Foreign language teaching policies and European unity: The Dutch national action programme
Titel:
Foreign language teaching policies and European unity: The Dutch national action programme
Auteur:
van Els, Theo J. M. van Hest, Erna W. C. M.
Verschenen in:
Language culture and curriculum
Paginering:
Jaargang 3 (1990) nr. 3 pagina's 199-211
Jaar:
1990
Inhoud:
In 1989 the Dutch Government commissioned the drawing up of a National Action Programme (NAP) on Foreign Languages in anticipation of the new demands of the European Single Market after 1992. The paper describes how the NAP was produced over a 10-month period. There were distinct but complementary contributions from the Project Staff, the Resonance Group (n = 41) and the Working Group (n = 10). A series of empirical studies, including earlier work of the Dutch Needs Research Project, provided the data-base for the project. A brief comparison is made with the Australian Government's National Policy on Languages. The substance of the Dutch NAP is then described. The empirical studies confirmed increasing demand for foreign languages, including 'minor' languages such as Russian, Japanese and particularly Spanish. Provision was also increasing, although not as quickly. A disturbing finding was that whereas all students now learn some English, 15% do not learn German and 40% do not learn French, even to the most modest levels of attainment. The NAP recommended (1) stricter control of foreign language provision, including a limit on the number of languages available to students in order to promote more advanced levels of competence in a smaller number of languages, (2) better coordination between the foreign language programmes of different sections of the educational system, and (3) an over-arching framework of teaching objectives for the educational system as a whole, independent of languages and of school types. The paper concludes that the project was successful and that its recommendations are likely to be implemented.
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