The late Professor Eric Hawkins once said that in language education, “we are seeking to light fires of curiosity about the central human characteristic of language, which will blaze throughout our pupils’ lives”.
The Department for Education would do well to inscribe this as their motto as they work to draft the new core content for KS2 languages.
In the most recent GCSE reforms a focus on Eurocentric, high-frequency word lists failed to address the engagement crisis in languages.
While a carefully considered word list may provide the firewood for language learning in primary, a great primary curriculum will also need culture and contact to spark and sustain children’s interest.
Last year, more than 200 of our year 5 and 6 pupils passed the internationally recognised Youth Chinese Test Level 1, and our students regularly reach the national finals and win medals at the Chinese Bridge Primary Speaking Contest.
Building blocks are essential
It’s satisfying to see so many start with no knowledge of Mandarin and make clear progress in vocabulary, grammar and phonics.
These three “building blocks” are essential – but they’re not enough. To keep motivation alive, pupils need a strong sense of why. And that’s where culture and contact come in.
When I first moved from generalist primary teacher to Mandarin specialist, I launched straight into greetings and grammar with year 3.
After a few weeks of lessons, a pupil handed me a note: “I love Mandaring”.
He enjoyed the games and songs we used to remember words and phrases – but he had no concept of what “Mandarin” was, or the places and communities where it was spoken. For him, it was a lesson with fun activities where he got to talk more than in other subjects.
Ten years into the project, I’ve learned that sustaining pupil motivation in language learning means cultivating a clear sense of purpose.
Too often, the language-teaching community relies on distant promises: “Stick with the grammar drills and maybe one day you’ll travel there”, “Perhaps you’ll need it for work”, or even “It might help stave off Alzheimer’s in old age”.
Showing students the benefits
To combat dwindling numbers at GCSE, A-level and university we need to show students the benefits first hand and give them a taste of what future learning offers – by focusing on culture and contact.
So what kind of culture is accessible to novice learners at primary level?
Few would dispute including “small c” culture – food, festivals, traditional costumes, basic geography.
And with limited curriculum time, it’s great when schools make space for this through the informal curriculum: hosting an international evening, a New Year dragon dance workshop, or a martial arts and music performance.
But what about “big C” culture – art and literature? Novices may not be able to access full texts or films, but short clips and even adverts can provide a “window on the world” and spark reflection on pupils’ own culture(s), belonging and identity.
In our curriculum, for example, students watch a cartoon version of The Monkey King: Journey to the West.
Whilst the original text is completely out of reach, they can write simple character descriptions and identify characters’ feelings at points throughout the story.
They also work on literary translation of a short poem – just 20 words – but it gives them a vital taste of future study and what it means to be a linguist.
Making the benefits real
And the best way to bring culture alive? Contact with speakers of the target language.
When 12 students from Nanjing Lixue Primary visited Harris Primary Academy Beckenham for a week, I could never have imagined the depth of impact across our school community.
Fist-bumped by classmates each morning and embraced with tears at the end of their stay, our sister-school partnership made the benefits of language learning real – right now.
When international exchanges aren’t possible, digital exchanges, local trips, language assistants and heritage speakers can all provide meaningful context for vocabulary, grammar and phonics.
As the language-teaching community debates the new KS2 core content, let’s go beyond a word list. Let’s ensure culture and contact are at the centre – so students experience the benefits of language learning from their very first lesson.
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