Co Coun uncil cil Recommenda ommendation tion on on a com - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Co Coun uncil cil Recommenda

• mmendation

tion on

• n a

com

• mpr

prehensiv ehensive e app pproac

• ach

h to

• the

he teaching hing and nd le learning ning of

• f

la lang ngua uages es.

Public Consultation Meeting Thursday 22nd November 2018 Dr Mario Pace mario.pace@um.edu.mt

Following the Gothenburg summit 2017 a Commission Communication "Strengthening European identity through education and culture"

• Improving the learning of European languages contributes to

mutual understanding and mobility within the Union and helps to increase productivity, competitiveness and economic resilience.

• Language forms the basis of the cognitive and social

development of a child

• The benefits of multilingual competences influence all aspects
• f life.

Reasons for and objectives of Council Recommendation

• Language competences will play a key role in creating a

European Education Area.

• Consequently, Heads of State or Government reiterated

in the European Council Conclusions of 14 December 2017 the ambition of ...enhancing the learning of languages, so that more young people will speak at least two European languages in addition to their mother tongue1.

• The lack of language competences is a barrier to

mobility within the Union and world-wide, both with regards to education and training and access to the European labour market.

This Recommendation focuses on language teaching and learning in compulsory education (covering both general and vocational schools) Multilingual competences may subsequently be developed in a lifelong perspective.

EU GOALS

At the end of upper secondary education, young people should be able to.

• Fully use the language of schooling.
• Fully use another European language
• Confidently use a third language

This proposal addresses:

a) the need to invest in language learning by focussing on learning

• utcomes

b) options to improve language learning in compulsory education by increasing language-awareness in school education c) proposes concrete options to improve language learning and to enable more young people to speak two languages at proficient user level and to acquire a second foreign language to independent user level d) it raises the question of introducing a benchmark for language learning in the Union, which can stimulate overall improvement

• f language competence across the Union.

• This Recommendation does not require any binding

commitments on Member States.

• Member States will decide, according to their national

circumstances, how they implement the Council Recommendation.

• The Commission encourages, supports and complements

Member States' activities in the field of language learning, while respecting their overall responsibility for their educational systems.

• It provides good practice examples and offers support to

Member States in sharing good practice and information, and in developing policies at both national and Union levels.

COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION

• n a comprehensive approach to the teaching and learning of languages

RECOMMENDS THAT MEMBER STATES:

1. Explore ways to help all young people to acquire – in addition to the language of schooling – proficient user level in at least one other European language before the end of upper secondary education and training and encourage the acquisition of an additional (third) language to the level of independent user. 2. Apply comprehensive approaches to improve teaching and learning of languages at national, regional, local or school level as appropriate. 3. Ensure that all sectors of compulsory education and training are addressed, starting as early as possible and including initial vocational education and training.

(4) As part of such comprehensive strategies, support the development of language awareness in schools and training centres by:

• actively supporting the mobility of learners, by making use of opportunities

provided by the relevant EU funding programmes;

• enabling teachers to address the use of specific language in his or her

respective subject area;

• strengthening the competence in the language of schooling as the basis for

further learning and educational achievement in school for all learners, and especially those from migrant or disadvantaged backgrounds;

• valuing linguistic diversity of learners and using it as a learning resource

involving parents and the wider local community;

• ffering opportunities to assess and validate languages competences that are

not part of the curriculum, but have been acquired by learners elsewhere, through expanding the range of languages that can be added to learners' school leaving qualifications.

• 5. Support teachers, trainers and school leaders in the development of language

awareness by: (a) investing in the initial and continuing education of language teachers to maintain a broad language offer in compulsory education and training; (b) including preparation for linguistic diversity in the classroom in initial education and continuous professional development of teachers and school leaders; (c) promoting study periods abroad for all students studying towards a teaching qualification, while encouraging mobility for all teachers and trainers; (d) integrating learning mobility into the education of all language teachers, so that newly graduated language teachers benefit from at least six months of learning or teaching experience abroad; (e) recommending the use of eTwinning to enrich the learning experiences in schools and develop language competences of teachers and pupils.

(6) Encourage research in and use of innovative, inclusive and multilingual pedagogies, including the use of digital tools and Content and Language Integrated Learning. (7) Develop methods to monitor the language competences acquired at different stages of education and training, complementing existing information on the provision of language learning. (8) Report through existing frameworks and tools on experiences and progress in promoting language learning.

It is the COMMISSION'S INTENTION TO:

• 1. Support the follow-up of this Recommendation by facilitating mutual

learning among Member States and developing in cooperation with Member States.

• 2. Strengthen the mobility of school pupils and learners in vocational

education and training within the Erasmus+ Programme and support overall the use of European Union funding, such as Erasmus+, Horizon 2020, Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) or European Structural and Investment Funds.

• 3. Strengthen cooperation with the Council of Europe, and the European

Centre for Modern Languages, in the field of language learning to enhance innovative methods in teaching and learning of languages and increase awareness of the crucial role of language learning in modern societies.

• 4. Report on the follow-up of the implementation of the Recommendation

primarily through existing frameworks and tools.

ANNEX to the Proposal for a Council Recommendation – Language Awareness in Schools – developing comprehensive approaches to language learning

• 1. Multilingualism in schools and training centres
• 2. Efficient and innovative teaching for enhanced language

learning

• 3. Support for teachers and trainers
• 4. Partnerships and links in the wider school environment to

support language learning

Position of the Maltese Government

• The Maltese Government welcomes the Commission proposal as it focuses
• n the need to improve language teaching and learning in compulsory

education and considers positive the fact that there is a movement to define the competences ‘Literacy’ and ‘Language competence’ instead of just ‘language learning’.

