Learning additional languages in New Zealand’s schools: The potential and challenge of the new curriculum area

Abstract

Abstract New Zealand's new school curriculum, which will become mandatory from 2010, will require schools to offer a second-language programme as a curriculum for students in Years 7-10. This article considers the implementation of this new proposal in comparison with parallel developments in England, which include, from 2010, an entitlement to foreign-language courses for all students in Years 3-6, in addition to the well-established study of foreign languages in Years 7-11. A variety of published documents are used to build up a composite picture of the ways in which the two countries are addressing the issue of strengthening language learning in schools. It is argued that the contrasting evidence that emerges reveals the relative weakness of the New Zealand initiative. The article concludes by suggesting ways in which the New Zealand proposal could be made more effective. Introduction One significant development in New Zealand's recently launched school curriculum is the establishment of a new learning area--Learning Languages. This new area will give the teaching and learning of second languages a higher profile and a greater status than it has thus far enjoyed in schools. This article considers the proposed implementation of the new curriculum area in comparison with parallel developments in England. The situation in England has been chosen for comparative purposes because both New Zealand and England are currently working towards improving the effectiveness of second-language learning in schools through new initiatives that will take full effect from 2010. The paper draws on and compares data from a variety of published documents from both countries. The contrasting evidence that emerges raises concerns about the potential impact of Learning Languages in New Zealand. The discussion is restricted to those languages identified in New Zealand as international languages other than English or Maori, or LOTEMs (Waite, 1992), and in England as modern foreign languages, or MFLs. (1) The context of comparison It might be suggested that a comparison between New Zealand and England in terms of foreign-language learning is meaningless. On the one hand, New Zealand's geographical isolation (its closest large-scale neighbour is the largely English-speaking Australia) and its established trade links with other English-speaking nations place it into direct contrast with England, a member of the European Union, a nation on the doorstep of multilingual Europe, and a participant in the Council of Europe. It would seem on these bases that foreign-language learning is (or at least should be) considerably more of a priority for England than for New Zealand. Participation in the Council of Europe undoubtedly brings with it a specific commitment to language teaching and learning, which is absent from New Zealand (Council of Europe, 2001; van Els, 2001). In addition, New Zealand can be clearly differentiated from England by virtue of its recognition of Maori as an official language, a differentiation that should arguably influence attitudes to language learning in New Zealand in a way that is absent from the English scene. New Zealand has moved well beyond its former colonial status (with implied close ties to Mother England), has situated itself firmly within the Asia-Pacific region, and has conferred equal status in law on the language of the tangata whenua. On these bases it should arguably be carving an independent niche for itself in terms of language teaching and learning, rather than maintaining the teaching of foreign languages on the basis of an historical link to a now distant past. However, the reality (for New Zealand) is that the introduction of a new learning area comes on the back of international critique of the original curriculum, which led to the conclusion that, relative to other countries, New Zealand has very low levels of language learning, and the implication that New Zealand really ought to do something about this (Ministry of Education, 2002). …