Learning additional languages in New Zealand’s schools: The potential and challenge of the new curriculum area

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Abstract

New Zealand's new school curriculum, which will become mandatory from 2010, will require schools to offer a second-language programme as a curriculum “entitlement” for students in Years 7-10. This article considers the implementation of this new proposal in comparison with parallel developments in England, which include, from 2010, an entitlement to foreign-language courses for all students in Years 3-6, in addition to the well-established study of foreign languages in Years 7-11. A variety of published documents are used to build up a composite picture of the ways in which the two countries are addressing the issue of strengthening language learning in schools. It is argued that the contrasting evidence that emerges reveals the relative weakness of the New Zealand initiative. The article concludes by suggesting ways in which the New Zealand proposal could be made more effective.

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East, M. (2008). Learning additional languages in New Zealand’s schools: The potential and challenge of the new curriculum area. Curriculum Matters, 4, 113–133. https://doi.org/10.18296/cm.0105
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