Young learners and multilingualism: A study of learner attitudes before and after the introduction of a second foreign language to the curriculum

Abstract

Whilst adults in Sweden place great importance on communicative competence in English, interest in learning other FLs and support for multilingualism are low. This is mirrored in the attitudes of pupils in compulsory and post-compulsory education, where English is a popular subject but opt-out and drop-out rates for FLs are high. Whilst international research has shown that initial enthusiasm for FLs often declines after instruction begins, and that girls are more positive to FLs than boys, little is known about the language attitudes of pupils at the time when a new FL is introduced into the curriculum. The aim of this study is thus to investigate Swedish girls’ and boys’ FL attitudes prior and subsequent to the introduction of a new FL into the curriculum, to compare these with attitudes to their first FL, English, and to investigate gender variances. The results reveal that although pupils’ enthusiasm for their new FL declines after a year of instruction, it is nevertheless stronger than for English. Girls and boys approach their studies of a new FL with different attitudes, girls having more positive self-concepts as FL speakers and a greater interest in the communicative potential of FLs.