Proficiency in a foreign language, or better yet two or three at once, has come to be considered as a necessary personal and professional quality of any specialist. And also as a factor uniting states and peoples. To some extent, this is one of the most important means of socialization. Therefore, since the beginning of the last school year, a new federal state educational standard (FSES) for middle-level students has come into force in many Russian schools. It involves learning a second foreign language as a compulsory subject. school curriculum.

In fact, the decision to introduce a second foreign one was made a long time ago. The Federal State Educational Standard legalized it five years ago. It was simply introduced in stages, “capturing” one class per year. And only last September, having reached the secondary level, he brought a new subject to the students.
Educational institutions that were not ready for such big changes in the school curriculum were given time to adapt to the Federal State Educational Standard. Each region could introduce a new standard of basic general education for grades five to nine in a differentiated manner. For example, schools in the central part of Russia, where the infrastructure and high level request for teaching a second foreign language, we included it in our plans almost immediately. At the same time, many rural schools were in no hurry.

Wave of discontent

According to the Ministry of Education, the innovation will benefit children. It's not only additional remedy communication, but also a means of developing the child’s memory and intelligence.
However, experts are not so optimistic about the situation. According to some of them, the general trend of strengthening foreign languages ​​in school is certainly correct, but the problem is that from 2020 a third compulsory Unified State Exam- in foreign languages. What to hide, in our schools you can prepare well for exams only by turning to the services of a tutor.
So how do you enter the second one? foreign language, if the issue with the first one is not resolved? In addition, the demand for effective knowledge from students has become an order of magnitude higher in many other subjects.
The first wave of discontent among students and their parents has already swept through school-wide meetings and various educational Internet forums. This also affected our area.

Thorough preparation

On September 1 of the 2016-2017 academic year, the Federal State Educational Standard for seventh grade students began to operate in schools in the Verkhovazhsky district. For six months now, the children have been studying two languages ​​at once: English and German. In Morozovskaya, Shelotskaya and Verkhovskaya schools - English and French.
According to the head of the education department N.P. Bugaeva, before starting to apply the new standard everywhere, a long preparatory work was carried out. Conducted experimental lessons. We checked and discussed different methods of teaching a second foreign language. All teachers of English, German and French completed 108 hours of coursework in their main subject. Advanced training courses also included issues of teaching a second foreign language.
“The educational base of several languages ​​is fertile ground for realizing the abilities of modern students,” says Nadezhda Petrovna. - I believe that the introduction of a new state standard will be a good opportunity to learn a second foreign language at school. Seventh graders are already adults and serious people, they learn more consciously. Starting to learn a second language with the alphabet and sounds, in my opinion, will not be too difficult for them.”

Child's look

But not everyone shares the opinion of the head of the education department. Most schoolchildren and their parents are not happy with the double load. Seventh grade students at the Verkhovazh School shared their thoughts on this matter.
Sasha:
- I don’t really like learning two foreign languages. This is too much volume new information. Therefore, it is often difficult for me. Although I am trying to cope with two languages ​​at once, I would like to return to the previous program and learn only English.
Kirill:
- Two foreign ones - that’s interesting. I'm pretty good at dealing with them.
Ira:
- Personally, such training is not suitable for me and is given with great difficulty.
Anya:
- And I was glad when I learned about the introduction of a second foreign language. True, I was a little scared by the load, which has now doubled. But I can handle it.
Nadia:
- Two languages ​​are too much, and learning them at the same time is very difficult. I often get confused about them.

Concerned Parents

The position of mothers of seventh-graders and future fifth-graders is also ambiguous.
Julia:
- I think that if you need to learn a second language, then not from the seventh grade, but at least from the fifth. Or better yet, from elementary school. Otherwise, by the end of the ninth grade, when many of the children will already be leaving school and going to other educational institutions, there will be no knowledge of either language. Three years is too little time to learn two languages ​​at once.
Natalia:
- Foreign languages ​​are needed - that’s a fact. Fluency in English is required for people in many specialties, and not only in the humanities. You can communicate with people from any country in the world via the Internet; going abroad is not a problem nowadays, if only you have the finances. Nowadays it is common to learn English almost from the cradle. On the other hand, not all children have the ability to speak languages. Some even find it difficult to cope with Russian. And not everyone will find two foreign languages ​​useful in life. A second language, in my opinion, should be introduced optionally - for those who want and can.
Julia:
- I am against a second language. My child is already not very interested in studying. And then there is an additional burden that will discourage the desire to study basic subjects. In my opinion, it would be more advisable to study one language, but qualitatively. In this case, children will graduate from school with fundamental, other
knowledge, not superficial ones.

