Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe 2012

174 Pages·5.405 MB·

by  Delhaxhe A. (Ed.)

2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1
0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2
EURYDICE
1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2
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1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2
Key Data on
2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0
Teaching Languages at School
2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1
0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2
in Europe 2012
1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2
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1 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 2 2 0

EURYDICE

Key Data on
Teaching Languages
at School in Europe

2012 Edition
This document is published by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency
(EACEA P9 Eurydice and Policy Support).

Available in English (Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe – 2012), French
(Chiffres clés de l’enseignement des langues à l’école en Europe– 2012) and German
(Schlüsselzahlen zum Sprachenlernen an den Schulen in Europa– 2012).

ISBN 978-92-9201-273-1

DOI:10.2797/83967

This document is also available on the Internet
(http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice).

Text completed in July 2012.

© Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency, 2012.

The contents of this publication may be reproduced in part, except for commercial purposes,
provided the extract is preceded b y a reference to 'Eurydice network', followed by the date of
publication of the document.

Requests for permission to reproduce the entire document must be made to EACEA P9
Eurydice and Policy Support.

Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency
P9 Eurydice and Policy Support
Avenue du Bourget 1 (BU 29)
B-1140 Brussels
Tel. [phone]
Fax [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice
FOREWORD

Linguistic and cultural diversity of the European Union is one of its major assets, but also one of its
main challenges. Throughout the last decade, European multilingualism policy has been guided by the
objective set by the Barcelona Council of March 2002, which called for the improvement of mastery of
basic skills, in particular, by teaching at least two foreign languages from a very early age. It has also
been shaped by the Commission Communication ‘Multilingualism: an asset for Europe and a shared
commitment’ (2008) and by the Council Resolution on a European strategy for multilingualism (2008).
These strategic documents established language policy as a cross-cutting topic contributing to all
other EU policies.
The improvement of quality and efficiency of language learning has become one of the key objectives
of the Strategic Framework for Education and Training (‘ET 2020’). The framework underlines the
necessity to enable citizens to communicate in two languages in addition to their mother tongue, as
well as the need to promote language teaching and provide migrants with opportunities to learn the
language of the host country. Language learning has also acquired a prominent place within flagship
initiatives integrated in the European Union’s overall strategy – ‘Europe 2020’ – promoting smart,
sustainable and inclusive growth. In particular, language skills, as a means to encourage the cross-
border mobility of EU citizens, play a crucial role within the Youth on the Move initiative and the
Agenda for New Skills and Jobs.
In order to provide further support to language learning across Europe, the Barcelona Council called
for the establishment of an indicator on language competencies. This was followed, in 2009, by a
proposal to set a benchmark in this field. The process of defining the benchmark has been facilitated
by a major survey – the European Survey on Language Competences. The survey measured the
proficiency of pupils in foreign languages at the final stage of lower secondary education and its
results – launched in June 2012 – gave, for the first time, an insight into realistic levels of language
skills that pupils in Europe possess.
In this policy context, we are very pleased to present the third edition of the joint Eurydice/Eurostat
publication Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe, which gives an exhaustive picture
of the language teaching systems in place in 32 European countries. It examines various aspects of
foreign language teaching, in particular its organisational features, participation levels and the initial
and continuing education of foreign language teachers. In addition, the report covers the content and
language integrated learning model (CLIL), in which non-language subjects are taught in foreign
languages. Taken as a whole, the publication provides answers to a number of questions, which are in
the centre of the European cooperation in education and training.

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Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe – 2012

We believe that the content of this publication offers original and illuminating insights into language
teaching and will be crucial in helping to contextualise the results of the European Survey on
Language Competences. We commend Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe to all
practitioners and policy-makers working in this field. We are confident that the publication will be of
great use to those responsible for designing and implementing language teaching strategies in the
schools across the whole Europe.

