Languages at primary level ‘key to job prospects’

IRISH children’s long-term job prospects may be hindered if more than five-out-of-six primary schools do not teach modern languages, top third level educators have warned.

The extension of the Modern Languages in Primary Schools programme, piloted since 1998 but still only involving around 520 of the country’s 3,300 primary schools, is one of the key recommendations in the National Languages Strategy published by the Royal Irish Academy (RIA).

Its committee for modern language, literary and cultural studies said the department has not implemented a strategy on foreign languages despite calls for one over the last decade from education bodies, the Council for Europe and the Government’s Expert Group on Future Skills Needs.

Two-thirds of Irish people admitted to not knowing any other language than their mother tongue in a 2006 survey of EU citizens, compared to just 44% of all Europeans. The RIA report also says Scotland is the only other European country where a foreign language is not compulsory at any stage of the school curriculum.

The RIA committee’s chairwoman Professor Maeve Conrick said Education Minister Ruairí Quinn has also hinted at ending the need to have a foreign language for entry to some colleges. But, she said, a lack of language skills is putting Ireland’s economic competitiveness at risk and the widespread perception that “English is enough” no longer holds.

“At a time when languages are more than ever under threat in the Irish education system, it is increasingly clear that our students and graduates, and our economy as a whole, are suffering due to our lack of language skills,” Prof Conrick said. “In an increasingly competitive global employment market, job prospects are significantly enhanced by proficiency in one or more foreign languages.”

Other recommendations include making advance proficiency in a third language a requirement for all pupils and that modern languages be treated as priority subjects at third level.

A Department of Education spokesperson said the RIA report will be considered in the context of Government priorities and available resources.

“In terms of curriculum reform, the priorities are to strengthen achievement in literacy and numeracy, to implement reforms in maths, Irish and science, and to progress junior cycle reforms,” she said. She added second level schools are being supported to diversify language provision.