Teachers' opinion

Teacher German language Verkhovazhsky secondary school named after Y.Ya. Kremleva L.M. Ivanova:
- At every stage of development of the educational sphere there should be something new. In this case, the development of new standards. From a teacher's point of view, I believe that learning a second language is necessary.
In European schools, teaching two languages ​​simultaneously has long been considered the norm. Why not give our children such an opportunity?
According to statistics, when finishing school and enrolling in other educational institutions, our graduates feel a lack of knowledge in foreign languages.
As for the educational process under the updated program, I would like to note that it is not difficult to transfer students from one language to another. The fact is that English and German are from the same group of Romano-Germanic languages. They have a lot in common, so if a person is good with one of these languages, then there will be no problems with the second.

We don’t agree, but we remain silent

One of those who not only speaks out against, but also wants to convey this opinion to the Ministry of Education is S.N. Istomin:
- No matter who I talk to about the introduction of a second foreign language as a compulsory subject - with teachers, children, parents, every single one of them has a sharply negative opinion! Children are already overloaded. And those who have aptitude and interest in foreign languages ​​can study it as an elective.
Personally, I am sure that this is one of the points in the plan to destroy Russia. Mental overload in children leads to disruption of their psycho-emotional sphere. Some people experience aggression, others feel despondency...
Just imagine: in the seventh grade there will be five foreign language lessons and only four Russian lessons. And the “origins” are gradually transferred to the form of circle classes.
Or another example: in order to introduce the course “Fundamentals” in just one fourth grade Orthodox culture“It took 17 years of joint efforts between the patriarch and the public. And the second foreign one - one, two and done! Suffer, children!
And the most amazing thing is that we all disagree, but for some reason, as always, we remain silent.
If parents of all schools in Russia wrote letters of protest about this, then there would be no second foreign language.
By the way, I continue to collect signatures for this appeal, which VSS parents began signing back in December at a general parent meeting.
And yet, when I was in Moscow on September 30 last year at a reception at the Ministry of Education, I was told that until 2020, the introduction of a second foreign language as a main subject is not mandatory!
I don’t know why our education department is in such a hurry? We would feel sorry for the children! Maybe by then the president and the minister will come to their senses. Although it’s unlikely if we remain silent...

Knowledge of several foreign languages ​​at once has always been considered a sign of education. But quantity does not always indicate quality. What is more important today for modern youth: knowledge of their native language, Russian literature, or familiarity with the linguistic culture of other countries? The question remains open.
Prepared by Ulyana Pivovarova and Yulia Kuleva

What about the neighbors?
For example, in the schools of the Totemsky district a year ago, a second language was not introduced, even as a trial. One of the main problems is the lack of personnel. Most schoolchildren now learn English, but finding enough German teachers has proven difficult. Currently, schools in Totma and the region are conducting preparatory work to apply the new state standard.
In the Babushkinsky district, the introduction of a second foreign language is planned from the eighth grade, to new program One pilot school is currently operating. The district education department expressed the hope that current fifth-graders will become acquainted with a second language in grades 7-8.
And the education department of the Sheksninsky district explained that teaching a second foreign language was introduced two years ago in three pilot schools. There, grades 6-7 became experimental. Today, all Sheksninsky fifth-graders study a second language.

Many parents have already heard that from September 1, 2015, a second compulsory foreign language will be introduced in schools. Moreover, representatives of education, and some parents, consider this the norm. However, even the opinions of experts are divided - more than half are confident that the introduction of a compulsory second foreign language will only lead to a weakening of our native Russian language. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education is even lowering Unified State Exam scores in order to issue children a certificate of secondary education, since almost a third of schoolchildren simply do not reach the level normal level knowledge of Russian.

Of course, a second foreign language will be studied not from the first grade, and not even from the second, but from the fifth. And even some schools will be allowed a transition period. The first mandatory foreign language will remain English or German, but with the second, nothing is clear yet. As Anton Molev, Chairman of the Moscow City Duma Commission on Education, believes, everything depends only on the demand for the subject. If, for example, Chinese becomes popular, it will be offered as a second choice. " Basic language English will remain as the most popular and well-resourced, and then - in descending order. It’s difficult for me to talk about such a strict priority, but again it’s German, French, Spanish, and less often Italian. But sometimes something as exotic as Chinese, although now it is becoming increasingly popular. There are quite a lot of schools in Moscow that teach Chinese professionally."

