Life

Lynette Fay: Norn Iron's attitude to language learning is insular and embarrassing

A member of the board of governors of a top grammar school told me that, sadly, language provision at the school would have to be cut back due to budget restraints and the push to promote Stem subjects. Does the world need more monoglot engineers?

Lynette Fay

Lynette Fay

Lynette is an award winning presenter and producer, working in television and radio. Hailing from Dungannon, Co Tyrone, she is a weekly columnist with The Irish News.

Hmmm... should I learn other languages or is the Queen's English good enough?
Hmmm... should I learn other languages or is the Queen's English good enough? Hmmm... should I learn other languages or is the Queen's English good enough?

THIS week the decline in the study of languages in schools here has been widely reported. The British Council has recently conducted some research on language trends in schools which has revealed that 55 per cent of primary schools offer some type of language teaching, but this falls to 33 per cent at secondary level.

One radio report which discussed the findings typically began with the presenter trying to address the reporter in pigeon French. Cue the chortled laughter.

Should we be laughing/snorting about the fact that most of us don’t speak a second language? Is the fact that our children aren’t being fully exposed to language learning or the benefits of learning a second or third language, a laughing matter?

Personally, I think that it’s embarrassing. We’re back to the good old insular mindset of Norn Iron as discussed in this column a couple of weeks ago. Why would you want to encourage our children to engage with international markets, to widen their horizons? Surely the Queen’s English is good enough?

Language learning is not for everyone but is it right for any child to go through up to 12/14 years of education without any exposure at all to languages of the world? Science, maths, technology were not subjects I loved studying but I’m very grateful to have some grounding in all of these.

When I was at the Convent of Mercy Primary School in Dungannon, I was lucky. My P5 teacher, Mrs McQuaid was an Irish speaker, and so taught us a few words of the language at a very early age. None of us were going to be fluent speakers over night, but she opened our minds to the world of another language which wasn’t English.

From that initial exposure, I followed my path and haven’t looked back. I speak Irish fluently. I love it. I have some French and I constantly try to improve it. I have nothing but admiration for anyone who can master two or more languages. Why isn’t this the case in wider society?

In recent years, the teaching of all subjects connected to science, technology, engineering and mathematics – Stem subjects – have been promoted heavily in schools. There has been a particular emphasis on the uptake and promotion of these subjects among girls. Although uptake appears to have improved, this seems to have happened to the detriment of the study of languages and other humanities subjects. Why must one take precedence over the other?

Finance and budgets are always blamed for lack of language-learning provision in schools. A number of years ago, funding was withdrawn for a scheme which, in my opinion, provided valuable exposure to languages such as Spanish, French and Irish to primary school pupils. I remember speaking to a member of the board of governors of a top grammar school who told me that, sadly, language provision at the school would have to be cut back due to budget restraints and the push to promote Stem subjects.

This governor was not impressed when I replied and challenged this position. Budgets are always cut – in this case, language learning provision clearly wasn’t a priority. Does the world need more monoglot engineers?

The decrease in the study of languages at secondary-level education here has not developed overnight. A vicious circle has been developing for years. Unless children are exposed to languages at primary school level, they are unlikely to take up a language at second level – at all. In most cases, the study of a language at second level is not an academic requirement.

Without being properly versed on the world of possibility that learning a language could open up to them, pupils choose a different subject – deemed by the powers that be to be ‘more useful’. Why are we limiting life-changing choices for our children?

With the study of or appreciation for a language comes the study of its culture, learning what makes countries different, of their traditions, lifestyle, food, drink, history and much more.

Exposure to the different cultures of the world can only enrich life. I feel very sorry for those who choose not to enrich their own lives in this way, but would ask that they don’t force their narrow mindedness on generations of children who, without exposure to new worlds and experiences, will never know whether or not these experiences might appeal to them.