Explanatory Memorandum to COM(2018)272 - Comprehensive approach to the teaching and learning of languages - Main contents
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This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2018)272 - Comprehensive approach to the teaching and learning of languages. |
|---|---|
| source | COM(2018)272  |
| date | 22-05-2018 |
1. CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL
·Reasons for and objectives of the proposal
Following the discussions at the Gothenburg Summit for fair jobs and growth in November 2017, the Heads of State or Government expressed their willingness to do more in the areas of education and culture. The Commission gave input to the debate with a Communication on 'Strengthening European identity through education and culture' 1 which sets out a vision for a European Education Area to be created by 2025. It describes a Europe in which high-quality, inclusive education, training and research are not hampered by borders; spending time in another Member State to study, learn, or work has become the standard; speaking two languages in addition to one's mother tongue is far more widespread; and people have a strong sense of their identity as Europeans, as well as awareness of Europe's cultural heritage and its diversity.
Improving the learning of European languages contributes to mutual understanding and mobility within the Union and helps to increase productivity, competitiveness and economic resilience. Language forms the basis of the cognitive and social development of a child; the benefits of multilingual competences influence all aspects of life.
Language competences will play a key role in creating a European Education Area. Consequently, Heads of State or Government reiterated in the European Council Conclusions of 14 December 2017 2 the ambition of 'enhancing the learning of languages, so that more young people will speak at least two European languages in addition to their mother tongue'.
The lack of language competences is a barrier to mobility within the Union and world-wide, both with regards to education and training and access to the European labour market. The 2017 Annual Report on intra-EU labour mobility gives indications that language obstacles may overshadow economic opportunities of different labour markets in cross-border areas 3 . The Reflection Paper on Harnessing Globalisation 4 states rightfully that "(a) more connected world has brought with it new opportunities. Nowadays, people travel, work, learn and live in different countries. They interact with each other on the web, sharing their ideas, cultures and experiences. Students have online access to courses run by leading universities across the world”. Language competences are key features in order to have access to these new opportunities. Improving language competences of young people across the Union requires reflection on how language teaching and learning can be improved in all areas of compulsory education.
This Recommendation focuses on language teaching and learning in compulsory education (covering both general and vocational schools); multilingual competences may subsequently be developed in a lifelong perspective.
Currently Member States are not making enough progress towards the goal agreed at the Barcelona European Council in 2002 calling for further action to teach 'at least two foreign languages from a very early age' 5 . While most pupils in the Union start learning a first foreign language earlier than in previous decades, the ambition level is still low concerning the second foreign language. The percentage of pupils starting to learn their first foreign language in primary school is now 83.8 %, up 16.5 percentage points compared to 2005. However, there are 11 countries where a second foreign language is not compulsory in general secondary education and in 16 educational systems students in vocational education learn considerably less foreign languages than their counterparts in general education 6 .
When the perspective is changed from participation in learning to the actual acquisition of competences, studies 7 find a generally low proficiency level among students at the end of compulsory education as well as very large differences between Member States. In 2012, the Commission presented an analysis of language competences in Europe 8 . Based on the first European Survey on Language Competences 9 , the analysis showed that, despite investment in language learning and teaching, education systems are still struggling with improving language competences.
While there is overall agreement that the assessment of language competences could help to promote multilingualism and support a more effective teaching and learning of languages at school, there is no comparable data on language competences in the Union. A study on the comparability of language testing in the Member States showed that current methods for assessment and monitoring of improvement also do not give a complete picture of individual language competences. Getting a more precise and comparable view on the level of language competences in the Union would require the collection of additional data on a regular basis 10 .
This proposal addresses a) the need to invest in language learning by focussing on learning outcomes and b) options to improve language learning in compulsory education by increasing language-awareness in school education.
Language aware schools embed language learning, both foreign languages and the language of schooling, in a cross-curricula approach, based on the assessment of the language competences of their learners and helping them to improve language competence according to needs, circumstances, abilities and interest 11 .
Schools and training centres with a high degree of language awareness could be building blocks for the European Education Area; they are able to stimulate interest in other countries, cultures and languages and lay the foundations for learning mobility and collaboration across borders. This proposal for a recommendation proposes concrete options to improve language learning and to enable more young people to speak two languages at proficient user level and to acquire a second foreign language to independent user level 12 .
In addition, it raises the question of introducing a benchmark for language learning in the Union, which can stimulate the development of effective and efficient language strategies and the overall improvement of language competence across the Union.
·Consistency with existing policy provision in the policy area
Language learning is addressed in a variety of policy areas in education and training.
In 2006, the Recommendation of the Council and the European Parliament on Key Competences for Lifelong Learning 13 defined two competences related to language learning: Communication in mother tongue (with mother tongue often regarded as being equivalent with the language of schooling) and Communication in foreign languages. A review of this Recommendation was announced in the New Skills Agenda for Europe 14 . The proposal for a new Council Recommendation on Key Competences for Lifelong Learning as adopted by the Commission on 17 January 2018 15 , proposes to define the competences Literacy and Language competence, offering a more flexible understanding of the relationship between mother tongue and the language of schooling. The new approach answers to both challenges of a low level of literacy skills in Europe 16 and that of lacking language skills.
