The Role Of Parents In Early Foreign Language Education In Spain

Abstract

One of the pillars of the Organic Law 8/2013 for the improvement of the Quality of Education (LOMCE) is the importance of families, teaching staff, educational centers, educational authorities and even society in the responsibility for the academic success of all the students as well as for the quality of the educational system. Families have the main responsibility for the education of children and the educational system has to rely on them and trust their decisions. According to this Organic Law, families will have to closely collaborate and commit themselves to participate in the daily work of their children and schools. But the role of teachers is still essential as it would be impossible for students to develop their capacities to the maximum extent or to get parents involved in their children’s education without the commitment of teachers. Although the LOMCE takes into account the role of parents, not only in the learning of a foreign languages but also in the overall education of the pupil, the fact is participation on the part of parents in their children’s foreign language learning process is rare in Spain. Parents entrust this teaching role exclusively to the schools, principally because in many cases they do not consider themselves to be adequately prepared to help their children in the learning of foreign languages. For the current presentation we rely on Spanish parents’ responses to thirty-six survey questions about their commitment and participation in the foreign language process of their children.