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Wales has invested millions
the pathway to a languages
I
n 2015, teachers were first introduced to the
proposed new Curriculum for Wales and the
document that would become the AoLE LLC (Area of
Learning Experience: Languages, Literacy and
Communication), the section of the new curriculum
responsible for the teaching of languages in our schools.
1
As experienced language teachers we recall feeling a
sense of elation.
To any reader of the new curriculum, it appeared
that languages were now safe in the hands of this
government; that the well-documented and
overwhelming benefits of languages and language
acquisition, both for personal development and for the
economic development of Wales, were being taken
seriously. Plans were being drawn up not only to steady
the ship but to allow for the development of languages
in all Welsh schools, including in primary schools, where
an international language is now mandatory.
A new government agency – Global Futures – was
also created in 2015 to replace CILT Cymru in promoting
the learning of languages. Four Consortia were
established to work with local education authorities and
school leaders to ensure the pledges would be realised.
2
New initiatives, such as the Student Mentoring Scheme,
which sent languages undergraduates from Welsh
universities out into schools, were introduced as the
panacea to the languages problem.
The reality of the new curriculum for languages in our
schools is, however, one of a worsening crisis. Wales is
witnessing a faster reduction of languages provision and
opportunities in our secondary schools than ever before
and a curriculum promise to our young people has been
broken. Wales currently has the worst record for
languages uptake of all four home nations.
3
So what is
going wrong?
A will bu