The strong link between literacy and languages underlines the understanding that competences need to be further developed in the language of schooling independently from the language of schooling being the mother tongue of the learner or a foreign language.
Increasing language learning is also supportive to the ideas expressed in the Commission's proposal for a Council Recommendation on promoting common values, inclusive education, and the European dimension of teaching 17 as it facilitates mobility, intercultural exchange and understanding, and supports the understanding of common values.
The Commission Communication on the Digital Education Action Plan 18 addressed the aspect of using digital technologies more effectively for learning, including language learning. It
underlined the role of digital technology in "(strengthening) connectedness by developing specific content in multiple languages and by utilising key EU platforms such as School Education Gateway and its Teacher Academy 19 .
·Consistency with other Union policies
The main aim of this Recommendation is complementary to the Commission’s ongoing work on implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights in that the Recommendation further supports "the right to quality and inclusive education, training and lifelong learning in order to maintain and acquire skills that enable [everyone] to participate fully in society and manage successfully transitions in the labour market" 20 . Language competence is considered as one of the crucial skills needed in this area.
The Commission Communication on Boosting jobs and cohesion in the EU border regions 21 argues for promoting border multilingualism. It invites Member States, regions and municipalities "to use life-long learning opportunities to step up efforts to promote bilingualism in border regions".
Also the Employment Guidelines 2018 22 propose that the 'mobility of learners and workers should be promoted with the aim of enhancing employability skills and exploiting the full potential of the European labour market. Barriers to mobility in education and training, in occupational and personal pensions and in the recognition of qualifications should be removed.' Lack of language competences can be considered as a key barrier to mobility which can be addressed in education and training, including compulsory education.
The 2016 Commission's Action Plan on the Integration of Third-Country Nationals 23 highlights that education and training are among the most powerful tools for integration. It states that "learning the language of the destination country is crucial for third country nationals to succeed in their integration process. (…) All children, regardless of their family or cultural background or gender, have the right to education to further their development. Refugee children may well have had a break in their education or in some cases not been able to go to school at all and will need tailored support including catch-up classes. Teachers need the necessary skills to assist them and should be supported in their work in increasingly diverse classrooms, also to prevent school failure and educational segregation".
2. LEGAL BASIS, SUBSIDIARITY AND PROPORTIONALITY
·Legal basis
This Recommendation is in conformity with Articles 165 and 166 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Article 165 states that the Union shall contribute to the development of quality education by encouraging cooperation between Member States and, if necessary, by supporting and supplementing their action, while fully respecting the responsibility of the Member States for the content and organisation of their education systems. It also states that the Union shall aim at developing the European dimension in education, particularly through the teaching and dissemination of the languages of the Member States.
Article 166 states that the Union shall implement a vocational training policy which shall support and supplement the action of the Member States, while fully respecting the responsibility of the Member States for the content and organisation of vocational training. It also states that the Union shall encourage mobility of instructors and trainees and particularly young people. Supporting the learning and teaching of languages contributes to this aim.
This Recommendation does not propose any extension of the Union's regulatory power and does not require any binding commitments on Member States. Member States will decide, according to their national circumstances, how they implement the Council Recommendation.
·Subsidiarity (for non-exclusive competence)
The Commission takes this action to encourage, support and complement Member States' activities in the field of language learning, while respecting their overall responsibility for their educational systems.
Language learning in compulsory education has not progressed along with the intentions declared in the Presidency Conclusions from the Barcelona European Council in 2002. A lack of language skills is still considered an obstacle to free movement and to cross-border trade and services 24 .
The added value of action at Union level lies in the ability of the Union to:
·facilitate the exchange and sharing of good practices between organisations in different countries to improve language awareness and language teaching and learning; and
·develop initiatives that further support initiatives for language learning in the European Education Area, support teachers and school leaders in their tasks, and further develop language strategies and multilingual approaches, promoting the quality and inclusiveness of education and training.
·Proportionality
The proposal provides good practice examples and offers support to Member States in sharing good practice and information, and in developing policies at both national and Union levels. As the commitments Member States will make are of a voluntary nature and each Member State decides the approach to take in improving languages teaching and learning, the measure is considered proportionate.
·Choice of the instrument
A Council Recommendation is an appropriate instrument within the field of education and training, where the Union has a supporting competence and is an instrument that has been frequently used for Union's action in the area of education and training. As a legal instrument, it signals the commitment of Member States to the measures within the text and provides a stronger political basis for cooperation in this area, while fully respecting Member State competence in the field of education and training.
3. RESULTS OF EX-POST EVALUATIONS, STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS AND IMPACT ASSESSMENTS
·Ex-post evaluations/fitness checks of existing legislation
Not applicable.
·Stakeholder consultations
This Recommendation draws on relevant elements from the stakeholder consultation on the language related aspects of the Key Competencies Recommendation 25 . As regards language competences, the online consultation, position papers and consultation meetings/conferences underlined the need to respond to competence demands in literacy, languages and communication in today's multilingual and culturally diverse societies, in a more integrated manner.
