ICT for Language learning Eurydice Network Education systems and policies in 33 European countries ICT for Language learning Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe 2012 Nathalie Baïdak Eurydice (Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency) Florence 15-16 November 2012

Addressed topics Starting age of foreign language teaching Taught time devoted to foreign language learning Learning of English in Europe Number of foreign languages learnt Expected minimum level of attainment Use of ICT in the classroom Initial teacher education

Foreign language teaching starting earlier Compulsory starting age of foreign language teaching Being phased in <8 years ≥ 10 years ≥ 8 - <10 years Source: Eurydice

Taught time quite low Minimum time allocated to foreign languages as a compulsory subject, as a proportion of total taught time in primary education, 2010/11 Source: EACEA; Eurydice; Eurostat Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe 2012 Edition Data: EURYDICE

More pupils learn English English as first compulsory language Trends in the percentage of all pupils attending primary education (ISCED 1), who learn English, 2004/05, 2009/10 English as first compulsory language Source: EACEA; Eurydice; Eurostat Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe 2012 Edition Data: Eurostat, UOE

More students learn 2 foreign languages Percentage of all students attending lower secondary education (ISCED 2), who learn 2 or more language(s), 2009/10 EU 2010 60.8% 46.7 % Slide: Percentage of all students attending lower secondary education who learn 2 or more languages Key message: Recent data show an increase in the percentage of students learning 2 foreign languages at lower secondary level. This has been encouraged by: The Barcelona European Council of 2002 which set the objective of "teaching at least two foreign languages from a very early age". More recently, in the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training, ET 2020, “to enable citizens to communicate in two languages in addition to their mother tongue, promote language teaching, where relevant, in VET and for adult learners” . It is usual at secondary level that a second foreign language is offered or made obligatory. In the EU on average, in 2010, 60.8% of students were learning 2 foreign languages (illustrated by the line in red): this is an increase of nearly 15 percentage points compared to 2005 (46.7%, indicated by the line in blue). The figures from 2010 reflect wide variations between countries in Europe. Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta, Romania, Finland and Iceland have a very high percentage (at least 90%) of the student population learning at least 2 languages. EU 2005 Source: EACEA; Eurydice; Eurostat Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe 2012 Edition Data: Eurostat, UOE

Expected attainment levels: A2 or B1 Expected attainment levels for the FIRST LEARNT FOREIGN LANGUAGE (End of compulsory general education or lower secondary education), 2010/11 Source: EACEA; Eurydice; Eurostat Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe 2012 Edition Data: EURYDICE

ICT not regularly used Source: EURYDICE Data: ESLC, 2011 Percentage of students who say that ICT is regularly used during their language lessons, 2010/11 Source: EURYDICE Data: ESLC, 2011

Period spent abroad: Few recommendations Existence of recommendations on the content of initial teacher education and the period spent in the target language country, 2010/11 Recommendations exist on the content of initial teacher education for prospective foreign language teachers Recommendations include a period to be spent in the target language country No recommendations Teacher education takes place abroad Source: Eurydice.

Key messages Earlier start of foreign language teaching in most countries Taught time devoted to foreign language learning quite low at primary level Since 2005, the percentage of students learning English has substantially increased in many countries Percentage of students learning 2 languages is increasing at secondary level At the end of compulsory education, the expected minimum level of attainment for the first learnt foreign language is A2 or B1 in most countries According to the great majority of students, ICT is not regularly used during language lessons in most countries Only a few countries recommend that future language teachers spend a period of training in the target language country 10

Many other issues addressed by Key data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe 2012 Edition Class size; Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL); Diversity of foreign languages learnt; And more… http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/key_data_series/143EN.pdf