Rethinking the UK Languages Curriculum: Arguments for the Inclusion of Linguistics

Sheehan, M., Corr, A., Havinga, A., Kasstan, J. and Schifano, N. 2021. Rethinking the UK Languages Curriculum: Arguments for the Inclusion of Linguistics. Modern Languages Open. (1), p. 14. https://doi.org/10.3828/mlo.v0i0.368

TitleRethinking the UK Languages Curriculum: Arguments for the Inclusion of Linguistics
TypeJournal article
AuthorsSheehan, M., Corr, A., Havinga, A., Kasstan, J. and Schifano, N.
Abstract

This paper argues for a place for linguistics within the UK Modern Languages curriculum as part of a more pluralistic approach to languages study. Based on an intervention involving over 300 A-level students of French, German and Spanish, we demonstrate: (i) that it is feasible and appropriate to include linguistics topics on the A-level Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) curriculum; (ii) that many of these topics are inherently interesting for A-level language students; and (iii) that pupils report increased confidence in their language skills after having been exposed to a short linguistics course (4 hours). In light of our further finding that there is already considerable untapped scope for linguistics within the current formal framework of the A-level MFL qualification, we recommend that linguistics topics should be included in MFL A-levels as a matter of priority. This is the case not least because linguistics has the potential to attract new pupils to the study of MFL, whilst also providing a crucial bridge between language skills and cultural content, which are so often kept apart in existing MFL curricula. Lastly, we argue that the introduction of linguistics into languages teaching raises awareness of the harmfulness of deeply entrenched prescriptive and standard-language-ideological beliefs in schools, which will lead to a more inclusive discipline.

Keywordscurriculum design; pedagogical linguistics; modern languages; MFL; education policy; descriptivism; prescriptivism; student attitudes
JournalModern Languages Open
Journal citation(1), p. 14
ISSN2052-5397
Year2021
PublisherLiverpool University Press
Publisher's version
License
CC BY 4.0
File Access Level
Open (open metadata and files)
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.3828/mlo.v0i0.368
Publication dates
Published14 Jul 2021

Related outputs

Teacher perspectives on the introduction of linguistics in the languages classroom: Evidence from a co-creation project on French, German and Spanish
Sheehan, M., Havinga, A., Kasstan, J., Stollhans, S., Corr, A. and Gillman, P. 2024. Teacher perspectives on the introduction of linguistics in the languages classroom: Evidence from a co-creation project on French, German and Spanish. British Educational Research Journal.

Variation and change in language revitalization
Rodríguez-Ordoñez, I. and Kasstan, J. 2024. Variation and change in language revitalization. in: The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Diachronic Linguistics Wiley-Blackwell.

On vowel nasalisation in transitional Francoprovençal and Occitan areas
Russo, M. and Kasstan, J. 2023. On vowel nasalisation in transitional Francoprovençal and Occitan areas. in: Les langues régionales de France: Nouvelles approches, nouvelles méthodologies, revitalisation Editions de la Société de Linguistique de Paris.

Rethinking Research Ethics in the Humanities: Principles and Recommendations
Kasstan, Jonathan R., Pearson, Geoff and Brooks, Victoria 2023. Rethinking Research Ethics in the Humanities: Principles and Recommendations. University of Westminster. https://doi.org/10.34737/w36yq

Acoustic characteristics of fricatives in Francoprovençal (Nendaz)
Chong, A. and Kasstan, J. 2023. Acoustic characteristics of fricatives in Francoprovençal (Nendaz). Journal of the International Phonetic Association. 53 (3), pp. 888-921. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025100322000147

What's so standard about standards? Variationist principles and debates
Kasstan, J. 2022. What's so standard about standards? Variationist principles and debates. Asia-Pacific Language Variation. 8 (2), pp. 139-149. https://doi.org/10.1075/aplv.00016.int

A variationist analysis of the subjunctive mood in a sociolinguistic corpus of spoken Francoprovençal
Kasstan, J. 2022. A variationist analysis of the subjunctive mood in a sociolinguistic corpus of spoken Francoprovençal. Revue des linguistes de l’université Paris X Nanterre. 84. https://doi.org/10.4000/linx.8722

Responding to sociolinguistic change: New speakers and variationist sociolinguistics
Rodríguez-Ordóñez, I., Kasstan, J. and O'Rourke, B. 2022. Responding to sociolinguistic change: New speakers and variationist sociolinguistics. International Journal of Bilingualism. 26 (5), pp. 529-541. https://doi.org/10.1177/13670069221110381

New speakers and their heritage languages
Kasstan, J. and Rogríguez-Ordóñez, I. 2022. New speakers and their heritage languages. in: Asahi, Y., D'Arcy, A. and Kerswill, P. (ed.) Routledge Handbook of Variationist Sociolinguistics Routledge.

Reflections on a French linguistics co-creation project
Kasstan, J. 2021. Reflections on a French linguistics co-creation project. in: de Medeiros, A.A. and Kelly, D. (ed.) Language Debates: Theory and Reality in Language Learning, Teaching, and Research Hodder Education.

