The last two meetings of 2016 for the
All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on
Modern Languages looked at two very
different aspects of language policy and
practice. In October, the APPG heard from
Susannah Poulton of the Department for
International Trade (formerly BIS) and Mike
Josypenko of the Institute of Export to gain
a sense of exporters' reactions to the EU
referendum result.
Much of Poulton's work involves
convincing exporters that investing in proper
translation of websites, marketing and key
documents (such as tenders) is worth it. She
reported that while many companies expect
no change in a post-Brexit landscape, there is
a heightened concern that planning is
impossible without knowing the terms of
Brexit, and many companies are focusing on
"vamping up" their skills to export more,
including sourcing good translations and
localised websites.
The Institute of Export (IOE), which
represents 3,000 exporters (large and small
businesses across all sectors), reports the
same concerns. Josypenko, a languages
graduate himself, described how the IOE is
working to provide more training and
qualifications to help businesses to increase
their exports, with an increasing focus on
language skills. In its Level 4 Diploma in
International Trade, it is introducing elective
modules on doing business in a modern
foreign language (MFL), covering Arabic,
Chinese, German, Spanish and Russian, as
languages spoken in high-growth markets.
Another of the IOE's objectives is to
promote international trade as a career path,
with an active school outreach programme to
this effect. Languages "are one of the key
paths to a career in international trade".
In November, the APPG heard from
Headteacher and former President of the
Association of School and College Leaders
(ASCL) Ian Bauckham, author of the Teaching
Schools Council's major review of MFL
pedagogy, published on 31 October. MFL is
in crisis – A-level entries have halved in 20
6 The Linguist Vol/56 No/1 2017
www.ciol.org.uk
NEWS & EDITORIAL
years – and Bauckham's review argues that
schools should do things differently to
revitalise language learning and attainment.
The report challenges current approaches
to MFL teaching at secondary, urging
teachers to move away from often
"unstimulating" topics and a too-literal
division of skills into listening, speaking,
reading and writing. Instead it argues for
clear, planned and sequenced direct teaching
of vocabulary, grammar and phonics from the
start of Key Stage 3 (ages 11-14).
Crucially, the report recognises that many
headteachers are not MFL specialists. Its 15
recommendations act as a framework to
enable heads to get to grips with the subject,
to challenge and support their teachers.
For a more detailed analysis see page 23.
Philip Harding-Esch works on
behalf of the British Council to
support the APPG on Modern Languages.
TL
From export and international trade to a major languages teaching
review, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages covered
diverse ground at its last two meetings, reports Philip Harding-Esch
Inside parliament
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