Spotlight on language education

Dr Lesley Hagger-Vaughan and Dr Ruth Koro are teacher educators/researchers who lead the Secondary PGCE Modern Languages course, working in close partnership with local language educators to develop the next generation of languages teachers, many of whom go on to start and continue teaching in our partnership of schools. Lesley and Ruth work locally, nationally and internationally to promote and advocate for languages education through their research, policy engagement and knowledge exchange work.

For example, Lesley, together with one her PGCE tutees, Núria Ferrer Vilella, recently attended the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages for a meeting, with a focus on the take-up of languages in secondary schools and the recruitment and retention of languages teachers in the context of the current curriculum and assessment review. The APPG’s purpose is:

• to explore the benefits of learning and using languages throughout the uk
• to provide a parliamentary forum for information exchange and consultation on languages and linguists
• to encourage and support policies and action improving the take-up of languages in schools, further and higher education, in the workplace and in the community

This provided an important opportunity to share local experiences relating to the recruitment and retention of languages teachers (and in particular issues around the sponsorship of the skills visa) and approaches to encouraging the study of languages for all pupils.

Research article from Lesley and Ruth

Published in The Language Learning Journal: 
Collaborative curriculum making at a local level: the Culture and Language integrated Classrooms (CLiC) project – integrating linguistic and cultural learning in the day-to-day practices of language teachers

Abstract

Despite international trends, fostering learners’ intercultural understanding (ICU) remains subordinate to linguistic proficiency in language education policy and everyday practice in England, whilst making the case for intercultural learning requires teachers to commit much additional time and effort in a performance-driven, examination-led education system in which pedagogy and curricula are increasingly prescriptive. This paper employs a curriculum making lens to explore the affordances and constraints experienced by language teachers in their efforts to integrate linguistic and cultural learning into their practices, through participation in the Culture and Language integrated Classrooms (CLiC) Project. Participants reported that collaborative curriculum making empowered them to critically navigate policy and enabled them to enact locally relevant language curricula that contributed to learners’ ICU. By highlighting the importance of incorporating explicit intercultural objectives into schemes of learning and revisiting common topics through an intercultural lens, this research in turn highlights the importance of developing more holistic formative assessment tools and approaches which can map progress in intercultural learning. The study also brings to the fore the value of ‘meso curriculum making’ through the creation of trusted, local, communities of practice which facilitate opportunities for collective language teacher agency through collaborative curriculum making.

Go to article

Book chapter by Ruth

Ruth has contributed a chapter to Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching: The case of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales:
Through the Lens of Culture: The Transformative Value of a Content and Language Intercultural Learning Approach in England

Chapter abstract

The importance of developing learners’ intercultural understanding (ICU) through language education has gained standing in curricula internationally, to respond to the challenges and opportunities brought by globalisation. However, in England, despite curriculum reforms and encouraging statements of intent, references to intercultural goals have proved to be lacking in curriculum documents and pedagogy initiatives. Priority is given to linguistic competence and to meeting the demands of high-stakes examinations and accountability measures. As a result, in everyday practice, language learners are given little opportunity to develop their intercultural understanding and skills in the classroom.

The Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach proposed by Coyle and her colleagues (Content and language integrated learning. Cambridge University Press, 2010) presents opportunities for a more holistic language learning experience; however, in the English context, we need to look beyond integrating content and language and place intercultural goals at the heart of language pedagogy. I propose we do this by reconceptualising the traditional CLIL paradigm, towards a ‘Content and Language Intercultural Learning’ model centring on the following principles:

• C – Content seen through the lens of culture
• L – Language to foster intercultural communication and collaboration
• I – Intercultural experiences to foster affective engagement
• L – Learning for meaningful, tangible outcomes

This chapter presents findings from an intervention study implementing this new model in secondary language classrooms in England. It is hoped this will provide a realistic teacher-led model on how to implement more innovative intercultural approaches—and demonstrate that this can be achieved despite contextual constraints.

Go to book/chapter information

Ruth and Lesley are also awaiting the publication of a book chapter in Autumn 2025, with a particular focus on knowledge exchange and facilitating language teacher agency, which is at the heart of their work as teacher educators/researchers.