Introduction
The United Kingdom is taking significant steps to revitalize modern foreign language education by reforming French, German, and Spanish GCSEs to make them more accessible and appealing to students.
Reform Highlights
- Vocabulary and Assessment Changes
- Assessment based on 1,200-1,700 ‘word families’
- Focus on most frequently used words
- More practical and conversation-oriented approach
- Strategic Objectives
- Aim to have 90% of Year 10 pupils studying EBacc subjects by September 2025
- Increase language GCSE participation
- Make language learning more engaging
Implementation Timeline
- Revised GCSEs to be taught from September 2024
- First exams scheduled for 2026
Conclusion
These reforms reflect a strategic approach to addressing declining language education participation and preparing students for a global economy.