Algirdas Šemeta
Androulla Vassiliou
Commissioner responsible for Taxation,
Commissioner responsible for Education,
Customs, Anti-fraud, Audit and Statistics
Culture, Multilingualism and Youth

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CONTENTS

Foreword 3
Introduction 7
Main Findings 9
Codes, Abbreviations and Acronyms 15

CHAPTER A – CONTEXT 17
CHAPTER B – ORGANISATION 25
Section I – Foreign language provision in pre-primary, primary and
secondary education: Number of languages provided 25
Section II – Foreign language provision in the context of CLIL in
primary and secondary education 39
Section III – Range of languages offered in
primary and secondary education 45
CHAPTER C – PARTICIPATION 55
CHAPTER D – TEACHERS 85
CHAPTER E – TEACHING PROCESSES 103
Section I – Students’ motivation and teaching approaches 103
Section II – Taught time and class sizes 111
Section III – Expected learning outcomes and certification 127

Glossary, Statistical Databases and Bibliography 136
Annexes 145
Table of Figures 161
Acknowledgements 165

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INTRODUCTION

This third edition of Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe contains 61 indicators in
five chapters entitled Context, Organisation, Participation, Teachers and Teaching Processes. The
report is a joint Eurydice/Eurostat publication produced in close cooperation with the European
Commission. It belongs to the Key Data series, the aim of which is to combine statistical data and
qualitative information on European education systems.
The publication includes indicators based on data from several distinct sources: Eurydice; Eurostat;
the European Survey on Language Competences; and the OECD’s PISA international survey. It also
includes an indicator based on data from the Comenius In-Service Training action, which is a part of
the EU Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP). The indicators from different sources are frequently
interrelated to provide an interesting insight into language teaching.
The information from Eurydice is taken from official sources and its reference year is 2010/11.
Eurydice indicators mainly cover primary and secondary education (ISCED levels 1, 2 and 3),
although some also refer to the pre-primary level (ISCED level 0). These indicators provide insight into
the policies and recommendations in place in European countries which influence foreign language
teaching. They cover organisational aspects such as the number of languages taught, the age range
of students involved and the teaching approaches used, including content and language integrated
learning (CLIL). In addition, the indicators show the amount of taught time allocated to the field and the
levels of attainment students are expected to reach. Crucial to the issue of language learning, the
initial and continuing education of foreign language teachers is also addressed. While Eurydice data
cover all countries of the European Union as well as countries of the European Economic Area (EEA),
Croatia and Turkey, the country coverage of indicators based on other sources is sometimes more
limited.
The Eurostat statistical data, referring to the 2009/10 school year, provide information on the language
learning participation rates of pupils in primary and secondary education (ISCED levels 1, 2 and 3).
These data refer to general as well as pre-vocational and vocational education, whereas data from
Eurydice only cover general education. It must also be noted that both Eurostat and Eurydice data
cover only public-sector and grant-aided private schools.
Data from the contextual questionnaires of the European Survey on Language Competences (ESLC)
2011 is mainly used to complement the Eurydice indicators. Out of the 16 countries or country
communities that participated in the survey, the report presents data on 15 of them. These data
provide information on the actual practice of foreign language teaching, including information on
students’ motivation to study languages, the extent to which they are exposed to languages in their
daily life as well as information on the education and training of foreign language teachers.
A few indicators have been devised using the contextual questionnaire databases for the PISA 2009
(OECD) international survey. They offer a means of considering multilingualism as it really exists in
schools in Europe, providing information on the proportion of students who speak a language at home
other than the language of instruction.
The present publication contains several time series. They are taken from Eurydice and Eurostat
sources and are particularly helpful in identifying trends in language teaching in recent years and past
decades. For example, they enable one to ascertain to what extent foreign languages (as compulsory
subjects) are being taught at an increasingly early age in primary education, and whether the
percentage of pupils and students learning specific foreign languages is increasing or decreasing.

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Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe – 2012
The 'Main Findings' of the report are summarised in a separate section at the beginning of the
publication. The codes, abbreviations and acronyms used are also listed at the front while the
glossary, statistical databases and references appear towards the end of the volume. These are
followed by two annexes, which include short country descriptions of foreign language provision as
well as the information on the provision of content and language integrated learning (CLIL).
This version of Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe is also available in electronic
form on the Eurydice (http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/) and Eurostat websites
(http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/).
All those who have contributed in any way to this collective undertaking are listed at the end of the
report.

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