OUP ELT Article: Factors affecting the success of young L2/FL learners
[ELTWeekly Volume 7, Issue 3 | January 19, 2015 | ISSN 0975-3036]
Victoria Murphy says, “For the past few decades there has been a growing interest in child second language (L2) learning, particularly evidenced by the fact that increasingly around the world children are required to learn a second language in the primary school classroom. For example, Qiang (2002) reports that as of 2001 English language became a formal taught subject in the Chinese primary curriculum beginning at age 8 (grade 3) in order to increase the English language skills of China’s population. Similarly in the UK, Modern Foreign Language (MFL) learning has been re-introduced into the English primary curriculum after a long absence. As of 2014, native English-speaking children at Key Stage 2 (starting at 7 years old) are entitled to learn a MFL. These two examples illustrate that governments are showing a greater commitment to learning a (second) language during the primary school years. What has led to this decision?