Progression in Primary Languages: A longitudinal study of the route and rate of language learning in primary school

主要语言的进步：小学语言学习路径和速度的纵向研究

• 批准号: MR/V023470/1
• 负责人: Rowena Kasprowicz
• 金额: $ 146.72万
• 依托单位: University of Reading
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Fellowship
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2022 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR%2FV023470%2F1
• 关键词: Progression; Primary; Languages; longitudinal; study

Language skills are essential in today's multilingual, multicultural society. The benefits of language learning for both individuals and society are well established; language learning enhances cognitive, social and communication skills, as well as the linguistic skills employers value (British Academy, 2016). Yet language study in schools is in decline in England and levels of linguistic proficiency are low, a deficit which is estimated to cost the UK economy £48bn through barriers to trade (Foreman-Peck & Wang, 2014). A detailed understanding of how language knowledge and skills develop in classroom contexts, in English-dominant societies, is fundamental to addressing these issues.In response to the languages crisis in England, foreign languages were made a compulsory subject at Key Stage 2 (age 7 to 11) from 2014. This move mirrors similar steps taken in countries around the world to lower the age that children begin learning a language in school. This shift is motivated by the belief that an earlier start will improve learning outcomes and encourage long-term language study. However, in a classroom context, which offers limited teaching time, the benefits of an early start are much less clear-cut, and our understanding of the route and rate of language learning within this context is sparse.England's primary foreign language curriculum emphasises that children should make substantial progress in one language. Yet, primary schools offer on average 30 to 60 minutes of language teaching a week. In this time-limited context, it is unclear what substantial progress should look like for these young learners. A clear picture of what constitutes realistic progression during Key Stage 2 is essential, to inform curriculum and assessment design, and so that secondary schools can take into account the language knowledge that children bring with them from primary school. Continuity in the primary-secondary transition will foster the sense of progression, which is key to pupils' motivation for language learning, and encourage long-term language study, in turn helping to address the long-standing language crisis in the UK.Therefore, this project aims to gain in-depth knowledge of children's language development during the first four years of language learning at primary school. The project will explore the impact of individual factors (e.g. language background, aptitude, attitude), teaching approach, and contextual factors (e.g. attitudes of teachers, leadership teams, parents) on successful language learning in the classroom context. The findings will establish realistic expectations about progression at this level, to maximise the benefits of an early start to language learning and lay the groundwork for progression and language study at secondary school and beyond.This research will transform our understanding of the route and rate of language learning by young learners within the classroom context, particularly for learners within English-dominant countries where there is minimal/no exposure to the language outside of the classroom. The study will be conducted in partnership with practitioners to ensure that the findings will be directly relevant to policy and practice. It will build on the work undertaken nationally (funded by the Department for Education) to reform language teaching at Key Stage 3, by applying the research- and practice-based pedagogic principles to develop materials for language teaching and testing in Key Stage 2. The research findings will identify new directions for research into language learning by young learners within the instructed setting. The research has the potential to dramatically change the way that primary and secondary schools work together to ensure continuity and progression throughout pupils' language learning journey. In turn, this would increase motivation for long-term language study, thereby decreasing the individual and societal cost of the existing languages deficit.

语言技能在当今多语言、多文化的社会中至关重要。语言学习对个人和社会的好处是众所周知的;语言学习提高认知，社交和沟通技能，以及雇主重视的语言技能（英国学院，2016）。然而，在英国，学校的语言学习正在下降，语言熟练程度很低，据估计，贸易壁垒将使英国经济损失480亿英镑（Foreman-Peck & Wang，2014）。在英语占主导地位的社会中，详细了解语言知识和技能如何在课堂环境中发展，对于解决这些问题至关重要。为了应对英格兰的语言危机，从2014年起，外语成为关键阶段2（7至11岁）的必修科目。此举反映了世界各国为降低儿童在学校开始学习语言的年龄而采取的类似措施。这种转变的动机是相信早期开始将改善学习成果，并鼓励长期的语言学习。然而，在课堂教学中，由于教学时间有限，早期开始的好处就不那么明确了，我们对这种情况下语言学习的路线和速度的了解也很少。英格兰的小学外语课程强调，孩子们应该在一门语言上取得实质性的进步。然而，小学平均每周提供30至60分钟的语言教学。在这种时间有限的情况下，不清楚这些年轻学习者应该取得什么样的实质性进展。关键阶段2期间什么构成现实的进展的清晰画面是必不可少的，通知课程和评估设计，使中学可以考虑到孩子们从小学带来的语言知识。小学至中学过渡期的连贯性将培养学生的进步感，这是激发学生学习语言的动力的关键，并鼓励长期的语言学习，从而有助于解决英国长期存在的语言危机。因此，本项目旨在深入了解小学首四年语言学习期间儿童的语言发展。该项目将探讨个人因素（如语言背景、能力倾向、态度）、教学方法和环境因素（如教师、领导团队、家长的态度）对课堂环境中成功学习语言的影响。研究结果将建立对这一阶段的进展的现实期望，以最大限度地发挥早期开始语言学习的好处，并为中学及以后的进展和语言学习奠定基础。这项研究将改变我们对幼儿学习者在课堂环境中语言学习的路线和速度的理解，特别是对于英语占主导地位的国家的学习者来说，在这些国家，课堂外接触语言的机会很少/没有。这项研究将与从业人员合作进行，以确保研究结果与政策和实践直接相关。它将在全国开展的工作（由教育部资助）的基础上，通过应用基于研究和实践的教学原则，为关键阶段2的语言教学和测试开发材料，对关键阶段3的语言教学进行改革。研究结果将为幼儿在教学环境中的语言学习研究指明新的方向。这项研究有可能极大地改变中小学合作的方式，以确保学生在整个语言学习过程中的连续性和进步。反过来，这将增加长期语言学习的动力，从而减少现有语言缺陷的个人和社会成本。