Ms Breda Naughton:

We are pleased to have this opportunity to speak to the joint committee today on the provision of languages in the Irish education system, particularly in the context of the EU and multilingualism. The joint committee will have received our executive summary, which I will read through and may add to. I am accompanied today by Ms Ann O'Mahony, who works with me in the qualifications, curriculum and assessment section, Mr. Paul Caffrey from the inspectorate, who is also a specialist in the languages area, and Ms Gráinne Morrissey from the higher education division.

At primary level, the focus is on the acquisition of the two national languages, English and Irish. Beyond primary level, the focus expands to include not only English and Irish but other languages, which I will elaborate on later. As the purpose of today's discussion is multilingualism in an EU context, I will start with that issue. It is more than 12 years since the Barcelona European Council meeting identified language competencies as an essential component of a competitive knowledge-based economy. The EU has advocated that education systems seek to promote competency in the mother tongue plus two foreign languages from an early age. In Ireland, Irish and English are national languages and both are taught at primary and second level. Accordingly, while the vast majority of students in Ireland study three languages at second level, only the third language is counted in this European indicator of foreign languages. Ten years on from the Barcelona European Council, the Commission's communication, Rethinking Education: Investing in Skills for Better Socioeconomic Outcomes, published last November, again emphasised the importance of language learning, particularly for jobs and mobility.

The latest edition of the Eurobarometer special report on Europeans' foreign language competencies and attitudes to foreign languages, which was published last June, showed that Ireland had registered a notable increase since the previous report in 2006 in the number of respondents who indicated they could speak at least one or two foreign languages well enough to hold a conversation. While we are dealing with languages in the context of the EU, it is important also to note that such an approach is promoted by the Council of Europe, which advocates plurilingualism.

I will now deal with the national language strategy. Last year, a report by the expert group on future skills needs, Key Skills for Enterprise to Trade Internationally, recommended the development of a national language strategy with a five to ten-year horizon.

In 2011 the Government published the national literacy and numeracy strategy to strengthen the development of English and Irish. This is in line with the 20-year strategy for Irish and the Gaeltacht Act 2012. An integrated language curriculum which will focus on the transfer of skills between both languages at primary level is being developed by the NCCA. It is currently concentrating on junior classes at primary level, up to second class. This approach will provide a strong foundation for learning other languages and is based on research that includes three reports published last year by the NCCA.

Post-primary education builds on the foundation established at primary level by offering not only English and Irish but also a range of foreign languages. French, German, Spanish and Italian are currently offered at junior cycle, while Russian, Japanese and Arabic are also available at leaving certificate level. In recognition of the number of EU citizens in this country, it is also possible to take leaving certificate examinations in other native languages. Last October the Minister launched the new framework for the junior cycle, which will support schools in fostering practical language learning skills. The framework will give all students the opportunity to study at least one language in addition to Irish and English. Revised syllabuses of modern foreign languages are scheduled for implementation in 2016. The new revised syllabus for English will be implemented from 2014 and the new syllabus in Irish from 2015.

A transition year module in Chinese was launched last year, having already been piloted by over 20 schools. For many years Japanese has been offered in a number of transition year programmes, resulting in an uptake of Japanese to leaving certificate level by 239 students in 2012. In 2012 over 30,000 students sat a European language for the leaving certificate, including 26,000 in French, 6,700 in German, 4,000 in Spanish and 700 in Polish, with smaller numbers taking other languages such as Italian, Japanese and Russian and Arabic. Students in the LCVP and the applied leaving certificate are also required to study a modern language. The post-primary languages initiative is broadening its remit to provide support for all teachers of modern foreign languages through the provision of materials on its website. It offers support to schools who wish to introduce Spanish, Italian, Japanese and Russian.

Students in higher education have access to a wide range of foreign language courses at third level that can be taken as core subjects or in combination with a range of other disciplines across business, the arts, the humanities and the sciences. Language programmes are also an important part of further education provision across both full-time and part-time courses. A number of language programmes have also been selected for funding through the Springboard skills initiative, which was launched in May 2011. Preliminary data from HEA research on the provision of foreign languages indicates that some 9,000 third level students are studying a foreign language. The EU’s Erasmus initiative has played a key role in enhancing the language proficiency of Irish graduates. Some 28,000 Irish students have benefited from this programme over the past 25 years. Irish participation in Erasmus has risen significantly in recent years, including an 18% increase last year, which was the fourth highest growth rate in Europe.

However, despite the significant level of language provision delivered by the education system, it is evident that less than a third of school leavers elect to develop their language competences further in higher education and far fewer graduates opt to pursue careers using their language skills. While the education system can make provision for language, it is for wider society, including enterprise and communities, to highlight the advantages that studying languages can bring and attract more students into this area.