8 TheLinguistAUGUST/SEPTEMBERwww.iol.org.ukSPEAK TO THE FUTUREconsiderable cognitive benefits for languagelearning across the whole of KS2 (from age 7). We welcome the plans to make languagesa requirement of the primary curriculumthroughout KS2, starting in 2014. Indeed webelieve that the government should lowerthe age of beginning to learn a language to5, as suggested by Michael Gove in aninterview on the eve of the 2011Conservative Party Conference, and expectthat many schools will take this approach.In spite of the hiatus, a strong, trainedworkforce is in place. Up to 2011, when theprogramme was abandoned, approximately6,000 teachers were trained as primaryspecialists in specially developed initialteacher training programmes.5Theseteachers, who are still in our schools, candeliver lessons to their own and other classesfrom the earliest stages, monitor progressacross the school, and provide professionaldevelopment for their generalist colleagues. Initially, the shortage of well qualifiedteachers with appropriate subject knowledgeand pedagogic skill to teach young learnerseffectively presented a significant challengefor head teachers, governors and parents.However, good progress was made and, ashigh-quality language and methodologyprogrammes were developed, head teachersenabled staff who lacked the confidenceand/or competence to teach a language, toattend a range of training sessions aimed atall ability levels. Funding from agencies suchas the British Council allowed staff to visitcountries where the foreign language isspoken to enhance their linguistic skills andprovide a rich cultural competence. In the last decade, many countries aroundthe world have lowered the age at whichlanguage learning begins. The Eurydice 'KeyPrimary teachers were developing theirexpertise, enjoying learning languagesthemselves, and becoming more confident.Head teachers were committing tolanguages and, in addition to their intrinsicvalue, they began to see them as broadeningand enriching the wider curriculum. They alsoperceived languages as making a substantialcontribution to children's personal, social and(English) literacy development.3Finally,provision was becoming sustainable.The Expert Panel that recently reviewedthe National Curriculum had recognised the'importance of modern foreign languages' andrecommended that language learning shouldbe part of the new curriculum in Upper KeyStage 2 (from age 9). STF published aresponse4to the Expert Panel's report, puttingforward a range of arguments, includingOn 10 June, the Government announcedreforms to make languages compulsory fromthe age of 7. The Speak to the future (STF)campaign believes a focus on early languagelearning will bring about a step change in thelanguage competency of the country andwelcomes the Government's plans. Whileconsiderable challenges lie ahead, there arefirm foundations, laid over the last eightyears, on which to build.'Everyone knows that with languages theearlier you start, the easier they are.' This, in aspeech given to the University of Oxford byTony Blair, soon after he became PrimeMinister, signalled the development oflanguages in primary schools. Thepublication of the National LanguagesStrategy in December 2002 started to makelanguage learning in primary schools a reality,and those schools already teachinglanguages reported that 'pupils who startlanguage learning earlier are generally morereceptive to learning languages and moremotivated. Early language learning canreinforce literacy skills and nurture enthusiasmthat is carried on into secondary school.'1How disappointed were those working tomake this a reality when the proposed newprimary curriculum, which would have madelanguages statutory, was thrown out as thecoalition government took office in May 2010.The apparent end of central Governmentbacking for primary languages also meantthe end of local, tailored support, as the 150or so local authority posts were axed and thearmy of consultants disappeared. There had been great enthusiasm for theinitiative, which was hugely successful:92 percent of primary schools offered at leastone language at Key Stage 2 (KS2; ages 7-11)and 69 percent offered languages to all fourKS2 year groups.2In 2011, Ofsted judged theoverall effectiveness of primary languages tobe 'good' or better in two thirds of schools. Nikki Perryon the challenges ofintroducinglanguage learning into primary schools Making an early startRegular updates on the campaign for languagesThe UK and Slovakiawere the only countriesthat did not introducecompulsory languagesin primary schoolGAME CHANGER: Michael Gove joins aFrench lesson at Ashlands Primary School

We are delighted to have launched our newwebsite at www.speaktothefuture.org. It istaking the campaign to the next level,making it easy for visitors to tell othersabout the cause on Twitter, Facebook andLinkedIn, and to find ideas and tools toconvince the wider public of the importanceof languages. We are also profilingindividuals who are speaking out forlanguages - actor Larry Lamb and RichardHardie of UBS, a CIOL Fellow and leader ofour business lobby, to name but two.We are spending time talking to schools,most recently the Anglo-European Schoolat Ingatestone in Essex, whose students arekeen to help in getting the message acrossto their peers. It was great to hear abouttwo of their students competing in therecent Turkish Olympiad, singing songs andreading poems in the language. We wantto feature inspiring individuals and projectsjust like these on our site. As well as publishing a response to theExpert Panel's recommendations on theNational Curriculum, Teresa Tinsley, ofAlcantara Communications, wrote on behalfof the campaign to The Expressnewspaperto voice concern over their article of 15 April,'We Pay Tutors to Teach Immigrants theirown Language'. More to come in our nextupdate, as Dr Terry Lamb introducesObjective 1 of the campaign: 'Everylanguage should be valued as an asset'. Vol/51 No/4 2012AUGUST/SEPTEMBERTheLinguist9SPEAK TO THE FUTUREINSPIRINGPupils from the Anglo-European School inEssex compete in the Turkish Olympiad Data on Teaching Languages in Europe'(2008) gathered information from 30countries, and found that the UK and Slovakiawere the only countries that did not introducecompulsory foreign language learning in theprimary school. In Singapore, languages areintroduced from the first year of primaryeducation and a large proportion ofcurriculum time (31 percent) is designated toforeign language learning. High performingcountries see languages as a key part of theprimary curriculum and so must the UK.  On behalf of STF, I am working withexperienced colleagues from the languagescommunity to ensure 'a coherent experienceof languages for all children in primary school'.While we are extremely encouraged by theplanned reforms, we do not underestimate thechallenges in re-establishing the position oflanguage learning at the heart of the primaryschool experience, and will continue to adviseGovernment on policy and ensure thatdelivery is supported by Initial TeacherEducation (ITE) and professional developmentprogrammes over the coming years. Notes1Languages for All: Languages for life. TheNational Languages Strategy, December 20022NFER (National Foundation for EducationalResearch), 20093Primary Modern Languages: Languagelearning at Key Stage 2, a longitudinal study,January 2010, the Open University, CanterburyChrist Church University and the University ofSouthampton, commissioned by DCSF(Department for Children Schools and Families)4The STF view on teaching primary languages across the whole of Key Stage 2:http://speaktothefuture.org/files/downloads/STF_Primary_View_KS2_May_2012_final_version.pdf 5Nunn, J, 2010, Training and DevelopmentAgencyFIND OUT MOREFor the latest about the campaign forlanguages, or to get involved, visitwww.speaktothefuture.org. We're alsoon Twitter , Facebook() andLinkedIn -search in 'groups' for'Speak to the future'. On the campaign trailDominic Luddylooks at recent developments