Curriculum for Excellence: the way forward for primary languages in Scotland?

Abstract

Following the Dearing Report on the provision and teaching of modern languages in England, there has been a drive to establish the teaching of modern languages in primary schools throughout England. This article looks at how the teaching of modern languages in the primary school (MLPS) in Scotland has developed since 1989 – when the first pilot scheme was set up – to the present day, when modern languages are taught in almost all primary schools. We will discuss the issues surrounding the training of primary teachers and delivery of MLPS, which may resonate with experiences that English colleagues are undergoing at present, before moving on to look at the possibilities that the new curricular initiative in Scotland, Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), offers for MLPS.

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Notes

1. See http://www.glowscotland.org.uk/

2. For more details, see e.g. The national debate on education: briefing pack. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2002/03/10806/File-1