Primary Schools (A Dialogue)

Abstract

Our discussions ranged widely over not only digital learning but also the other issues that concern primary languages teachers at this moment. Although the teaching of a language to pupils from ages 7 to 11 has been compulsory in the UK since 2014, implementation throughout the country has been uneven. Levels of training, funding and numbers of qualified teachers have varied widely from place to place. This is reflected in our dialogue, and the frustrations of some are clear. The lockdowns in schools exacerbated the divide between those schools that gave priority to language learning and those that did not. The support of school leaders was vital. The use of digital tools and the capacity of the languages community to support each other was a major positive outcome of the pandemic. These links and organisations have been maintained and have strengthened the sense of community, with a heavy reliance on digital tools.