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

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.