Language Learning in Schools: The Anglospheric Education System's Biggest Failure?

Being born into an Anglophone culture comes with massive privilege. English is the language of science, technology, business, diplomacy, and popular culture. With more than 1.5 billion people worldwide who speak it natively or as an L2, English is also the world’s most widely spoken language, regularly used as a lingua franca between speakers whose native tongues are not mutually intelligible. 

This overarching ideology of linguistic dominance explains why native English speakers are so reluctant to learn a second language. In the European Commission's 2016 survey of multilingualism among the EU's member states, the UK languished at the bottom with just 34.6% of the population reporting proficiency in one or more foreign languages. 

This is similar in the USA, where only about 25% of citizens can converse in another language. In Australia and New Zealand, the rates are even lower. Foreign language learning (FLL) is deemed as not worth the effort. 

But, in light of bilingualism's numerous benefits, from improved memory and concentration to deeper cultural understanding, perhaps being born into an anglophone culture is not quite the blessing it initially appears to be. 

This article delves into various factors underpinning the abysmal levels of multilingualism in the UK and wider Anglosphere. While aiming to maintain a broad perspective on wider social, economic, political, demographic, and ideological influences, it analyses key flaws in the current education system, which are divided into two generalised parts: 

1) Lack of Priority

2) Quality of Content/Teaching

Part 1 - Lack of Priority

On average, British students spend an hour less than their European counterparts in foreign language classes each week. Over the space of an academic year, this equals at least forty hours less spent in FLL. 

This gulf in priority is even larger in countries that actively prioritise language learning, such as Sweden, where a remarkable 96.6% of the population speak at least one language other than Swedish.

Anglospheric students also spend less time with foreign languages outside of school hours. Language learning is presented, and therefore perceived by students, as 'study' or 'work', rather than a creative medium to explore interests and passions. 

Since students spend most of their lives outside of the classroom, these external learning opportunities (such as music, podcasts, books, videos, magazines etcetera) should be the primary focus for increasing overall exposure time.

Choosing to study a language at A-Level or as an undergraduate degree is presented as comparatively difficult to achieve a high grade compared to other subjects, but also as unsuitable for future career prospects. 

In other words, the worst of both worlds. This gap between risk and reward - often reinforced by parental and societal pressure - sees many students elect to study alternative subjects even if they talented or passionate about languages.

Most Anglospheric educational policymakers still refuse to view languages as equally important as STEM subjects. Prioritisation of languages in syllabi remains low in terms of funding, hours, and resources,. According to the British Council, this has caused a vacuum in language learning past the age of sixteen which is growing by the year. 

When questioned, the lack of priority for language learning in Anglospheric nations' education systems is usually justified by describing other, more multilingual countries as having a more suitable political, social, economic, or demographic landscape to nurture second-language acquisition. 

Socioeconomic necessity is a particularly common justification. When a country has more that one official language for cultural or historical reasons, or when its economy relies on target markets of specific native speakers, organic bilingualism often follows. This is seen in South Africa (where eleven official languages are spoken, including English, Afrikaans and Zulu), Switzerland (four official languages; German, French, Italian and Romansh), and India (two official languages, English and Hindi). 

While socioeconomic necessity partially explains the prevalent multilingualism of these nations, it does not justify the lack thereof in the Anglosphere. In the UK, economic trade is dependent on targeting foreign markets, but the status of English as a lingua franca often means that native English-speakers get a free ride when it comes to foreign diplomacy. 

It also does not explain the fact that other officially monolingual nations place more priority on FLL. Take France as an example. In France there is a strong legacy of linguistic pride, but also less socioeconomic need to learn foreign languages than in a trade-oriented economy like the UK. 

Yet, even as an officially monolingual country, over 60% of the French population is bilingual, with 20% speaking two or more foreign languages. Moreover, given the UK's decision to leave the EU in 2016, there should be an even greater impetus on mastering foreign languages so as to improve diplomatic, economic, and geopolitical relations.

Aside from socioeconomic necessity, another commonly cited justification for failing to prioritise FLL is demographic diversity. Language learning proficiency depends on the exposure the learner has with their target language. 

That is why the majority of multilingual nations use a variety of languages in their local communities - it allows each generation to pick up these languages through natural immersion. Examples include Canada (English & French), Belgium (French, Dutch & German), and Ireland (Irish & English). 

This logic is irrefutable. But, again, it does not justify the lack of priority for multilingualism in hyper-diverse, multicultural nations like the USA or UK. In California, Hawaii, New Mexico, and Texas, ethnic and racial minorities account for over half of the total state population, and for 40% of the population in Arizona, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, and New York, according to Learning To Give. Demographic diversity is widespread, but educational strategy fails to reflect it. 

