A new perspective: The value of local languages
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. How well do current language policies reflect the languages children use in everyday life? 2. What kinds of support help teachers feel confident teaching languages? 3. What might schools gain, and struggle with, when using community languages in the classroom? REFERENCES Chong, S. W., Isaacs, T., & McKinley, J. (2023). Ecological systems theory and second language research. Language Teaching , 56 (3), 333–348. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444822000283 Pedley, M., Roxburgh, D., Anderson, L., & McPake, J. (2024). The transformative power of local language encounters: Implications for teacher education. In S. Mourão, & C. Leslie (Eds.), Researching educational practices, teacher education and professional development for early language learning: Examples from Europe . Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003289043 Scottish Government. (2012). Language learning in Scotland: A 1+2 approach . https://www.gov.scot/publications/language- learning-scotland-12-approach/ Valdera Gil, F., & Crichton, H. (2018). Mother tongue plus two languages: Are Scottish primary teachers confident to deliver? The Language Learning Journal , 48 (4), 454–468. https://doi.org/1 0.1080/09571736.2018.1448430 ecological models of language acquisition, emphasising connecting language learning with learners’ real-world experiences (Chong et al., 2023). Furthering innovation within language policies While policies, such as the ‘1+2’, are often grounded in good intentions, adapting these to the realities of our classrooms will be key to future success. This means preparing both student, and in-service teachers, to manage a broader range of languages in innovative ways, particularly those that learners encounter in their daily lives. This brings us to our final reflection: Is it time to rethink our approach to language learning in primary schools by shifting from a narrow focus on particular European languages to embracing the broader linguistic diversity present in our school communities? It’s a worthwhile discussion because today’s primary-aged pupils could be tomorrow’s enthusiastic language teachers.
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Perhaps it’s time to reconsider the traditional focus on particular European languages, given increasingly diverse classrooms in Scotland and beyond. Instead of sticking to conventional models, we could embrace ‘local languages’ – those spoken within pupils’ communities, such as Polish, Urdu, Mandarin or Gaelic through enhanced practices such as L3. Recent research shows that exposure to languages relevant to learners’ everyday lives can foster more meaningful and engaging learning experiences, summarised well by one teacher who commented, ‘All the children were engaged rather than just, you know, the one or two that people would ordinarily think would have been those children’ (Pedley et al., 2024, p. 28). This shift would benefit both learners and teachers by tapping into the linguistic expertise and cultural resource already present when bringing members of the local community into classrooms to work alongside teaching staff. Such an approach could inspire a deeper connection with language learning, laying a stronger foundation for further study in secondary schools and beyond. Empowering change through ITE To truly effect such change, and avoid approaches such as L3 simply becoming scaled-down versions of L2, ITE courses should look beyond promoting language proficiency goals. Through partnering with local community members who speak various languages, student teachers can incorporate real-life experiences of other cultures into their lessons. Then, by integrating local languages into interdisciplinary projects, they can create more engaging and meaningful learning experiences. Such an approach fundamentally recognises primary teachers’ existing skills and expertise, potentially boosting their confidence in teaching languages in innovative ways. One example, based on teaching Mandarin in a Scottish context, found that incorporating community languages into project-based learning significantly improved pupil engagement (Pedley et al., 2024). This aligns with
BERA BITES 15 | EDUCATING FOR ALL
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