• It is noted that in the proposal there is little reference to bilingualism. One

has to recognise that in a couple of countries in the EU, including Malta, schooling systems operate in a bilingual setting. The document refers to the language (singular) of schooling where it should in fact refer to the languages (plural) of schooling.

• The Maltese Government is of the opinion that the proposal should take into

consideration the valuable timeframe before compulsory schooling and include the early years as part of the process. Bilingual development, in Maltese and English, is promoted in the language Policy for the Early Years (0-7) in Malta and Gozo.

 In Malta’s National Curriculum Framework, literacy is identified as a cross- curricular theme. The framework highlights that literacy competence is not only the concern of the primary class teacher and the language teachers in secondary school but is in fact the responsibility of all educators.  The Maltese Government also believes that the role of parents and caregivers is central to the child’s language learning. They serve as models for the child’s use of language and attitudes towards languages. The National Literacy Strategy for All was launched to promote and enhance lifelong, high quality literacy practices among children, youths, adults, third country nationals and persons with learning difficulties. It strives also to improve literacy outcomes, resulting in inclusive practices, higher educational qualifications, and better job prospects. The National Literacy Agency (NLA) was set up and launched several programmes1 including family literacy programmes with the aim to improve both child literacy and parental support skills.

Initiatives to promote language learning in compulsory education:

• Primarily, all secondary school students are entitled to learn a F.L.
• Introduction of the Subject Proficiency Assessment (SPA) programme. Home-

grown CERTIFIED PROFICIENCY exams in various subjects at Levels 1, 2 & 3 (MQF) in line with the CEFR1. The programme offers a fully comprehensive assessment of the four basic skills or abilities in a F.L.

• As from October 2019 Level 4 will also be launched.
• The introduction of the Foreign Language Awareness Programme (FLAP) in Years 3

& 4 of all State Primary Schools with the scope of instilling in young students an awareness of the vast variety of languages that exist and make them love languages.

• The Foreign Learning Teaching Programme (FLTP), offered to Year 5 & 6 State

School students gives a first taste of the foreign languages taught at secondary level, namely Italian, French, German Spanish and Arabic. The main objective of this programme is for children to appreciate foreign languages through multi- sensory activities.

Another welcomed call is the need to tackling migrant learners in compulsory education.  Malta’s Migrant Learners’ Unit provides language support for Maltese and English in both primary and secondary schools through an induction course

• ffered to all newcomer learners (EU or TCN) who cannot communicate in Maltese

and English.  The Unit also provides pull-outs sessions for non-Maltese students who are in mainstream classes offering extra help in Maltese or English.  In most state primary schools, complementary education and literacy support teachers support the language acquisition of such learners so as to facilitate their social, cultural and educational integration.  In the secondary sector, some of these learners are provided with programmes in Maltese and English as additional languages or assigned to a Core Competences Support Programme.  Both at EU and national level, the Maltese Government is of the opinion that more support is needed to sustain diversity in classrooms.

The need to promote F.L. competences in vocational schools. MCAST: offers the possibility of additional support in English for MCAST students, asylum applicants and beneficiaries of international protection through its Learning Support Unit. launched a series of basic courses in Maltese for Foreigners (MFF). foreign language proficiency courses are also offered to students following full-time and/or part-time courses, giving the students the opportunity to acquire fluency in one or more foreign languages while studying to obtain their MCAST certificate.

LOF & My Journey:

• At the start of the secondary compulsory schooling (Year 7) every student must

choose 1 foreign language from a list comprising Italian, French, German, Spanish, Russian and Arabic. This language chosen will be studied throughout the entire secondary education cycle.

• At the end of Year 8 (Form 2), a student who wishes to choose a VET path, may

select 2 VET subjects (besides the foreign language chosen before) select 1 VET subject and another subject (not foreign language) (besides the foreign language chosen before – for Year 7) select 1 VET subject and a foreign language (different from the one already chosen before (for Year 7)

• Thus a student following a VET path will always have a minimum of 1 foreign

language, with the possibility of 2 foreign languages.

The Maltese Government takes note of the emphasis to support teachers and school leaders in the development of language competences.  It favours initiatives like the ECML, RELANG and CLIL training at European level, however the proposal has little reference to the preparation and support that is to be given to school leaders and policy makers especially in leading the changes needed. At national level, teachers and schools leaders are given the opportunity to follow a number of in-service courses. Actively supporting the mobility of learners through EU funded programmes is fundamentally a good approach. However, the process to send learners (minors) abroad, in the case of Malta, may result to be too complex for schools due to administrative burdens and responsibility issues to secure the well-being of minors.

The Maltese Government agrees with the emphasis put on the importance of the usage of digital technologies to the acquisition of language competences. In compulsory education, the Maltese Government introduced the usage of interactive whiteboards, tablets and educational apps. Moreover various networking of resources takes place between teachers from different colleges and different sectors. The Commission urges Member States to monitor the language competences using CEFR as a universal standard. Currently Malta uses a different assessment method to assess foreign language competence (MATSEC) but discussions are ongoing to start moving towards to CEFR standard through the SPA initiative and the introduction of the Learning Outcomes Framework. Malta also favours partnerships with schools and employers can use funding programmes to continue improving their employee’s language skills through the Get Qualified Scheme, Investing in Skills scheme or the knowledge transfer scheme.

European Commission: recent developments in school education Michael Teutsch, Head of Schools and multilingualism Recent t Develop

• pments

ents:

More recent developments: The Austrian Presidency started discussing the proposal at the Education Committee on the 12th November. All comments to improve the recommendation of the Maltese government are therefore being brought forward at an EU level.

Dr Mario Pace mario.pace@um.edu.mt