This innovation has many opponents, even among State Duma deputies. Some of them are outraged by the dominance of foreign languages, while Russian goes to Twitter. They draw attention to the fact that the introduction of a second foreign language occurs against the backdrop of a decline in elementary literacy among schoolchildren. The number of Russian lessons has fallen to an indecent minimum, says Vladimir Burmatov, First Deputy of the State Duma Committee on Education, and we are focusing on foreign ones. “The level of our language, Russian, our native language, which cements the whole country, is such that the Ministry of Education was forced to reduce minimum scores in Russian on the Unified State Exam. According to statistics, in some republics up to 30% of graduates are not able to write even a final thesis in order to receive a certificate."

In addition, most schools are simply not ready to teach a second foreign language, continues Vladimir Burmatov. No footage. "Practice shows that even one foreign language in individual regions Russian Federation is not taught at the proper level, let alone a second language. The decline in the level of training of teaching staff did not take long to affect the level of teaching foreign languages. I believe that you cannot put the cart before the horse. We must first give schools the opportunity to properly prepare for the introduction of a second foreign language, improve the level of qualifications of teachers, and only then implement this initiative.”

But the parents' opinions were divided. Some are incredibly happy about this opportunity to raise their child’s language level, especially those who were planning to send their child to language classes for learning a second foreign language. However, such an initiative also has many opponents who are confident that upon graduation the child will not know well either the first foreign language or the second. At the same time, experts note that it is much easier to learn two foreign languages ​​than one, and than earlier child If he masters this, it will be easier for him in later life. But for some reason this is hard to believe.

In 2010, the Ministry of Education, together with the government of the Russian Federation, developed a bill introducing compulsory learning of a second foreign language in schools. At the same time, a decision was made to postpone the entry into force of this standard for 5 years so that educational institutions prepare for changes in the school curriculum. Subsequently, it was decided to shift the start date of amendments to the law and make compulsory study second foreign language in schools in 2017/2018.

Major changes in the new school curriculum

It was initially planned that from September 2015/2016 the study of a second foreign language in schools would become mandatory, but due to difficulties with the implementation of the new school curriculum, it was decided to postpone this innovation for several years. At the same time, schools will switch to a new modern program, which, according to officials from the Ministry of Education and Science, will improve the quality of education for Russian children, and in the future the level of knowledge among schoolchildren will fully meet the requirements of the time.

The Ministry of Education notes that modern realities are such that without knowledge of languages, education cannot be considered complete and of high quality. That is why officials prepared appropriate amendments to the bill, which established at the federal level the obligation to study two foreign languages ​​in schools at once.

The choice of a second language of instruction will depend on the capabilities of a particular educational institution, the decisions of the students themselves and their parents. In accordance with the adopted school curriculum, the first foreign language begins to be taught in the second grade, and fifth graders receive additional lessons in the second language. The Ministry of Education and Science emphasizes that there are no plans to introduce an additional second foreign language in high school.

Most Russian educational institutions chose classic combination English and German. At the same time in last years French, Spanish and Italian languages. In the capital and big cities There are gymnasiums where schoolchildren can study Chinese and other popular languages.

Difficulties in implementing changes to the school curriculum

Implementing the new school curriculum turned out to be more difficult than the Ministry of Education and Science had expected. IN major cities Many schools and gymnasiums, even before the introduction of a second foreign language, already used a modern curriculum, which involved the study of additional languages. But the schools in small towns And rural areas encountered certain difficulties. The existing shortage of teaching staff in specialized subjects made learning even one foreign language problematic, not to mention two at once.

The Ministry of Education and Science claims that they are aware of the problem and that in the near future, funding for schools will be increased, which will completely solve the problem of shortages. material base and a shortage of teaching staff. It was planned to resolve everything during the transition period, which was allotted 5 years. However, due to insufficient funding, it was not possible to eliminate all the difficulties by the appointed time.

The main advantage of learning a second foreign language at school lies on the surface - it is the opportunity to send a child to study at a foreign university, as full course training, and for several semesters under the student exchange program. As you know, education abroad is not a cheap pleasure. However, talented children have the opportunity to enroll in a government-funded department or win a training grant from one of the commercial or non-profit organizations.

