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, anyone 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 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 language in normal high school? Not in a gymnasium with “in-depth study”, not in courses in language school and not 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, a complete aversion to the English language in the child. 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, study with 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.
Sometimes, even several. The most popular is English, although it happens that the main foreign language is French, German or Spanish. But, unfortunately, the true school situation is that, at best, the child will be shown one language, and that will be a shame, and there is nothing to say about the second or more.
What exactly is a foreign language at school? Imagine a large class, which consists of completely differently motivated children, with at different speeds assimilation of material and in different ways his perception. Even simpler subjects in such conditions often turn into something obscure and difficult to understand. And what can we say about foreign languages, for better mastery of which constant language practice is required. And, when studying a foreign language, at best they will give you a five-minute recording to listen to, and in a language that was used a hundred years ago. And there is no need to say that “we teach children the classical version of the language.” This is, in fact, a dead stock of knowledge with which real life we won't get far. Why do we need knowledge of a foreign language? Communication when traveling abroad, reading original literature - these are, perhaps, the main reasons. But today colloquial, including English, is constantly evolving. And almost all teachers are unlikely to keep up with these innovations. And today's schoolchildren, like fifty years ago, can say their names and how old they are. Well, a couple of commonly used phrases. So, the same thing can be learned at home with any simple course in a couple of hours. And why then study a foreign language at school, if you can easily master it at home? Even if you touch vocabulary, then either it should be really large in order to be easy to read, or minimal so that you can simply copy any text into a translator program and get acquainted with a good translation. The first option requires constant practice, and not a primitive translation of no less primitive texts, replete with little-used ones, in fact. But the new textbooks have a lot of pictures, which, apparently, is intended to attract children’s attention to studying the subject. Probably, posters with photographs are hung in many classrooms for the same purpose. And in general, school will then be based on recognizing pictures. The best thing a school could do is to provide students with at least weekly contact with a live native speaker.
It is also no secret that the qualifications of many foreign language teachers leave much to be desired. Many of them hardly had any communication practice. But even if everything is in order with the level of knowledge, how is it possible for a class of twenty or more people to submit material, survey and explain something else in two lessons a week. After all, children, of course, easily learn new information, but only the one that is attractive and interesting. And to get people interested in an incomprehensible set of letters, a great teaching talent is definitely required.
Some advanced schools have already begun to teach foreign languages in primary schools. And this is a big step forward. Although, here, of course, the sooner, the more effective. At this age, with the right approach, children can speak any, even complex, foreign languages almost on an equal basis with their native one. Here it would be logical not to start learning a foreign language at school, but to take care of it while still in school. kindergarten. But this also requires both constant practice and individual program training.
In the most ideal scenario, of course, it would be good for each student to be taught the language individually. And not in the manner of a teacher, but by carefully analyzing the ways in which a given child assimilates information. Here is the type of perception (auditory, visual, kinesthetic), and the type of memory and speed of memorization, and many other factors. It would seem that this is obvious, but only a few elite institutions have thought of grouping into small groups of 5-7 people with similar characteristics and teaching them the language in this way. Or even grouping by level of knowledge and skills. Unfortunately, in our schools they always measure not even the average student, but the weak one, i.e. motivate children not to reach out to the leader, but to relax, because this level is considered quite acceptable. And so it remains at a negligibly low level.
"In the new academic year a second foreign language will become a compulsory subject school education, said the head of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation Dmitry Livanov in an interview " Rossiyskaya newspaper". “From September 1, fifth grades will switch to learning according to a new standard, which stipulates that a second foreign language is a mandatory element of the school curriculum,”- he said. Livanov added that not all schools are yet ready for the new standard of education, so they are given a transition period to adapt. The head of the Ministry of Education and Science emphasized the importance of learning foreign languages at school. “This is not just a means of communication, but also a means of developing the child’s memory and intelligence”, he noted.
This new initiative the minister seems at first glance harmless and even worthy of approval. Indeed, knowledge of two languages meets European standards. And the fact that learning a language develops a person’s intellect and horizons is an undeniable fact. However, there is something in this initiative that I would like to talk about. I would like to immediately make a reservation that in our country there have long been gymnasiums and schools where children voluntarily study two or even three foreign languages, and this is normal. But now we are talking about the compulsory and universal study of two languages, and this is a completely different turn.”
Today, the quality of language teaching in schools is such that it is time to abolish the first foreign language, and not introduce a second one. In general, it makes sense to study a foreign language only if you have good command of your native language. Is the Russian language taught well in our schools, even in major cities? As the father of two schoolchildren, I can say that languages - be it Russian or foreign - are taught formally and superficially in our capital schools. Not all students have the ability to learn languages, and the teacher has to spend all his time bringing the lagging behind to an average level, instead of developing the talented.
