Despite the fact that, just recently, the British Council ranked Turkish as the joint-8th most important language for the UK, the GCSE and A’Levels exams, which students work towards, are being scrapped.
This doesn’t just affect Turkish. It also affects Arabic and a whole host of other, important languages. The decision at first seems bizarre and illogical.
The main importance of an exam is to test and recognise the students and reward them their learning efforts. With a standardised exam, potential employers and further educational institutions can rest assured that the students have achieved a particular, recognised level. In many cases, the exams are a motivation to persist in the learning to achieve this outcome.
Exams are also used for gauging schools and performance. It seems unlikely, then, that a school headmaster will, in the current circumstances, commit too many resources when neither the students nor the school will be able to receive any recognition as as a result.
“Anyone who wants to learn these languages will have a disincentive” if there is no qualification #languagepolicyUK #ModernLanguageDebate
— Speak to the future (@speak2future) March 24, 2015
The exam board, OCR, maintains that there is low demand for these exams / languages. No doubt this is true.
OCR’s development and research costs will, I am sure from working in this sector, be fairly similar whether 200,00o students take the exam or just 500. So the exam board is not entirely to blame since they are, after all, a business (a part of Cambridge University) and therefore require a return to justify the development costs and on-going support.
The very fact that OCR has to even make this move is the most worrying aspect. This consequence reflects badly on Britain’s language learning efforts and policies. It is incredible that there weren’t enough numbers despite the fact that Britain has large immigrant / second-generation families and despite the fact these languages are crucial for trade and diplomacy and should be promoted. Surely we should have had enough learners!
I think this is the issue which needs to be addressed. Since the resources, materials, structures were evidently lacking to teach these languages in schools, the exams weren’t being taken. This recent scrapping of the exams, as already mentioned, certainly won’t help the situation now.
Until languages get more funding, more recognition and more uptake in schools, I cannot see how the situation can change nor how the UK can progress to being an integrated player on the world scene.
This does require a top-down approach to make these opportunities available.
Turkish language learning
We have argued many times that Turkish, a language that is still perceived as strange and difficult, needs updated and suitable language resources and teacher training. The poor state of both lead to reinforcing these perceptions and thus lead to high attrition rates in the classes. Another reason for low exam numbers.
As confirmed in a recent discussion with Prof Jim Anderson from Goldsmiths University earlier this week: even if you have good resources and a learning approach and methodology that is designed for European learners in European schools, this will fail if the teachers have not been trained in these methodologies.
Is it worthwhile?
Bringing the exams back does not simply solve these issues. Such actions require considerable investment. So is it worth it?
if it is difficult to source expertise now, how much harder will it be #languagefutureUK #languagepolicyUK http://t.co/pw6q5mUgDK — Teresa MacKinnon (@WarwickLanguage) March 24, 2015
As we have stated in countless articles , businesses can no longer simply rely on English nor on traditional relationships and attitudes (i.e. let them come to us). Turkey, for example, is emerging on the world stage and so other countries, including Russia, China and the Middle-Eastern countries, are all actively wooing Turkey, much to the expense of UK and EU businesses over the past twenty years. A failure to develop basic language skills and a failure to grasp a good understanding of different cultures (especially those considered ‘high-context’) will decrease chances for success and increase the chances of mistakes and misunderstandings.
It seems somewhat ironic that the Government’s BIS recently announced that it is hoping to double trade with Turkey in the coming years.
Languages are simply not getting the exposure, recognition and support that they so desperately require in the UK.
My hope is that this event will be a huge wake-up call and, regardless of whether the exams are reinstated or not, the underlying neglect of language learning needs to be addressed.
Further action
Current petition on Change.org
Latest news from Londra Gazete who started the petition
SpeakToTheFuture Campaign’s excellent analysis
UK citizens: We’ve just signed the @LondraGazete #Petition re Turkish GCSE and A’Levels – you should, too https://t.co/9NWhPpnRzW
— HandsOnTurkish (@HandsOnTurkish) March 24, 2015
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