Spanish reigning, German fading in our schools

The reason for the increasing numbers taking Spanish has been put down to the popularity of the country as a holiday destination and the resulting relevance the language has to pupils. Experts also believe pupils see learning the language as a passport to job opportunities in Spain, and Central and South America.

Jim McDonald, of the Scottish Qualifications Authority, said: “More Scottish pupils are studying Spanish as they see this as an opportunity to extend their possibilities in the job market.

“They are also motivated to learn the language as it enables them to communicate with more confidence and to enhance their experience while on holiday in a Spanish-speaking country.”

However, the sharp fall in the numbers studying German has caused concern.

Wolfgang Moessinger, the consul general for Germany in Scotland, recently described the number of schools offering German as “disappointing”.

“It’s depriving young Scots of learning the language that is the most widely spoken within the EU. It’s a risk not attempting to speak another language because it deprives you of job opportunities,” he said earlier this year.

In a separate development, the SQA figures also show religious education in Scottish schools is making a comeback.

The number of pupils sitting religious, moral and philosophical studies at Higher has seen a dramatic increase in 2009 with the number of candidates taking the exam increasing by 22% from 2103 to 2573. The sharp rise follows a revamp of the course in 2005 by the SQA, which made it more relevant to current affairs.

OLE! SPANISH ELBOWS GERMAN OUT IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES CLASSROOM

IT has long been known as the land of sun, sangria -- and whatever else was on offer -- but now the culture and language of Spain are proving just as popular with a new generation of Scots.

Figures released this week by the Scottish Qualifications Authority show that Spanish has overtaken German for the first time to become the second most popular language at Higher after French.

There are educational reasons for the trend.

A shortage of German teachers and a feeling that the language is unfashionable, despite its economic importance in Europe, has led to greater numbers of schools switching from German to Spanish.

At the same time, there has been a corresponding pressure from parents who holiday in Spain, in both the independent and state sectors, to offer Spanish, as well as other languages.

Hutchesons’ Grammar School in Glasgow said that, this year, almost the same number of pupils sat Higher Spanish as Higher French.

“We believe it is the idea of the practical use of Spanish when on holiday which has spurred the growth of Spanish teaching here,” said a spokeswoman.

Pupils are also aware that the Spanish-speaking world offers great opportunities for travel and work when taking a gap year between school and university.

John Cassidy, who runs Quest Overseas, a UK-based company that organises gap years to Peru and Eucador, said interest in travelling to Latin America was higher than ever.

“There is a lot more interest now. Spanish was always one of the less well studied languages, but because of global markets and cheaper air fares people are seeing Latin America not only as accessible, but also less daunting.”

These trends reflects the growing importance of the Spanish language, which is now spoken by more than 500 million people worldwide.

Not only is it the first language of Spain and 18 different countries in Latin America, it remains a key language in the Philippines and in certain parts of West and North Africa. It has also become a mainstream language in the United States. Los Angeles is the second largest Spanish-speaking city in the world, after Mexico City.

Federico Palomera, the Spanish consul general in Scotland, said the increase in the number of pupils studying Spanish in Scotland also reflected these global trends.

“This is very welcome news and reflects the importance of the Spanish language in the world today as the most commonly spoken mother tongue,” he said.

“The popularity of the language has also been reflected in an upsurge in the popularity of Spanish and Latin American culture.

“Spain is no longer a place for visitors from the UK just to roast on the sand, but it is a place to discover art, music and cuisine.”

Joanna McPake, director of the Scottish Centre for Information on Language Teaching, based at Strathclyde University, said any increase in language study was to be welcomed, but she expressed concern about the decline in German.

She believes a better way for schools to proceed other than offering one or the other is to offer a greater range of languages.

“Spanish is important, but that does not mean that it should expand at the expense of German and it is unfortunate because German is also a major language in the European context and Germany and France are our major export partners,” she said.

“I think the answer is to see a wider range of languages being studied. It is a good idea to have greater diversity of language learning. There are many languages of importance -- not just French -- and we need to look at the range of other countries we want to engage with.”

AN EASIER LANGUAGE FOR SCOTS TO LEARN AND ONE THAT’S MORE RELEVANT

COMMENT
DAN TIERNEY

Given the current decline in modern languages, it is good news that Spanish is bucking the trend.

There are a number of possible factors at work. While Spanish used to be taught only in Roman Catholic schools, it has been increasingly introduced in non-denominational schools. In addition, the reduction in the number of schools offering two languages from S3 has resulted in fewer students with German going to universities, where introductory Spanish courses have proved popular.

Teacher supply in Spanish is therefore good, allowing schools confidence in introducing Spanish, whereas schools with German have found a shortage of teachers. Additionally, some schools have discontinued French from S1, seeing Spanish as more relevant. In private schools and in some affluent areas, headteachers have responded to parental demands from those with property in Spain.

Where Spanish is taught, pupils generally respond well to it. The sounds are easier for Scottish pupils than those of French and it is easier grammatically, at least in the early stages. The pupils may also see more easily the relevance of studying a language. Educationalists have long argued the educational, cultural and economic benefits of language study, but failed to convince many pupils. In the case of Spanish, pupils may see possible use with more likelihood of their going there. Put simply, most pupils fly over the countries whose language they study on their way to Spain.

For most countries it is obvious that specialism in English is required. For native English speakers, there is perhaps a need for partial competence in two languages, with specialism coming later for the able linguists. The 1999 report Foreign languages in the Upper Secondary School: A Study of the Causes of Decline, showed Spanish was not declining. Ten years on, it has overtaken German. This presents a clear need for research. The pupils studying Spanish are telling us something. It is time to find out exactly what.

Dan Tierney is a reader in language education in the department of curricular studies at Strathclyde University.