Of the school graduates, only a few master a foreign language sufficiently to be able to use it more or less fluently. If you enter in mandatory the second is foreign, then the student will suffer twice as much as before. And again the hours: the introduction of additional hours for a new subject inevitably leads to a reduction in hours for studying the old one. And what are we going to save on this time: on history, on geography or on mathematics?
In general, my question is: Does a person need a second foreigner? In my opinion, no. But this is the private opinion of a classical non-humanist. What do you think about this?
Saved
"/>
Sixth graders were unlucky: they found themselves in a transition period
From September 1, Russian schools introduced compulsory study of a second foreign language. The leadership of the Ministry of Education and Science explains this by the fact that foreign languages contribute to the development of a child’s memory and intelligence. However, the introduction of the new subject will take place in stages and will not be completed soon, the department explained to MK.
In fact, the decision to introduce a second compulsory foreign language in Russian schools from the 5th grade was made a long time ago. The Federal State Educational Standard (FSES) legalized it five years ago. The new standard was simply introduced in stages, covering only one class per year, and only when it reached the secondary level of school this September did it bring a new subject to students.
However, it’s not that new. Thus, in gymnasiums, lyceums and special schools with in-depth study of foreign languages, a second (or even third) foreign language has long become a reality. And we already have almost half of such educational institutions, especially in capital cities.
As for the rest of Russian schools, the second compulsory foreign language will also be introduced in stages and, moreover, with a five-year transition period, MK explained in: “It is clear that it cannot be introduced immediately in the 11th grade. The guys have never studied this subject before, and asking them for knowledge, if we do not want to turn everything into profanation, would be useless and unfair. In accordance with the Federal State Educational Standard, study begins in the 5th grade. We’ll start from 5th grade.”
True, 5th graders are not fully ready for the introduction of a new subject, officials later admitted: “There is neither complete methodological nor pedagogical readiness; staff of teachers must be formed. For example, the decision on what the second foreign language will be depends largely on the parent community. And if until now the school taught, say, English and German languages, and parents want French or Chinese to become the second foreign language, then they may have to look for an additional teacher. Having a certain amount of autonomy today, the school has every right to make such a decision.”
The press service of the ministry also specifically assured MK that “ educational institutions those who are not yet ready for the introduction of an additional language are given time to adapt to the Federal State Educational Standard. Each region will be able to introduce a new standard of basic general education for grades 5–9 in a differentiated manner. For example, schools in Central Russia with the most developed infrastructure and high level requests for teaching a second foreign language will include it in their programs in the near future, when some rural schools need more time for this. The Ministry of Education and Science does not limit the adaptation period.”
Moreover: “Schools now have the right to independently choose both the year of study in which a new subject will appear and the number of hours allocated for its teaching. At the same time, the workload on children will remain at the level of the federal standard, that is, the number of general teaching hours will not increase.”
The innovation, the ministry assures, will benefit children not only from a purely utilitarian point of view - how additional remedy communications. “This is not just a means of communication, but also a means of developing the child’s memory and intelligence,” said the head of the department, Dmitry Livanov, citing the study of dead languages - Latin and ancient Greek - in the gymnasiums of Tsarist Russia. He emphasized that it never occurred to anyone then to speak the language of Cicero and Aeschylus in everyday life. However, mastering these languages provided a powerful stimulus for development to the child’s intellect. The same, according to the minister, will happen now.
However, experts are not so optimistic about the situation.
The general trend of strengthening foreign languages in school is certainly correct,” Evgeniy Bunimovich, Commissioner for Children’s Rights in Moscow, explained to MK. - But here’s the problem: in 2020, a third mandatory Unified State Exam will be introduced - in foreign languages. But this subject is still poorly taught in our school: you can only prepare well for exams by turning to the services of tutors. So how can you introduce a second foreign language if the issue with the first one is not resolved?! And who will lead it? We still have English teachers. But teachers of other languages - French, German, not to mention the extremely popular Chinese - have practically disappeared. Will we not create abundant soil for hacks?
The second key problem, according to the Children's Ombudsman, is the increase in teaching load:
Theoretically, you can introduce anything, be it financial literacy or legal knowledge. But children will not digest all this. And the very first test will easily reveal this: in order to properly pass a foreign language, you need real results. So, I think, the introduction of a second foreign language would be advisable only as an experiment, where the school is ready for this. But there is no practical opportunity to do this mandatory and everywhere. Maybe take Belarusian or Ukrainian as a second foreign language...
