Jones, S. (2018) Languages Connect 2017-2026 Ireland’s Strategy for Foreign Languages in Education

Abstract

Ireland’s Strategy for Foreign Languages, Languages Connect, is apposite and timely. The landscape that is language learning is crying out to be connected, by bridging gaps between regions, sectors, disciplines, educational phases and disparate levels of opportunity. Too many eyes, minds and lives remain closed to its benefits.

The immediate policy context of Languages Connect is the Action Plan for Education 2016–19 that seeks to ‘enable learners to communicate effectively and improve their standards of competence in languages’ (2017: 6). Languages Connect builds on earlier literacy and Irish language initiatives in Ireland, and cites the IMD (Institute for Management Development) World Talent Ranking 2017 that placed Ireland at number 44 in terms of language skills, a few places above the UK at number 48. The Strategy outlines four goals relating to learning and the learning environment; immigrant linguistic communities; profiling of language learning; and the economy. It includes targets and benchmarking of skills by European linguistic standards, and promises in its wake the inauguration of a Foreign Languages Advisory Group and a formal review in 2022.

These reflections emerge from my experience as a linguist, lecturer and International Placement Coordinator in one of Northern Ireland’s Initial Teacher Education institutions.