Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 18 May 1999

Vol. 504 No. 7

Written Answers. - Modern Language Teaching.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

70 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Science the degree to which foreign languages are taught in all schools; the plans, if any, he has to extend or improve the availability of these subjects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11895/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

Out of the 759 post-primary schools in the country, 736 currently offer French, 559 offer German, 220 offer Spanish and 69 offer Italian. The numbers of students who took the languages in the leaving certificate examination, 1998, were: French: 37,081, German: 11,373, Spanish: 1,674 and Italian: 160. The numbers of students who took the languages at junior certificate level in 1998 were: French: 45,811, German: 12,586, Spanish: 1,580 and Italian: 150. One student took Japanese at leaving certificate level in 1998 and five students are taking it in 1999.

In a number of schools, pupils are given the option of taking a language they have not studied before as part of their transition year programme. The number of students taking foreign languages in the leaving certificate applied is increasing each year. Students who take the leaving certificate vocational programme are obliged to study a modern continental language.

I have initiated a number of plans to extend the teaching of languages in our schools. A feasibility study is currently being undertaken at the request of my Department by Marino Institute of Education to look into possibilities for the extension of the teaching of Spanish and Italian and the introduction of Japanese to the curriculum. Four people are working on this study. They have issued a comprehensive questionnaire to all post-primary schools to ascertain the current level of activity in the teaching of these languages and to discover any latent capacity which may exist in the system to teach these languages. Some 60 per cent of schools have responded to this questionnaire. The group engaged in the study will report to me in summer, 1999, on their findings and will advise my Department on the best approach to introducing/extending the teaching of a language.

The modern languages (primary) project has been taken up by 267 schools. Of these 120 offer French, 80 German, 50 Spanish and 17 Italian. My Department is in the process of inviting further schools to join the project, especially those which could offer Spanish or Italian. It is hoped that this project will further enhance the teaching of modern languages at post-primary level, especially of the lesser-taught languages.