Foreign Language Teaching seems to be in the midst of a perfect storm in the UK. Dwindling uptake of languages at GCSE has combined with (and caused?) a dwindling supply of MFL teachers. Those that remain teach against the cloudy backdrop of a national curriculum with no MFL requirement for GCSE or beyond; they teach in a world where English is the default mode of communication anyway. If learning languages matters, how do we make them relevant to young people and their parents?
Explaining how learning a language is “good for us” and will “turn people into global citizens” (as opposed to what…?) isn’t wrong, but is probably intangible for many 9-to-14-year-olds and intimidating to some parents – but visiting another country with your classmates makes a massive impression that’s impossible to overstate.
As W.B Yeats said, “Education is not the filling of a pot, but the lighting of a fire.” You could argue that without travelling abroad, language learning is but a pile of kindling that never meets a spark.
The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Modern Languages published its National Recovery Programme for Languages in March 2019. Its “Strategic Objective 1” lists goals for Schools including an ambition for “every child to have the opportunity for international experience at home or overseas.” Ideally, they should access both, but an overseas trip carries more impact.
An interesting BBC article from 2015 highlights taking the risk of speaking, immersing yourself with native speakers, and not worrying about grammar at first – just communicating. These are things that most school environments can never address fully without a trip abroad.
More recently, an article by the British Council in November 2023 discussed how schools’ international engagements are picking up after the Covid lockdowns and how a recognition of the more practical uses of languages might improve uptake of languages. The author took confidence in how the formation of the National Consortium for Languages Education (NCLE) led by University College, London, The British Council and the Goethe-Institut, will hopefully lead to an increased uptake of MFL qualifications in Key Stage 4. Yet it surely can’t meet its potential without students having the opportunity to travel abroad.
At Château Beaumont, we’ve brought schools to France for over 25 years. Owned and operated by former teachers, pedagogy on a school trip really matters to us. Our Projet Éducatif lays the foundation for this and is built on three pillars underpinning all we do.
- La Découverte: discovering new things… Successful people are consistently open to new experiences, new ideas and new information. At Château Beaumont we hope that discovery fosters a love of learning. When you discover new things, it feels exciting and you have opportunities for…
- Le Dépassement de Soi: exceeding your own expectations. Self-esteem, ambition and resilience are positively-driven by exceeding your own expectations through commitment and perseverance. At Château Beaumont, we hope that children surprise themselves on activities and see how the French they’ve already learnt at school is relevant when they use it successfully. When you exceed your own expectations, it leads to…
- L’Épanouissement: having a more open mind - towards new people, new places and new information. This attitude allows you to discover so many things, hopefully seeding a circular routine for life. At Château Beaumont, we hope children see that French is a fun and empowering tool - and that France is an amazing, cultural experience to enjoy time and again.
None of these pillars needs a language to be true, but the language is the medium through which we apply it. In doing so, the language becomes the tool, not the objective. This makes pedagogy easier, more practical and more intuitive.
We believe learning a language matters and that going on a language trip is of great importance. At Château Beaumont, we think there are three good reasons why.
- We’re convinced it supports the English Comparing and contrasting with a foreign language gives insight into your own. Going abroad with your friends means you come back and see things through slightly different eyes.
- It makes you more interesting, more fun and more mysterious (!): this stands out to potential employers, friends and partners. Languages help you communicate better with a broader range of people - and to do so beyond your own community. Going abroad allows you to practise this in your school group authentically, without being at school.
- By making the language the tool, it means our trips can be wholly about French, but also about History, Geography, Politics and much more! Going abroad for French language is therefore not just about… French language, but about supporting other subjects and departments as well.
Teachers don’t need to be told about the holistic benefits of a school trip, especially after the effects Covid lockdowns had on children; we recognise that costs are the biggest issues facing most schools right now and tough decisions must be made. How money is spent by schools and parents matters more than ever and so the value proposition is now more important than ever. We think school trips are one of the most important investments and most valuable choices a school can make.
We’re at stand J62 and would love to debate this with you; please come over, meet some of our fantastic French staff, and find out what a school trip with Château Beaumont could be for you. You never know - perhaps we can help you fill your cup and light that fire.
