The Department for Education has announced the launch of a new flagship language programme aimed at improving the quality of language lessons in primary and secondary schools in the UK.
The Language Hubs programme will be led by University College London’s Faculty of Education and Society from September 2023, with a contract worth £14.9 million over the next three years. The programme aims to increase the number of pupils taking languages at GCSE level and beyond by providing high-quality, evidence-based language training.
The Language Hubs programme will involve up to 25 lead schools, working with up to 105 partner schools who sign up to the programme in its first year.
Lead schools will model best practice and evidence-based training for language teachers in partner secondary schools, with the aim of improving the transition of language learning from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3. The programme also includes a focus on promoting German language learning and culture, with plans to work with trained German specialist teachers to widen participation in both primary and secondary schools.
The launch of the Language Hubs programme is in line with the 2016 Modern Foreign Languages Pedagogy Review, which recommended the need for systematic knowledge of the vocabulary, grammar, and phonics of the language being studied. It is also in line with the Department’s Schools White Paper pledge to create a network of Language Hubs.
Since 2012, the Department has rolled out several curriculum Hubs, including Maths Hubs, English Hubs, Music Hubs, and Computing Hubs, which were all designed to develop expertise in subject-specific teaching.
The Language Hubs programme will build on the success of these curriculum Hubs to help build a system of leadership in languages in the lead schools and provide personal development for teachers in partner schools.
The British government remains committed to boosting language learning in schools and has announced an expansion to the Mandarin Excellence Programme, which began in 2016.
The programme has been highly successful, with data showing that pupils who have been on the programme are more likely to achieve higher grades in GCSE Mandarin than pupils not on the programme.
The programme is expanding and recruiting an additional 21 schools over the next two years, with an expected 100 participating schools by September 2024.
The Department will also hold a consultation on changes to Chinese A-level subject content, with the intention of making this qualification more appropriate for students without a Chinese speaking background.
The government believes that language skills and intercultural understanding are crucial for individuals, communities, and society, and that investing in high-quality, evidence-based professional development for language teachers is key to achieving these goals.
»German language to be thought in UK primary and secondary schools«
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