§ Sir Sydney ChapmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on progress in improving language teaching in primary schools. [20386]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisIn the White Paper "Schools Achieving Success", we have stated our commitment to actively promote modern language teaching in primary schools so that more older primary children learn a second language. We are already doing a great deal to support language teaching in primary schools, although we do not have a statutory curriculum for languages at primary age. The National Curriculum contains guidance for teaching 7 to 11-year-olds, and we have published a scheme of work for primary French, and further materials for primary German and Spanish. We are supporting the Early Language Learning initiative, through which we are piloting approaches to extend language teaching in primary schools, and developing a curriculum guide to good practice and classroom materials. A national advisory centre on early language learning has been set up with an accompanying website.
We will be building on existing links between primary schools and specialist language colleges. The increasing number of specialist colleges and the developing focus on their roles as "hubs" of excellence will enhance opportunities for primary schools to access language expertise.
§ Sir Sydney ChapmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what studies her Department has made of the impact on language learning in the UK of the emergence of English as a world language. [20389]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisDespite the importance of English as a world language, we recognise the valuable contribution that foreign language learning makes to our social and economic success. The Department has not studied the impact on language learning in the UK of the emergence of English as a world language, but we are doing a great deal to support and enhance foreign language teaching and learning. All pupils in England have a statutory entitlement to learn at least one foreign language from the age of II. The growing number of specialist language colleges, with their role as "hubs" of excellence, means that more schools are able to benefit from access to languages expertise.
Commercially and vocationally, languages have a great deal to offer. We have committed over £900,000 over three years to support regional language networks. These networks will address language skills needs, demands and provision within regions and sectors. They will raise 430W awareness of the importance of language skills for companies and will provide a point of contact and a support structure for regional initiatives to promote language learning.