However, it is much more attractive and relevant, from the point of view of Deputy Chairman of the Duma Committee on Education Mikhail Berulava, to form a tandem where the first language will be English and the second language will be Chinese:
China is a country with a rapidly developing economy. And in general, 2 billion people live there,” he told MK. - So in our school it is worth studying not only English, but also Chinese. And in this, I think, the Chinese themselves will agree to help us: it’s better when native speakers teach. We are actively integrating into the global community and the global education system. In Europe, everyone knows several languages, so our children should master at least two. True, for this you will have to unload school curriculum: the main emphasis should be on the study of the Russian language, literature, history, mathematics and foreign languages, and the program in other subjects should be made more compact.
To educate future active members of society capable of making an informed choice of profession, to help them develop as much as possible and correctly apply their abilities is possible only in an atmosphere of free personal development, universal access to education and respect for human rights and freedoms. First of all, the rights and freedoms of the students themselves, educated, prepared. At the same time, in the conditions of the practical organization of the activities of a general education institution, when it is necessary to find the optimal combination of various pedagogical, psychological, economic and other aspects, it is often very difficult to remain within the required framework. Therefore, the legal guideline on this path should be the right of students to receive an education on the basis of equality of opportunity.
In this sense, the issue of choosing a foreign language to study is today one of the most subtle and at the same time significant moments in the field of primary and basic general education. Since it reflects not only the actually available opportunities for students to develop abilities based on their own ideas and needs, but also a latent, not formulated for various reasons, conflict of interest in this issue between educational authorities, school administrations, on the one hand, and students and their parents, on the other hand.
In the practice of a general education institution (school, gymnasium, lyceum, hereinafter referred to as school), there are often cases when the administration, in order to preserve linguistic pluralism, considers it acceptable to refuse admission to school for children who do not live in a nearby microdistrict if they do not agree to study a certain foreign language. Moreover, already in the learning process for this category of children there is also no right to choose the foreign language they study. In this connection, if for them there is no desired foreign language in the group free seats, the number of which the administration determines at its own discretion, they will be able to study this language only on a paid basis.
It should be noted that at the moment, when resolving the question of which foreign language is the most attractive for learning, the objective trend emerging in favor of the English language is characteristic of many countries of the world. This is due to geopolitical and socio-economic factors, including its widespread use in computer technology and the Internet. Therefore, in this article, the “desired foreign language” primarily means English.
At the same time, according to current legislation, dividing a class into foreign language groups is possible only in accordance with the free choice of the student to learn one or another foreign language provided for by the curriculum. Thus, based on principle 7 of the “Declaration of the Rights of the Child”, Art. 43 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, every child has the right to receive education on the basis of equality of opportunity, universal access to basic general education in state or municipal educational institutions guaranteed. As follows from the “Model Regulations on a General Educational Institution” (clauses 2, 3, and 5), approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated March 19, 2001 No. 196 (hereinafter referred to as the “Model Regulations”), the conditions for the exercise by citizens of the Russian Federation of the right to public education are created by a general educational institution , which in its activities is guided by federal laws, decrees of the Government of the Russian Federation, Model Regulations, as well as the charter of a general education institution developed on its basis. According to paragraph 31 of the “Model Regulations”, when conducting foreign language classes, it is possible to divide the class into two groups. At the same time, considering this norm in connection with paragraphs 4, 6, 10 of the “Model Regulations”, it should be noted that such a division of the class into groups cannot go against the inclinations and interests of students.
At the same time, it (this division) should be based on the principle of free development of the individual, as well as a guaranteed opportunity for conscious choice and subsequent development of professional educational programs. Therefore, each student, as a freely developing individual, when dividing the class into groups, should be given the right to choose one or another foreign language to be studied, provided for by the curriculum of a given educational institution.
In addition, this method of dividing the class into groups, enshrined in the legislation of the Russian Federation, is fully consistent with the basic principles of state educational policy in the field of teaching foreign languages, set out in the letter of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation dated November 28, 2000 No. 3131/11-13 “On the study of foreign languages in general education institutions." In particular, paragraphs six and ten of this letter provide an explanation of the methods by which the school has the right to achieve the preservation of linguistic pluralism. It's about about methods based on extensive explanatory work with parents, on proving to them the advantages of studying a particular foreign language in a given region, in a specific school, which cannot but imply the right to choose the foreign language being studied. If only because it makes no sense to attach such importance to explaining and proving something to parents if nothing depends on them. Finally, in paragraph five of the said letter it is directly stated that parents and students choose the language they are learning based on their interests and needs.
