Language teachers, like other teachers, had to quickly
rethink priorities and means of delivery in response to the
Covid-19 pandemic as well as measures to manage the pandemic.
It isn’t surprising then that some of the findings in our 2021
survey relate to the pandemic.
Language teaching was suspended by local education
boards at one in five primary schools in January 2021 due to
Covid-19, and the impact has been felt more acutely in deprived
areas. Teachers in state secondary schools report that two in five
pupils in Key Stage 3 (lower secondary) did not engage with
language learning during the first national lockdown, leading to
time lost to language learning for a lot of pupils.
Dr Ian Collen said that “the most disadvantaged pupils are
most likely to have been negatively affected by the impact of
Covid-19, experiencing greater disruption to their language
learning and fewer international opportunities. Looking to the
future, schools should consider giving more curriculum time to
languages, as well as more opportunities to use languages in real
life, such as visits abroad.”
Many teachers reported that they cannot wait to get back
to face-to-face teaching in the classroom. Despite the barriers
they have faced over the past year, it is encouraging to see how
they pivoted to remote learning during the national lockdowns.
Internet: <www.britishcouncil.org> (adapted).