Styles, standards and meaning: Issues in the globalisation of sociolinguistics
Meyerhoff, Miriam, Abtahian, Maya Ravindranath, Gafter, Roey J., Horesh, Uri, Kasstan, Jonathan R., Keegan, Peter and King, Jeanette 2021. Styles, standards and meaning: Issues in the globalisation of sociolinguistics. Language Ecology. 4 (1), pp. 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1075/le.00006.mey

Modelling stylistic variation in threatened and under-documented languages
Kasstan, J. 2020. Modelling stylistic variation in threatened and under-documented languages. Language Ecology. 4 (1), pp. 73-94. https://doi.org/10.1075/le.00010.kas

Reconsidering the variable context: A phonological argument for (t) and (d) deletion
Amos, J., Kasstan, J. and Johnson, W. 2020. Reconsidering the variable context: A phonological argument for (t) and (d) deletion. English Today. 36 (3), pp. 6-13. https://doi.org/10.1017/S026607842000019X

Contact and sociolinguistic variation
Abtahian, M. and Kasstan, J. 2020. Contact and sociolinguistic variation. in: Hickey, R. (ed.) The Handbook of Language Contact. 2nd edition Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 221-239

A place for linguistics in Key Stage 5 Modern Foreign Languages
Corr, A., Kasstan, J. and Sheehan, M. 2019. A place for linguistics in Key Stage 5 Modern Foreign Languages. Languages, Society & Policy.

Beyond obsolescence: A twenty-first century research agenda for the langues régionales
Hall, D.J., Kasstan, J. and Hornsby, D. 2019. Beyond obsolescence: A twenty-first century research agenda for the langues régionales. Journal of French Language Studies. 29 (2), pp. 155-168. https://doi.org/10.1017/S095926951900019X

Emergent sociolinguistic variation in severe language endangerment
Kasstan, J. 2019. Emergent sociolinguistic variation in severe language endangerment. Language in Society. 48 (5), pp. 685-720. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047404519000472

New Speakers and Language Revitalisation: Arpitan and Community (Re)formation
Kasstan, J. 2019. New Speakers and Language Revitalisation: Arpitan and Community (Re)formation. in: Harrison, M. and Joubert, A. (ed.) French Language Policies and the Revitalisation of Regional Languages in the 21st Century Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 149-170

Francoprovençal
Jonathan Kasstan 2018. Francoprovençal. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/obo/9780199772810-0157

Francoprovençal: Documenting contact varieties in Europe and North America
Kasstan, J. and Nagy, N. 2018. Francoprovençal: Documenting contact varieties in Europe and North America. International Journal of the Sociology of Language. 2018 (249), pp. 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijsl-2017-0050

An overview of Francoprovençal vitality in Europe and North America
Zulato, A., Kasstan, J. and Nagy, N. 2018. An overview of Francoprovençal vitality in Europe and North America. International Journal of the Sociology of Language. 249, pp. 11-29. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijsl-2017-0038

(l) as a sociolinguistic variable in Francoprovençal
Kasstan, J. and Müller, D. 2018. (l) as a sociolinguistic variable in Francoprovençal. International Journal of the Sociology of Language. 249, pp. 99-118. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijsl-2017-0039

Exploring contested authenticity among speakers of a contested language: the case of ‘Francoprovençal'
Kasstan, J. 2018. Exploring contested authenticity among speakers of a contested language: the case of ‘Francoprovençal'. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development. 39 (5), pp. 382-393. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2018.1429451

Heritage-language speakers: theoretical and empirical challenges on sociolinguistic attitudes and prestige
Kasstan, J., Auer, A. and Salmons, J. 2018. Heritage-language speakers: theoretical and empirical challenges on sociolinguistic attitudes and prestige. International Journal of Bilingualism. 22 (4), pp. 387-394. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367006918762151

New speakers: Challenges and opportunities for variationist sociolinguistics
Kasstan, J. 2017. New speakers: Challenges and opportunities for variationist sociolinguistics. Language and Linguistics Compass . 11 (8) e12249. https://doi.org/10.1111/lnc3.12249

Les variétés régionales non-méridionales de France: Nivellement; dédialectalisation; supralocalisation
Pooley, T. and Kasstan, J. 2016. Les variétés régionales non-méridionales de France: Nivellement; dédialectalisation; supralocalisation. Sociolinguistica. 30 (1), pp. 175-198. https://doi.org/10.1515/soci-2016-0010

Regional and minority languages in France: Policies of homogenization or a move towards heterogeneity? A case study on Francoprovençal
Hawkey, J. and Kasstan, J. 2015. Regional and minority languages in France: Policies of homogenization or a move towards heterogeneity? A case study on Francoprovençal. French Review. 89 (2), pp. 110-125.

Illustrations of the IPA: Lyonnais (Francoprovençal)
Kasstan, J. 2015. Illustrations of the IPA: Lyonnais (Francoprovençal). Journal of the International Phonetic Association. 45 (3), pp. 340-355. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025100315000250

Permalink - https://westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/item/v4075/rethinking-the-uk-languages-curriculum-arguments-for-the-inclusion-of-linguistics


Share this

Usage statistics

363 total views
212 total downloads
These values cover views and downloads from WestminsterResearch and are for the period from September 2nd 2018, when this repository was created.