For too many years, too many young people have struggled to see how language learning could be of use to them.
Classroom tasks and resources that discuss skiing trips in France, for example, or foreign holiday essentials can for many, seem detached from the reality of their every day lives.
Students today are growing up surrounded by multinational organisations and communities made up of a variety of different cultures and countries.
With intrepid visits to and job opportunities in so many non-English-speaking countries, language-learning is becoming the key to unlock the world around them. And, despite an awareness of the growing importance of multilingualism, some students are still being put off.
But consider this. How often do your students complete language projects that relate to their favourite hobbies, sports, people and shows? How clearly can they see themselves needing to use languages in the future, in everyday life scenarios and/or future careers?
With budgets tight and school exchange trips often out of reach, how can our students see the benefits of language learning in the real world? How can we hook them in?
Use real and relevant examples
Bringing those real-world elements into the classroom gives every student a chance to see what’s out there, to understand different cultures and communities, and to foster their respect and curiosity in languages. Whether they are stories you can tell from your own experiences or from others in the languages department, simply bringing languages to life can be extremely impactful.
Do you have any past students who have gone on to study languages at A level or university, any past students who use languages in their everyday life or job? Or ask students if they know anyone in their family or wider circle of friends who relies on languages and invite them to talk in school. If you’re lacking in-person examples, Pearson’s free, downloadable resources in the Languages in Life series provide a whole host of case studies and interviews with professionals.
Sharing experiences
Students need to see themselves, or others like them, using languages. Exchange trips aren’t always possible, so what about a virtual school partnership? Try linking up with another school so your students can use the language they are learning in order to communicate with people they want to get to know.
Languages open many doors
When it comes to careers, many students think learning languages means becoming a teacher or translator, when actually languages can lead to so many more opportunities. At Pearson’s More than Words: Celebration of Languages learning event, we heard from an award-winning film producer, a writer, a dancer and a police officer who all use languages in their lines of work.
Another who worked in the football industry highlighted how foreign languages can be invaluable for physiotherapists, agents, medical staff, player care teams, sponsors, journalists and more. By exploring this with students, we show how languages link to other subjects students are learning. If they can see that languages may be complementary to their favourite subjects, this could make them feel more positive and engaged in the language classroom.
Get parents on board
Whether it’s speaking at an open evening or contributing to a booklet on the subjects available to study at GCSE, bring languages to life. If you can get parents to understand and see the benefits of language learning, then having their support makes for a very stable and positive foundation.
If we want to see students opting to study a language at GCSE, if we can get students to see themselves and those they look up to or aspire to be using languages, and team that with making language learning fun, we can begin to chip away at this barrier to language engagement.
By Rebecca Waker, Subject Advisor for languages at Pearson, formerly language teacher and lead practitioner of eight years.