Thus, the student’s right to free choice of the foreign language studied is an integral part of such rights as the right to access education, guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the right to free personal development, as well as the right to gain knowledge and choose a specialization on the basis of equality of opportunity. It should be especially noted that This right of a student cannot be limited based on place of residence. According to paragraph 3 of Article 55 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the rights and freedoms of man and citizen can be limited only by federal law and only to the extent necessary in order to protect the foundations of the constitutional system, morality, health, rights and legitimate interests of other persons, and ensure the defense of the country and state security. Based on paragraph 2 of Article 19 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, Article 5 of the Law of the Russian Federation “On Education” (as amended by the Federal Law of January 13, 1996 No. 12-FZ) (hereinafter referred to as the Federal Law “On Education”), citizens of the Russian Federation are guaranteed the opportunity to receive an education regardless of place of residence . At the same time, federal law restricts only the right of children who do not live near a given school to be admitted to it, and only to the extent necessary in order to protect the rights and legitimate interests of other children living near a given school (clause 1 of Art. 16 Federal Law “On Education”, paragraph 46 of the “Model Regulations”). The federal law says nothing about limiting the right to choose a foreign language to study based on residence or non-residence in a given territory. Thus, by virtue of the law, all children who are already students of a given school (both living and not living near it) should be given the right to choose the foreign language they study.
Also, it should be recognized that the school administration’s references to the lack of free places in the group of the desired foreign language are not based on the law. The decision about which foreign language will be studied in a particular school, a particular class, as well as whether the class will be divided into groups, is made by the school administration, taking into account the current educational situation in a given school, namely, the presence or absence of qualified personnel in this or that foreign language, their traditions of teaching this academic subject. In addition, in accordance with paragraph three of paragraph 31 of the “Model Regulations”, dividing a class into groups for studying a foreign language at the first stage of general education (and today, as a rule, learning a foreign language begins in primary school) is possible only if the necessary conditions and means are available . This means that when dividing a class into groups, the school is obliged to provide such guarantees of universal access to education so that all students have equal rights to learn the desired foreign language. Therefore, if the school administration for some reason does not have this opportunity, it should be recognized that the conditions and means necessary for dividing the class into groups are simply not available in this school. In this sense, it must be stated that there are no legal grounds for dividing the class into groups. Otherwise, if the school administration agrees to the specified division, it no longer has the right to refer to the lack of free places, the number of which it itself sets.
Since the administration’s right to divide the class into groups corresponds to its obligation to establish such a number of places in these groups that it ensures, as stated above, universal access to education, free personal development, as well as equal opportunities for students to gain knowledge and choose a specialization. In other words, in a situation where there are English teachers at school, English is taught, some of the students in the class (with whom other students in this class have absolutely equal rights during the learning process) are given the opportunity to learn English; and at the same time, there are not enough places in the English language group for everyone, it must be admitted that the school administration itself is primarily to blame for this. In this regard, she does not have the right to refer to the lack of vacancies as the basis for her actions to refuse to provide the opportunity for any of the students in the class to study English.
Thus, it is within the competence of the school administration to establish what foreign languages the class will study and whether it will be divided into two groups, and the number of them, by virtue of the law, including constitutional principles, must be a reflection of the desires of the students and their parents to study that or another foreign language. Finally, under the above circumstances, offering a child to study the desired foreign language only on a paid basis is a gross violation of the state-guaranteed right of every citizen to free education (Article 43 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation).
In conclusion, we can say that the right to receive education on the basis of equality of opportunity is a limiting point in the competence of the school administration to organize the study of foreign languages. In this case, the limiting mechanism is expressed in the fact that students with the same status (same school, same class) should be provided real opportunity(the implementation of which would depend solely on their desire) to study any of the foreign languages that are assigned to their class curriculum.
See: Paragraphs 4, 6 of the “Model Regulations on a General Educational Institution”, approved by Government Decree No. 196 dated March 19, 2001 (as amended on December 23, 2002) // SZ RF.2001. N 13. Art. 1252.
See: Letter of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation dated November 28, 2000 No. 3131/11-13 “On the study of foreign languages in educational institutions” // Bulletin of Education. 2001. N 1. P. 77.
“Declaration of the Rights of the Child” (proclaimed by Resolution 1386 (XIV) of the UN General Assembly of November 20, 1959) RG. 1993. N 237. December 25.
SZ RF.2001. N 13. Art. 1252.
See: Paragraph 43 decree. "Standard provision".
Bulletin of Education. 2001. N 1. P. 77.
See also: Zuevich “Is it possible to choose a foreign language?” // PravdaSevera.ru. 2002. June 20. Published: .
NW RF. 1996. No. 3. Art. 150.
See: Decree. letter from the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.
See also: “Submission to eliminate violations of the requirements of the legislation of the Russian Federation,” submitted by the prosecutor’s office of the Industrial District of Barnaul (ref. No. 216 zh/04 dated June 11, 2004). Was not published.