Compared to the UK, does the geographical position of mainland European countries such as France, Austria and Luxembourg make their societies more diverse, and therefore drive bilingualism? The answer is no: due to rising levels of immigration over the last century, the UK is massively diverse and multicultural, with around 14% of the UK's population coming from an ethnic minority background. 

This should be coupled with an proportionately rising trend in FLL. Diverse environments offer incredible exposure to a wide range of languages and cultures, but Anglospheric nations consistently fail to capitalise on this due to underlying sentiments of nationalism. 

In the UK, this is best seen in a lingering attitude of jingoistic superiority. Some would even argue that this is imperialistic - a hangover from the British Empire. 

An imperial past is far from a fair justification for deprioritising FLL. Like Britain, Belgium controlled one of the largest (and most brutal) empires the world has ever seen. And yet, despite being far less ethnically diverse than Britain, there are far higher rates of multilingualism (78.5%) in the Belgian population. 

There is, therefore, both demographic diversity and socioeconomic necessity in the majority of these Anglospheric nations. Increased focus on foreign language learning would have a massively positive impact, but continues to be neglected. 

Flaw #2 - Quality of Content and Teaching

Not only is FLL underprioritised in native English-speaking countries, but the ways in which languages are taught tend to be repetitive, inapplicable, and unengaging. 

Think back to those GCSE French, Spanish, or German classes. How often did you feel inspired, galvanised by the fact that you were learning an extremely valuable skill with numerous benefits across a wide range of life areas? 

More often than not, native English-speakers' experiences with languages classes push them to drop those subjects as soon as possible - at the age of fourteen, in most Anglospheric nations. Students learn a language because they have to, not because they want to. 

In the meagre hour or two timetabled for, say, French, lessons usually comprise of an inexplicably mind-numbing task. Reciting the contents of a pencil case, for example. 

As with any subject, language learning must begin with basics, but students cannot be blamed for wanting to drop languages if they are made to study irrelevant topics. 

One tangible method to increase the applicability of the current syllabi would be higher focus on situational conversations. These are foreign language interactions which simulate a specific scenario learners might find themselves in - such as ordering food, asking directions on public transport, or chatting about a football game - and then building vocabulary and grammar around that scenario. 

Tailoring such a method to students' individual goals, hobbies, and interests would instantly grab the attention of the majority. as they can recognise the relevance of these situations. Far more so than grammar tables and irregular verbs, anyway. 

Another method is Spaced Repetition Software (SRS). Stemming from the misconception that languages are a subject to study rather than a skill to acquire, most students are taught to painstakingly memorise vocabulary and grammar using rote learning. This might involve repeatedly learning rules from a grammar book, then applying them by completing various exercises.

Contrastingly, SRS comes from the school of pedagogical thought that treats languages as a skill rather than a collection of facts that need to be absorbed. For instance, students could download and read texts from the Internet which appeal to them, highlight key words, phrases, and grammatical patterns, and then add them to a well-organised SRS to memorise the new material. Anki and Quizlet are two popular examples modelled on a process similar to using flashcards.

Not only is this more engaging for students, but it is also more compelling for long-term immersive learning. Trying to absorb intense amounts of information in a short period of time is ineffective, whereas using the 'spacing effect' ensures that students remember and learn items more effectively by studying them a few times over a longer period of time.

Underlying many of these shortcomings in pedagogical content is the need for additional language teacher training. This is true in secondary schools, but even more so in primary schools where there is still a sizeable gap in subject knowledge among the many generalist class teachers who are primarily responsible for language teaching. 

The provision of specifically-trained language teachers from an earlier student age would be the ideal scenario, but if not, then increased training is the next best thing. Unfortunately, most schools report a reduction in the number of opportunities available for professional development in languages, as well as the pressures of time and resources.

From the treatment of students as passive participants to a lack of time spent communicating in the target language, there are numerous other problems with the current quality of content and FLL teaching. However, moving away from the unimaginative, unstimulating content itself, there is one, more meta-pedagogical factor which sticks out above the rest:

It is not enough just to teach students what to learn, without demonstrating how best to learn it or, most importantly, why they should learn it. 

Students are also never taught any reasons why they are learning a foreign language in the first place. The cognitive, social, and personal benefits of multilingualism are not popularly known, and there is minimal development of intrinsic motivation - motivation 'from within', such as wanting to learn a language to live in a specific country, understand a specific culture, or communicate with a specific person.

Drawing on these active, constructive, and long-lasting factors would vastly improve the current state of multilingual education in the Anglospheric world. It would mitigate cultural ignorance and discrimination, increase social cohesion, and boost the individual prospects of thousands, in turn boosting the societal prospects of millions. 

And yet the currently isolationist pedagogical and ideological status quo across the UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada remains pervasive and unruffled. What will it take to shake it?