In addition, stronger focus should be put on literacy and on language development overall. This may include taking a broader perspective of what, nowadays, constitutes competence in languages, considering specialised or academic language or developments in digital communication.
In order to collect input broadly and discuss some initial ideas subsequently developed in the present proposal, the Commission organised a stakeholder meeting early February 2018 with representatives from some 60 civil society and academic organisations and key stakeholders, and around 20 representatives from Ministries of Education of the Member States.
The consultation meeting confirmed overall the relevance of the Commission's proposal for a Council Recommendation on a comprehensive approach to language learning in schools in the Union. Several speakers raised the point that there was limited progress since 2002 and a recommendation would need to propose initiatives that have the potential to actually improve language learning. Language strategies at school level were considered useful, as schools have to tackle a variety of challenges and have different needs in addressing languages (border regions, number of students with migrant or minority background).
Several participants expressed concern about departments for modern foreign languages being closed down in universities, thereby aggravating the shortage of qualified language teachers. The lack of teachers risks jeopardising the teaching of modern foreign languages at compulsory school level.
Other issues that were raised included:
–The case for creating learning environments in which languages flourish and demand and motivation for language learning are supported, making sure that pedagogies are learner centred and learner autonomy fostered;
–Teachers and school leaders need support and resources; teacher preparation and education were seen as the key issues in order to change perceptions and improve language learning in Europe;
–Attention to the specific situation of children with migration or minority background; which includes reconsidering assessment of language competences as it can contribute to better learning, especially when taking the multilingualism of children into account;
–Recognition of prior learning and knowledge of languages that are not in the curricula should be supported; support the diversity of the language offer in schools, going beyond English.
·Collection and use of expertise
The Recommendation builds on the work of the previous Working Group on Languages in Education and Training within the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (ET2020) 26 .
More recently, in 2016 and 2017, the Commission organised a series of thematic expert panels and two peer learning activities pursuing two interlinked aims: to provide input on the literacy and language competences for the review of the Key Competence Framework and to examine how Member States help migrant children to quickly acquire proficiency in the language of schooling (current priority of ET2020) 27 .
The latest Key Data Report on teaching languages at school in Europe has also provided valuable insights in the trends in provision of language teaching across Europe, including (for the first time) data on structured language support for migrant children 28 .
·Impact assessment
Given the complementary approach of the activities to Member State initiatives, the voluntary nature of the proposed activities and the scope of the impacts expected, an impact assessment was not carried out. The development of the proposal was informed by previous studies, consultation of Member States and the public consultation.
·Regulatory fitness and simplification
Not applicable.
·Fundamental rights
This Recommendation respects the fundamental rights and observes the principles recognised by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, including the right of education, the respect for cultural, religious and linguistic diversity and non-discrimination. In particular, the recommendation promotes the rights of the child as established in Article 24 and takes into account the UN convention on the Rights of the Child in particular Article 29.1.c which specifies that the education of the child shall be directed to the development of respect for the child's parents, his or her own cultural identity, language and values, for the national values of the country in which the child is living, the country from which he or she may originate, and for civilizations different from his or her own 29 . This Recommendation must be implemented in accordance with these rights and principles.
4. BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS
Actions proposed in this Recommendation having budgetary implications will be supported within the existing resources of Erasmus+ Programme, as well as possibly, Horizon 2020 or European Structural and Investment Funds provided that provisions of the relevant basic acts foresee such support. This initiative does not prejudge the negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework and future programmes. No additional resources will be required from the EU budget.
·Implementation plans and monitoring, evaluation and reporting arrangements
To support the implementation, the Commission proposes to develop in cooperation with Member States supporting guidance material which could fill the identfied gaps in implementation of competence-oriented teaching and learning.
The Commission intends to report on the use of the Recommendation in the context of European cooperation in the area of education, training and learning.
·Explanatory documents (for directives)
Not applicable.
·Detailed explanation of the specific provisions of the proposal
In order to help all children and young people to acquire proficient user level in at least one other European language and encourage the acquisition of an additional (third) language to the level of independent user, the proposal recommends that Member States:
·Apply comprehensive approaches to improving language teaching and learning at all levels and in all educational and training sectors;
·Develop language aware schools along the lines described in the Annex to the Recommendation, thereby provide teachers with appropriate education and support;
·Promote learning mobility in the education of all language teachers and promote learning periods abroad;
·Identify and promote innovative, inclusive and multilingual pedagogies, thereby using European tools and platforms wherever appropriate;
·Aim at developing methods to monitor progress in language competences at different stages of education and training.
The Recommendation proposes to welcome the Commission's intention to:
·Support the implementation of the Recommendation and its Annex by facilitating peer learning among Member States and developing appropriate reference material and tools;
·Make European Union funding available for the support of language teaching and learning and in particular strengthen the learner mobility strand of Erasmus+, the EU programme for education, training, youth and sports;
·Strengthen cooperation with the Council of Europe and its European Centre for Modern Languages in their areas of expertise.