Progression in Primary Languages: A longitudinal study tracking language learning in primary school in England

In September 2014, foreign languages (FL) became a compulsory part of the primary school curriculum in England, with the clear expectation that learners should make “substantial progress in one language” (DfE, 2013) throughout the four years of language learning at primary school (age 7-11). However, schools face considerable difficulties (e.g., limited time, low teacher subject knowledge and confidence), exacerbated by a lack of clarity regarding core content and learning outcomes for language learning at this level. Further, the limited research exploring children’s experiences with FL learning (of languages other than English) makes it difficult to assess the feasibility of the National Curriculum guidance.

In this talk, Rowena will present the Progression in Primary Languages project; a longitudinal study tracking young learners’ linguistic development in French, German and Spanish over the four years of learning at primary school in England and the individual, instructional and contextual factors affecting learning. 2,231 students aged 7-11 from 17 primary schools participated in the study completing a range of linguistic measures (e.g. vocabulary, phonics, grammar) each year. The design of the language tests developed for the project will be discussed, alongside preliminary results in relation to children’s linguistic progression. In light of the initial findings, the implications for young learners’ language learning in the classroom-context will be explored.

Teams link available here.