In an increasingly globalised world, the ability to communicate in multiple languages is more important than ever. For language teachers in the UK, one of the most challenging yet rewarding aspects of the job is getting students to speak confidently in the target language (TL). I tuned into Faris Sanhaji's webinar for Linguascope this week titled 'Developing authentic interactions in the languages classroom' and his insights and strategies resonated deeply with me and align with our mission at All Abroad! Bus to provide immersive experiences that simulate real-life scenarios in target language countries, allowing students to practice their language skills in engaging, real-world contexts.
Photos: @Ringmer_Academy on X (December 2023)
The use of TL is central to language pedagogy in UK classrooms (Ofsted), but it's still widely underused, particularly among students who struggle to see its relevance. Barriers to using TL in the classroom are multifaceted and deeply rooted in students’ experiences and environments and I share some thoughts on this below.
Barriers to speaking in the target language
In primary schools, many learners are enthusiastic about trying to learn and speak new languages, but the delivery of the 4 'compulsory' years of languages education in Key Stage 2 (KS2) varies significantly and often time is allocated to 'more important' subjects (NB: 7 is already a later age to start learning languages than in many other countries, indeed 0-6 years old is the optimum time for language acquisition).
However, once they hit the full flow of adolescence in secondary schools, the last thing young people want to do is to have to speak up in front of their peers, never mind in another language and (probably) making mistakes. This reluctance is compounded if they haven't had a solid foundation of enjoyable language practice during their primary years. Peer pressure looms large creating an intimidating atmosphere that discourages communicative tasks in the languages classroom. Speaking tasks can become sources of embarrassment rather than opportunities for learning, leading to a negative association with 'foreign languages' that can persist into adulthood.
Moreover, many students in the UK have limited exposure to languages outside of school. Relatively few engage with global music, series, videos or other media - and if they do it's usually short-lived, think Despacito or Squid Game, with subtitles to enable multitasking rather than as a focused language task, indeed the languages classroom might be their only opportunity to use the TL. Even those who travel abroad may not interact with the local language or culture, beyond a 'parlez-vous anglais or ¿hablas inglés? Local communities are often monolingual or seemingly so, with few other languages heard outside of large metropolises and if no-one is championing languages at home, there is limited incentive. I've worked in schools with high percentages of children with home languages who only use English in school because bilingual skills are not widely celebrated nor seen as a super power; on the contrary, the 'EAL' (English as an Additional Language) label can attach stigma, reinforcing feelings of disadvantage.
The societal context
This leads onto a lack of relevance of languages in society as a whole. With English still being the global lingua franca, there’s a notable lack of emphasis on the necessity of learning additional languages in the UK, particularly in England, all the more so since Brexit - and don't kids know it. Here a mindset reigns that values language learning primarily for exam success rather than fluency or practical communication skills. However, what our schoolchildren don't (yet) grasp is that without additional language skills, they may be at a disadvantage compared to their global peers who are often multilingual, gaining cognitive benefits, enhanced cultural understanding as well as communicating in in what is increasingly favoured in the multinational workplace as 'Global English' ie. English not as a first language and therefore more accessible and comprehensible to all.
Against such an unfavourable, even (dare I say) uncool languages backdrop in the UK, teachers - particularly in KS3 & KS4 (ages 11 to 16) - often have to lower their initial expectations for using TL in the classroom to avoid increasing student discomfort or disruption in lessons. The focus shifts to covering the curriculum and passing exams. This is unfortunate because, in many other countries, especially in Europe, languages are taught as essential practical skills, with greater exposure to overseas media, travel, and multilingual communities. Children learn languages early, and society expects citizens to speak multiple languages. As a result, students in these countries thrive in communicative classrooms, often using immersive methods and Content & Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) eg. science in German rather than science and German as separate subjects; it’s no wonder they grow up effortlessly switching in and out of languages, with all the benefits to their brains, outlooks, life and work opportunities that this brings.
The role of language teachers
But it's not all doom and gloom - these are real challenges, but there is still hope! Engaging students in speaking in the TL requires relevant, meaningful, and authentic experiences that inspire them to 'speak with purpose' and as far as possible about subjects that interest them, as Faris emphasised. This means going beyond 'topic lingo' ie. curriculum content and using as much 'interaction lingo' as possible (Macaro, 2000) to encourage spontaneous and real-world chat between teacher and student plus student to student. Faris proposed a number of strategies, from using visual cues, repetition in different voices, playing trapdoor, using real photos as prompts, playing authentic music and discussing cultural differences and contemporary issues with older students. I've seen too how if older, more capable students are given teaching tasks for younger/less able, they embed their own knowledge more deeply.
The role of All Abroad! Bus immersive experiences in schools
At All Abroad! Bus, we strive to complement classroom teaching by bringing immersive experiences into schools that simulate authentic contexts abroad, in which students can practise TL speaking skills with a purpose, using role plays and other meaningful language tasks - eg. shopping at a French market, finding out about popular culture festivals in Spain, or travelling around a French artistic region, all the while enjoying unique 360° VR tours, food/drink tastings and other multi-sensory elements.
This not only makes language learning more relaxed, fun and engaging for students (and teachers!) than a typical lesson - in the way a school trip is a break from the norm, but, importantly, it also creates a less intimidating environment for students to practise speaking. Furthermore, students from all backgrounds and all learning abilities can get involved and experience as closely as possible what it's like to be abroad in real-world authentic scenarios and why it's 'cool' to learn languages for connection and understanding - without even leaving the school premises!
As cited by Faris, "As learners we take in 20% of what we hear, 70% of what we say and 90% of what we do and say" (Edgar Dale's Cone of Learning, below). We couldn't agree more, and by facilitating engaging, hands-on tasks, we help students actively apply their language skills, enhancing retention and developing confidence in the (almost) real world.
If you’re interested in us bringing our immersive language experiences to your school/students, please explore our website, see what we offer schools, browse our current menu of Experiences and get in touch to discuss a visit!
The Cone of Learning (Edgar Dale) / Researchgate
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