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ABSTRACT
The Nuffield/Schools Council Pilot Scheme of the mid-1960s to 70s was the first concerted effort to teach a modern language in the primary schools of England. The results of this experiment were published in the final Burstall Report (1974), which concluded that teaching French to eight-to-eleven year olds was not feasible given the available resources. Therefore, the Pilot Scheme was written off as a failure. This study suggests that, far from failing, the Scheme prepared the ground and planted the seeds of today’s successful primary modern language teaching (PMLT). In viewing the Scheme in retrospect through the lens of current developments, it becomes apparent that its innovations shape much of present practice. Its use of classroom teachers, principle of inclusiveness, and introduction of technology into the modern language classroom are some examples. Moreover, its identification of major obstacles to good PMLT led to the fashioning of a new ethos which harmonises it with the Progressive philosophy of primary education.
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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes
1 Liberal classicism and Progressivism are educational philosophies which have contextualised the historical development of modern languages as curricular subjects. Liberal classicism is a centuries-old philosophy which fuses the educational concepts of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle with the Christian tradition. Intended to produce an intellectual and social elite, it aims to develop the powers of the mind, cultivate a sound moral sense, form responsible citizens and stimulate curiosity about all aspects of life material and spiritual. Liberal classical pedagogy stresses academic excellence, critical thinking and a love of learning for its own sake. It dominated Western secondary and higher education until well into the twentieth century when it was displaced from its pre-eminent position as a shaper of aims and curriculum by democratic, egalitarian and utilitarian ideals. For more, see Mortimer Adler, The Paideia Proposal: An Educational Manifesto. Gerald L. Gutek, Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Education: A Biographical Introduction. Progressivism is a relatively recent development dating only as far back as the early decades of the twentieth century. The Progressive Movement in Britain and elsewhere derived from the educational philosophy of the American John Dewey, who decried the ‘deadness and dullness, formalism and routine’ of traditional pedagogy. He viewed the school as a community which could bring about social reform and progress. His ‘pedagogic creed’ preached that the child is, above all, a social individual and that ‘the only true education comes through the stimulation of the child’s powers by the demands of the social situations in which he finds himself.’ Participation in social activities is the key to learning, and so the school should promote ‘active’ learning through ‘discovery’ of knowledge and skills, a holistic approach to curriculum content, and methods attuned to the psychological needs and the natural interests of each child. http://dewey.pragmatism.org/creed.htm.
2 The term ‘awareness of language’ was coined by Eric W. Hawkins in the early 1970s to describe his theory of language teaching and learning. It was succinctly defined in 1985 by a working party of the National Congress on Languages in Education as ‘the development of a person’s sensitivity to and conscious awareness of the nature of language and its role in human life.’ (Donmall Citation1985: 7).
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Susan Bayley
Dr. Susan Bayley retired from the Humanities Department, Dawson College, Montreal in 2009. Since then she has published articles on the history of modern language teaching in England. The most recent focus on German governesses, real and fictional, in Victorian England and on the teaching of modern languages in English primary schools from 1964-2014.