, IT skills (Information Technology), Key skills, Secondary sector, Technology
Reason: 483
Modern Foreign Languages provides opportunities for pupils to develop the key skill of:.. Working with others, through developing their ability to participate in group conversations and discussions
Reference:
DFEE, QCA (1999) Modern Foreign Languages: The National Curriculum for England (London: HMSO)
Related Keywords:
Key skills, Secondary sector, Teamwork
Reason: 489
Modern Foreign Languages provides opportunities for pupils to develop the key skill of:.. Improving their own learning and performance, through developing their ability to rehearse and redraft work to improve accuracy and presentation, and through developing learning strategies such as memorising, dealing with the unpredictable, and using reference materials
Reference:
DFEE, QCA (1999) Modern Foreign Languages: The National Curriculum for England (London: HMSO)
Related Keywords:
Academic skills, Key skills, Learning strategies, Secondary sector
Reason: 504
Modern Foreign Languages provides opportunities for pupils to develop the key skill of: Problem solving, through developing their ability to apply and adapt their knowledge of the target language for specific communication purposes
Reference:
DFEE, QCA (1999) Modern Foreign Languages: The National Curriculum for England (London: HMSO)
Related Keywords:
Communication, Key skills, Problem solving, Secondary sector
Reason: 511
Modern Foreign Languages provides opportunities to promote.. Moral development, through helping pupils formulate and express opinions in the target language about issues of right and wrong
Reference:
DFEE, QCA (1999) Modern Foreign Languages: The National Curriculum for England (London: HMSO)
Related Keywords:
Personal and social development, Secondary sector, Values
Reason: 515
Modern Foreign Languages provides opportunities to promote: Spiritual development, through stimulating pupils' interest and fascination in the phenomenon of language and the meanings and feelings it can transmit
Reference:
DFEE, QCA (1999) Modern Foreign Languages: The National Curriculum for England (London: HMSO)
Related Keywords:
Language awareness, Personal and social development, Secondary sector, Values
Reason: 557
Modern Foreign Languages provides opportunities to promote: Cultural development through providing pupils with insights into cultural differences and opportunities to relate these to their own experience and to consider different cultural and linguistic traditions, attitudes and behaviours
Reference:
DFEE, QCA (1999) Modern Foreign Languages: The National Curriculum for England (London: HMSO)
Related Keywords:
Culture, Historical dimension, Intercultural competence, Personal and social development, Secondary sector

700 Reasons to study languages...