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6 The Linguist JUNE/JULY www.ciol.org.uk NEWS & EDITORIAL The APPG examines MFL education in Wales. By Philip Harding-Esch Inside Parliament South African interpreters at the Oscar Pistorius trial have been criticised again, just months after the sign language fiasco at Nelson Mandela's memorial service. It began with a 90-minute delay to the start of the trial yesterday, after the court interpreter employed to translate witness testimonies from Afrikaans to English never appeared… Her replacement was subsequently criticised for 'ropey' translations, with the witness, Michelle Burger, repeatedly correcting her English… Today, a new interpreter appeared at court, but lawyers have already stepped in to question her accuracy after she translated 'noises' as 'gunshots' 'Oscar Pistorius: South African interpreters slip up again', 4/3/14 What the papers say… While the number of students studying languages is falling at home, an increasing number of students are taking up languages abroad. Another key finding of the report is that languages were the most popular subject in 2012-13 for UK students studying in France and Germany, and the second most popular choice after economics for those going to the Netherlands. 'The numbers [of UK students studying abroad] are still very small but the growth is set to continue,' says Ilieva. 'UK Students Taking Languages Degrees at Record Low', 10/4/14 Children have been taking time out of school to interpret for their parents who are unable to speak English, a new report has claimed. The report to a council watchdog in Leeds, West Yorkshire, has raised concerns over the practice – including the pressure on the child, the potential for family conflicts, and the fact that they are missing lessons… The practice was exposed during a review of interpreting and translation services used to access council services. 'Children Missing School to Interpret English for Parents ', 15/4/14 It can feel as though Westminster is mainly focused on education reforms that only affect England, such as the introduction of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc). Wales, of course, has its own policies for schools, and the curriculum – and languages – are not faring well. On 12 March, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Modern Languages met to discuss languages in Wales. This was sparked by the Welsh Government's decision to remove the languages module from the Welsh Baccalaureate, which led Baroness Coussins, APPG Chair, to write to the Welsh Education Minister, Huw Lewis, in January. Ceri James, Director of CILT Cymru, the National Centre for Languages in Wales, explained that this is only the latest challenge for languages in Wales. Unlike in England and Scotland, there are no plans to introduce modern foreign languages (MFL) in Welsh primary schools. Wales has the shortest statutory period of foreign language learning in the European Union – just three years, from age 11 to 14. Only 22% of Welsh children now take an MFL GCSE and the figure is still falling. In some areas of high social deprivation the rate is only 11%, leading James to state that 'the decline in MFL can be seen as a social exclusion issue'. Schools in Wales have no incentive to increase numbers (in contrast to the EBacc measure in England) and there are no performance measures or targets. Many schools will only run an MFL class if a minimum of 10 pupils opt for it at Year 9. After two such years, schools are able to remove MFL from their curriculum offer. It is perhaps no surprise, therefore, that A-level MFL entries have declined by a third since 2009. Claire Gorrara, Head of the University Council of Modern Language (UCML) in Wales, described how the increasingly international aspirations of Welsh universities are undermined by the dwindling number of students with language skills. In some Welsh universities the proportion of MFL students from Wales is as low as 10%. Now CILT Cymru's excellent work is at risk, following a 70% funding cut this year. Sarah Grain is Export Manager at Eriez Magnetics Europe Ltd, a company based in Caerphilly which exports 70% of its turnover. She said there are often no suitable Welsh candidates for multilingual vacancies in Wales. The meeting concluded that there is an urgent need for a long-term MFL strategy in Wales, with a strong steer on compulsory MFL until the age of 16. Baroness Coussins has written to all Welsh MPs, Peers, Assembly Members and MEPs to highlight these issues. Philip Harding-Esch works on behalf of the British Council to support the APPG. Contact philip.harding.esch@gmail.com to receive details of future meetings or to attend. © DARREN BRITTON/R OUTES INTO LANGUAGES