Digital Empowerment in Language Teaching (DELTEA)

The aim of this innovative project is to enable a step-change in foreign language (FL) teaching and learning in the primary school (PFL), an important goal because of the many benefits that language learning can bring for learners from a young age and for society more broadly. Educational policy across the UK recognises these benefits, through, for example, officially requiring an FL to be taught at primary school (England and Scotland), or encouraging PFL while not making it a statutory requirement (Wales and Northern Ireland). Yet across all four nations, problems with FL teacher language knowledge and classroom skills, supply and retention mean that young learners often do not reap the benefits that FL learning can and should bring. This is especially the case in areas of greater social deprivation.

The project will achieve its aim by investigating whether and how digital technology can: 1) improve teachers' language knowledge and classroom skills; 2) improve teachers' ability to enhance pupil language and literacy skills, including their empathy and creativity; and 3) whether such improvements also have a positive impact on teacher confidence, motivation, job satisfaction and commitment to FL teaching. It brings together researchers with international reputations for studying the classroom factors that influence the language development of young learners, whose research has shown the importance of teacher language proficiency and pedagogical skills (Graham et al., 2017) and of developing learners' literacy in the foreign language (Porter, 2014; 2020a; 2020b). It also draws on the applicants' recent and successful experience of improving language teacher and learner knowledge, skills and confidence through digital platforms. Through three inter-related work packages the project will:

1. Develop a Digital Professional Development (DPD) programme for primary foreign language (PFL) teachers in England and Scotland, and track any resulting changes in teacher language knowledge and classroom skills, teacher motivation, professional confidence, job satisfaction and intentions regarding staying in the profession
2. Develop and evaluate a digital FL (DFL) literacy teaching intervention, for improving learners' FL language and literacy outcomes, as well as their creativity and empathy for the FL culture
3. Establish the mechanisms through which any changes for teachers and learners occur
4. Work with DPD teachers to create and evaluate a scaled-up, peer-supported version of the Digital Professional Development programme, and roll it out to all four UK nations.

In achieving its aim, the study will provide policymakers and practitioners with concrete and sustainable solutions for improving not only teacher supply and retention, but also learning outcomes. While it will do so within the context of the UK, it will have implications for the many other countries facing similar challenges in delivering PFL education. Furthermore, it will offer crucial understanding of how teacher motivation is developed and sustained, that will be of relevance across all curriculum subject areas.