This contribution draws upon the findings of a European project (Technologically Enhanced Language Learning Pedagogy), which linked two primary schools in England with schools in France and Spain through video-conferencing, to argue that such technologies provide language learning opportunities for children of migrant backgrounds to maximise their language learning skills.
England’s 2018 Language Trends survey for the British Council (Tinsley and Doležal, 2018) on the one hand describes the serious challenges the UK faces in encouraging the learning of other languages. On a more optimistic note, however, the authors found that for children who do not speak English as their first language, for foreign language learning this seems to be a benefit rather than an obstacle. The survey found that language learning is valued more in schools where there is already a relatively high degree of multilingualism. At present, bilingual learners (often referred to as EAL – English as an Additional Language) represent just over 21% of the primary population, and nearly 17% of the secondary population in England (Bell Foundation, 2019). However, opportunities for international experience that could clearly enhance language learning are much more widespread in the independent sector than in state schools, and highly variable in the latter (Tinsley and Doležal, 2019). The most recent Language Trends survey (Tinsley, 2019) notes that international engagement has in fact diminished since 2018. This contribution to the symposium will draw upon the findings of a European project (Technologically Enhanced Language Learning Pedagogy), which linked two primary schools in Greater Manchester in the north-west of England with high levels of minority ethnic pupils with primary schools in France and Spain through the medium of video-conferencing, to argue that such technologies provide a learning environment for children of migrant backgrounds to maximise and demonstrate their language learning skills and provide opportunities that are otherwise unavailable. The positive impact upon motivation and the development of intercultural understanding have implications for future work in this area (Macrory et al, 2012).