For example, countries such as Germany and France offer excellent government programs higher education, but there is one catch - teaching is conducted in the official language of the country. Of course, there are courses in English, but the vast majority of them are paid, and the competition for such programs is many times higher. International student mobility programs such as Erasmus Mundus also often require, or at least consider as an advantage, certificates of knowledge state languages the countries in which the training will take place.

Of course, in addition to the practical aspect, learning several foreign languages ​​also has a romantic side. Many of those who have visited Europe have been amazed at how easy it is to meet a person on the street who speaks three or four languages ​​fluently. After all, any foreign language is an additional chance to make friends, find love or advance your career. As Nelson Mandela said:

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”

(“If you speak to a person in a language he understands, you speak to his mind. If you speak to him in his native language, you speak to his heart.”)

In general, the innovation itself looks quite logical and useful. But what will happen if we implement it in the conditions of our domestic reality?

1. “Russia is not Europe”

No matter how much many of us would like to get closer to Europe (or even move for permanent residence), the living conditions “here” and “there” are radically different. A compact territory, a single visa-free space, cheap air tickets, high-speed electric trains, a high level of student and labor mobility... Russia can only dream of all this.

It is common for a European to fall asleep in Rome and wake up in Paris. It is quite normal for a European to be born in Italy, grow up in France, get educated in Germany, and then go to work in the Netherlands. A European may have a mother from Austria, a father from the Czech Republic, best friend from Switzerland and a girl from the USA. And this is not to mention countries like Belgium, where there are only three official languages. How can you avoid becoming a polyglot?

2. “Oh, if only I had someone to talk to”

Since the average person has a pressing need to speak a foreign language Russian schoolboy no, the only motivation in studying remains “high goals” and “dreams of a bright future.” But here, too, not everything is so simple.

If in prestigious gymnasiums and lyceums (where, in fact, they have been teaching two foreign languages ​​for a long time), 9 out of 10 students would not mind going to study abroad, then in ordinary schools on the outskirts, it’s good if 1 out of 10 is found. As a result, talented and motivated children will have to learn the language among completely unmotivated peers. But a foreign language is not mathematics, where you can calmly solve problems alone; You need to communicate in a foreign language. What to do if you have no one to communicate with?

3. Hindi or Swahili?

A separate sore subject - Teaching Staff in schools. After all, the question of quantity is no less acute than the question of quality. Not everyone knows that in many schools there are still not enough English teachers. In this regard, half of the children are forced to learn not the language that is needed, but the one that is “available.” German, for example. There is reason to believe that with a second foreign language everything will be even worse. I’ll enter it, but you and I are unlikely to be asked what kind of language it will be.

4. “We should at least learn English!”

And, perhaps, the most important thing is the quality of education itself. How many of you have learned English in regular high school? Not in a gymnasium with “in-depth study”, not in courses at a language school or in classes with a tutor? There can be many reasons, and you shouldn’t blame everything on “bad teachers.” The teacher may be the most wonderful, but the conditions at school are initially unfavorable for learning any foreign language.

How does it usually happen? A class of 30 people is divided into 2 groups of 15 students each. The lesson lasts 45 minutes, that is, only 3 minutes for each child. But you still need to check homework, disassemble new topic, solve some organizational issues... A teaching aids? Biboletova alone is worth so much! Gloom, boredom and, as a result, complete disgust for English language The child has. Is anyone else surprised that children cannot speak English after school?

As a conclusion

Of course, parents’ worries about the introduction of a second foreign language cannot be called in vain. There is a high probability that by the end of their studies according to the updated standard, children will not learn to speak any foreign language, but will acquire a bunch of complexes and a firm belief that “I have no abilities.”

But if parents are unable to change state standards, then it is quite possible to set their own “educational standards” at home.

Look for good teachers for your children, teach them yourself, travel more, make new acquaintances, watch films and read books... Become your child’s guide to the exciting world of foreign languages, and one day he will thank you.

Saved

This is not my article, this is the work of my colleague from the website of the newspaper "ZAVTRA". In general, the text is here. For those who just want to understand what it’s about and why, I’ll publish a couple of paragraphs here. We were talking about the second compulsory foreign language in our long-suffering general education. So, author Denis...