A sixth form modern languages teacher thinks that schools and teachers should be given more powers to shape their curricula.
"I teach Spanish at a sixth form college in the South-East. I only started the job in September, having worked for six years as an adult education teacher in the evenings at the same college. The adult students were always great because they were motivated and there to learn, while a small number of my sixth formers will learn Spanish only because they don’t want to take an A-level they think will be more difficult.
It is difficult to enthuse students using the A-level syllabus. The course is too rigid, so we can’t tailor their learning to topics which interest them. For example, they have to write a long essays using academic language about complex topics such as global warming. In adult education classes, you can make it more student-centred – either focusing on topics they enjoy, or concentrating on areas they find particularly difficult. A common view amongst language teachers is that the more flexibility a syllabus has, the better.
My sixth formers can write good essays in Spanish, but would struggle to interact with people if they visited a Spanish-speaking country because we focus too much on written ability and don’t practice conversing enough. At A2-level, which is the second year of sixth form, speaking skills only count for 15 per cent of the overall grade.
The oral examination also doesn’t test how students interact; instead, they have to prepare a presentation and answer some questions about it. They can tell in advance what questions they are going to be asked, so it doesn’t push their ability to speak Spanish. Students would certainly struggle with colloquial terms or dialects when visiting a Spanish-speaking country, although they would at least have a solid base on which to build up that ability.
To help pupils develop communication skills, the school does arrange a trip to Spain, but this is only for a week and is far too short to really help pupils. My school used to take part in a project that allowed pupils to gain work experience abroad for a couple of weeks. I have friends who have run the scheme at other schools, and they say it is a much better experience and boosts students’ skills. However, it is also expensive and pupils from poorer backgrounds are unable to participate. More needs to be done by government to ensure that A-level Spanish gives students the ability to live and work in a Spanish-speaking country.
Overall, I think the schools system in the UK is better than in Catalonia – where I’ve lived and worked – because it gives schools more flexibility. In particular, schools in the UK have more power to select staff. They can advertise a job in the local newspaper, interview the candidates, and choose the person who is the best fit for the school. In Spain, teachers are hired by central government and allocated to particular schools.
In principle, I find the government’s free schools initiative interesting. Anything that gives schools more autonomy is a good idea, because it means they can be more flexible and adapt to suit the needs of their pupils. I would be cautious about getting involved until I knew more details, however.
Initially, I only came to the UK for a year to improve my ability to speak English. I really liked it and decided to stay and develop my teaching career in this country. It’s a very democratic country and you can see that in people’s behaviour and values. There is also a greater level of opportunity, and people value you for what you do, not for your background.
I particularly like jobcentres in this country. They are much better than the service for unemployed people in Spain, and you feel really protected here. If you have problems, there’s always some free advice and, even though you are from a foreign country, you don’t feel vulnerable. In Spain, you don’t have a personal adviser because jobcentres don’t have the resources. Catalonia has one of the lowest levels of unemployment in Spain, but they still put your name down on a list rather than actively advising you on how to find suitable employment.
I am worried by government spending cuts and hope they don’t cut funding for important public services. As a teacher, I think that education should not be touched. I would focus on efficiency; there’s always room when it comes to efficiency. We all know there are some people who could be working harder. My school does not waste money, however, and needs more money to improve results by putting computers in classrooms and reducing class sizes."