Media articles on Dearing

The Independent
Foreign languages to be compulsory from age seven
http://education.independent.co.uk/news/article2352790.ece

Leading article: Revolutionary approach
http://comment.independent.co.uk/leading_articles/article2352784.ece

The Guardian
Chattering classes
Modern languages are increasingly becoming an elite subject, dominated by the middle classes and concentrated at the top universities. Anna Bawden reports
http://education.guardian.co.uk/universitiesincrisis/story/0,,2032140,00.html

Case studies
Case sudies of 4 university languages departments.
http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/news/story/0,,2032141,00.html

The Telegraph
Languages will again be made compulsory in secondary schools if a drive to increase the numbers studying them fails, the Government said last night.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/13/nedu13.xml

Exam plan gives 'the basics' in more languages
Children should be allowed to drop traditional French and German GCSEs for exams requiring only a tourist's grasp of foreign languages, according to a Government-backed review.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/13/nedu113.xml

The Times
Comment: Language Handicap
Schools let down their children when they let them off languages
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/leading_article/article1505932.ece

It’s time to talk - in many languages
Teenagers should be free to study a “more flexible” business-oriented GCSE combining up to three languages, under radical proposals to make foreign languages more accessible.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/education/article1506075.ece

Daily Mail
Children of five 'should be taught Somali in schools'
Children as young as five should learn Polish, Afghan and even Somali under plans to shake up language learning.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=441545&in_page_id=1770

The Sun
Foreign lingo bid for kids, 7
LESSONS in foreign languages will be compulsory in primary schools in a new education shake-up.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007110807,00.html

The Mirror
LANGUAGES TO BE A MUST FOR PRIMARY KIDS
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/latest/tm_method=full%26objectid=18742267%26siteid=89520-name_page.html

SCHOOLKIDS MUST LEARN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE AT 7
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm_method=full%26objectid=18744520%26siteid=89520-name_page.html

Western Mail
Welsh speakers half-way to a third language
SCHOOLS in Wales can exploit the nation's inherent bilingualism to broaden children's minds and boost an aptitude for languages, experts urged yesterday
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/

Financial Times
Teachers warn on languages push
Making foreign languages compulsory for seven-year-olds will not revive take-up of the subjects at GCSE level unless employers make clear that monoglot school leavers will struggle to find jobs, head teachers warned yesterday.
http://www.ft.com/...

Mandarin lessons give pupils head start
The "get 'em while they're young" approach advocated by Lord Dearing finds ready acceptance at Manchester High School for Girls, where the exam takers of the future - children aged seven to nine - are getting their tongues around one of the languages of the future: Mandarin.
http://www.ft.com/...