The teaching of languages at A Level is facing a number of challenges in the UK.
Some of these challenges include:
- A decline in the number of students taking languages at A Level. In recent years, there has been a steady decline in the number of students taking languages at A Level in the UK. In August 2022 Education Policy Institute stated that ‘the number of pupils in England taking MFL has declined dramatically in the past 25 years’. This is due to a number of factors, including the perceived difficulty of languages, the lack of perceived relevance of languages to future careers, and the increasing popularity of other subjects, such as STEM subjects. Another interesting read on the decline in language learning can be found in this article by NE Londoner.
- A shortage of qualified language teachers. The decline in the number of students taking languages at A Level has led to a shortage of qualified language teachers. This is because there are fewer opportunities for language teachers to gain experience and qualifications, and because the salaries for language teachers are often lower than for other subjects. The document put together by IG Schools also highlights how Brexit has played a big part in this.
- The increasing workload of language teachers. Language teachers are often responsible for teaching a wide range of languages, and they may also be responsible for teaching other subjects, such as English or history. This can lead to a heavy workload, which can make it difficult for teachers to keep up with the latest developments in language teaching. An article published on the UK Parliament website states the rising increase of workload for teachers and the fact that 57% of lower-secondary school teachers felt this was unmanageable.
These challenges are making it increasingly difficult for schools to find qualified language teachers to teach A Level languages which is making it difficult for students to proceed with their language learning journeys and therefore do not have the opportunities to study languages at a higher level.
Keystone Elective is a potential solution for schools grappling with staffing challenges in A-Level language teaching. Keystone Elective provides schools with access to a pool of qualified language tutors who can teach a wide range of languages. These tutors are all experienced and qualified, and they are able to provide students with high-quality language teaching.
Keystone Elective offers a number of other benefits to schools, such as:
- Flexibility: Tutors can be hired on a part-time or full-time basis, which gives schools the flexibility to match their staffing needs to their budget.
- Expertise: Our tutors have a deep understanding of language teaching, and they are able to provide students with the latest insights and techniques.
- Support: The Elective team provides schools with support and guidance, helping them to ensure that their language teaching programs are effective.
Keystone Elective is a valuable resource for schools that are facing staffing challenges in teaching languages at A Level. By providing schools with access to language tutors, we help to ensure that students have the opportunity to receive high-quality language teaching. Modern Languages that used to be incredibly popular, and are still very much spoken around the world, such as German, are seeing a steady decline. We are able to support with German, French, Spanish, Italian and many more languages, with the hope that we can help to increase the popularity for these subjects, and allow schools to flexibility to support these for there students.
Staffing difficulties in language teaching at A-Level present significant challenges for schools in the UK. However, we can, through our Elective programme, offer a promising way forward. By connecting schools with qualified language tutors remotely, we can address the scarcity of language teachers, provide flexibility, and offers a cost-effective solution. Schools can overcome staffing challenges, expand their language offerings, and ensure that students receive the high-quality education. Schools can navigate the complexities of A-Level language teaching more effectively and empower students to achieve their full linguistic potential. If you are a school that is facing staffing challenges in teaching languages at A Level, please do contact us to discuss how we may be able to help.