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

在当今多语言、多元文化的社会中，语言技能是必不可少的。语言学习对个人和社会的好处是众所周知的；语言学习可以提高认知、社交和沟通能力，以及雇主看重的语言技能（英国学术院，2016）。然而，在英国，学校的语言学习正在下降，语言熟练程度也很低，这一赤字估计会通过贸易壁垒使英国经济损失480亿英镑（Foreman-Peck & Wang, 2014）。详细了解语言知识和技能在英语主导社会的课堂环境中是如何发展的，是解决这些问题的基础。为了应对英国的语言危机，从2014年开始，外语被列为关键阶段2（7至11岁）的必修科目。这一举措反映了世界各国采取的类似措施，即降低儿童在学校开始学习语言的年龄。这种转变的动机是相信早点开始会提高学习效果，并鼓励长期的语言学习。然而，在教学时间有限的课堂环境中，早期学习的好处就不那么明确了，我们对这种环境下语言学习的途径和速度的理解也很少。英国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，小学每周平均提供30到60分钟的语言教学。在这个时间有限的背景下，目前还不清楚这些年轻学习者应该取得什么样的实质性进展。对关键阶段2的实际进展有一个清晰的认识是至关重要的，这可以为课程和评估设计提供信息，这样中学就可以考虑到孩子们从小学带来的语言知识。小学-中学过渡的连续性将培养进步感，这是学生语言学习动机的关键，并鼓励长期语言学习，反过来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儿童在小学学习语言的前四年期间的语言发展。本计划将探讨个别因素（例如语言背景、能力、态度）、教学方法和环境因素（例如教师、领导团队、家长的态度）对课堂语言学习成功的影响。研究结果将为这一阶段的进步建立现实的期望，以最大限度地发挥早期语言学习的好处，并为中学及以后的进步和语言学习奠定基础。这项研究将改变我们对年轻学习者在课堂环境中学习语言的途径和速度的理解，特别是对英语占主导地位的国家的学习者来说，他们在课堂外很少或没有接触到语言。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。它将以国家开展的（由教育部资助的）改革关键阶段3的语言教学的工作为基础，通过应用基于研究和实践的教学原则来开发关键阶段2的语言教学和测试材料。研究结果将为指导环境下的幼儿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机，从而减少现有语言赤字的个人和社会成本。

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.