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Bridging the GAP
By Hazel Crichton and Brian Templeton, The School of Education, University of Glasgow
In the current climate of local government cuts, fewer than half of Scotland's local authorities will continue to employ Foreign Languages Assistants (FLAs) in the coming session. This article highlights the valuable contribution that FLAs make to the educational experience of Scottish schoolchildren and describes a resource that can be used to argue the case for their retention.
Six case studies were recently commissioned by the British Council into the role played by FLAs in delivering the aims of CfE. The common view of FLAs is that they work exclusively in Modern Languages (ML) departments, generally assisting teachers in the delivery of the ML syllabus and providing valuable additional support to pupils preparing for Higher and Advanced Higher (AH) examinations. Without them and their up-to-date knowledge of contemporary issues, it will be particularly difficult for ML departments to offer AH classes which are often supported by FLAs outwith the normal timetable.
However, the case studies, which have been launched on Glow last autumn, show that the FLAs involve themselves in the life of schools to a far greater degree than is normally recognised and play an important role in developing learning across the curriculum. The case studies reflect the diversity of the work that FLAs do in schools and highlight the contribution they make both to the promotion of learning in ML through increased cultural awareness and to interdisciplinary learning.
Common to all six case studies is the desire to promote an appreciation of other cultures through discussion of the similarities and differences with that of Scotland. This is illustrated most clearly in Balerno High School in Edinburgh, where the Chinese FLA produced a wide-ranging programme promoting Chinese culture and language to all classes from S1-S3. Similarly, in Gourock High School, the French and Spanish FLAs organised an evening 'Cultural Party' for parents for which the pupils helped prepare food and drink typical of the two countries and produced a short programme of cultural information before teaching parents some key expressions in the two languages.
Collaboration, presentation and performance are also key features of the other case studies. In Mearns Primary School, the French FLA helped the children produce a multilanguage video about their school to send to potential international partner schools. In St Mungo's Academy in Glasgow, the Italian FLA taught S2 pupils how to dance the Tarantella, which, after collaboration with Home Economics and the Music and Drama departments, they performed in front of the whole school during 'Italian Week'. Throughout Aberdeenshire, FLAs worked with pupils to produce performances of music and drama for a 'Festival of Languages' held in Meldrum Academy. These performances, presented in front of an audience of their peers, reflected different cultural aspects of France, Spain, Germany and South America.
From these case studies, it is clear that not only do FLAs help pupils to become more confident in speaking a foreign language, they have an essential role to play in exposing Scottish pupils to other cultures, different attitudes and ways of living which is the first step to tackling racism and xenophobia. Without them, not only would small classes such as AH be at risk but, perhaps even more importantly, large numbers of Scottish children, particularly in rural areas, would be deprived of the opportunity to interact with a representative of the language they are studying. The case studies show that the FLAs play an important role in developing the four capacities of CfE in Scottish school children, providing 'added value' to pupils' education, not just in ML, but also throughout the school. Such issues of global and European citizenship and cultural awareness lie at the heart of CfE and are an integral part of the FLAs' work.
FLAs provide for young Scots a role model of young, outward-looking European citizens who exemplify European mobility and the importance of learning other languages as well as embracing other cultures. The British Council case studies and interviews with pupils provide evidence of the value that FLAs bring to schools and local communities. At a time of financial cuts, it is important that those making financial decisions within local authorities are aware of the excellent 'value for money' that FLAs provide and also of the danger that short-term decisions might make to the reciprocal arrangement that Scotland has with other European countries. If other European countries respond by reducing the number of English-speaking FLAs they will accept, this will reduce further still the opportunity for Scottish students in HE to study and work abroad.
At a time when CfE is encouraging young Scots to be confident and outward looking, we should be increasing rather than reducing our contact with other European countries and cultures and there is no more cost-effective means of doing this than through the employment of FLAs.