UK - Scotland
Key Findings overall
As the Language Rich Europe research confirms, Gaelic enjoys a high level of political support and with the Gaelic Language Plan, as well as continuing demand for Gaelic medium education from parents. Its status is very different from that enjoyed by other languages spoken and used in Scotland. A study on community languages (the UK term for what LRE refers to as immigrant languages) published in 20061 found provision for children of school age to study 21 such languages in complementary classes, but nothing available for the remaining languages spoken, including Scots. The most significant provision was for Urdu, for which 42 complementary classes were identified, as well as some mainstream provision in primary and secondary schools, including opportunities to study the subject as a modern language. Although the issue of foreign language learning appears now to be creeping up the political agenda, there is clearly a need to continue to make a strong case for the social, cultural, intellectual and economic benefits to Scotland, as well as to invest in high quality training for teachers.
1 Provision for community language learning in Scotland, Scottish CILT/University of Stirling, 2006
Promising initiatives and pilots
The Scottish Government has recently set a target to work towards every child in Scotland learning two languages in addition to their mother tongue (as per the Barcelona European Council agreement). It intends to implement this over the course of two parliaments and has set up a working group which will report to Ministers with recommendations in 20121.
The Modern Languages Excellence Group, chaired by SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages, has published a report which sets out clearly how the study of modern foreign languages fits within Curriculum for Excellence, and what needs to happen in order to secure, promote and enhance the provision of modern languages in Scotland2. It is very positive that standards have now been set, in accordance with the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework of Reference, for all children to reach by the end of primary school (A1) and after the first three years of secondary (A2).
The Scottish Baccalaureate in Languages is another interesting and promising initiative, aimed at bridging the gap between school and university and providing skills for learning, life and work.
1 Record of debate in Scottish Parliament 8/12/11, Scottish Parliament website
2 Modern Languages Excellence Report, SCILT, March 2011
