30 June – 1 July 2004 CILT SOAS Conference 1 The ATLAS project Arousing an interest in school students for the take-up of new languages at university Terry.

30 June – 1 July 2004 CILT SOAS Conference1

The ATLAS projectArousing an interest in school students for

the take-up of “new” languages at university

Terry King, Claire McAvinia, Jane Hughes

Department of Education & Professional Development

University College London

Jointly funded by CfBT (R &D),

the Nuffield Foundation, and UCL.

Project web sites: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/epd/atlas/

Schools’ web site: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/atlas/

Email contact: [email protected]


ContextThe decline in the take up ofModern Foreign Languages

1994 2003

A level entries in MFL 44,514 28,345

% of all A level candidates 6.0% 3.8%


Project Aims To engage school students in “tasting”

languages not previously considered, or available, for study

Method To explore school students’ attitudes and

experiences of LL, through questionnaire and focus groups. Use results to design web tasters for the LWT langs. Promote in partner schools.


ATLAS survey questions

• Language background• Past history of language study at school• Attitudes towards

– LL in school and LL in general– Continuing LL post 16 and at university– Languages and jobs– LL and computers / web sites– Tasters / “new” language study opportunities


Some results.

For a fuller account of the results see project web site.

Rationalisation 1

“As English is a world language there is little point in learning another” Only 23% agreed

This 23% was made up mainly (73%) of students who saw themselves as “not good at languages.”


Rationalisation 2Intention to continue language study post 16

• The main reason for not continuing the study of languages was it didn’t accord with “future career plans”. However, this appears to be another rationalisation since not many have specific career plans.• 75% thought skill in languages gave good job prospects.But many had a limited idea of what these prospects are.• What’s the real reason for the increase in “No’s” in year 11?

Yes No Don’t know

Year 10 18% 35% 44%

Year 11 23% 58% 16%


Main reasons for disaffection• Low self esteem• The “difficulty” of language learning• The “jump” between GCSE and A level• Fear of a similar jump at university• Lack of enjoyment• Teaching methods (little oral, little contact

with real speakers, too many photocopied work-sheets)

• Too much testing• Too little use of IT and “media”


Positive attitudes towards languages

Learning languages widens your horizons

81%

I’d like to meet people in another country through learning a language

73%

Learning languages is important 75%

I want to do well in learning languages 72%


Survey of web site use

• “ To help us in our web design, if you visit web sites for recreation or information, (not just language ones), can you name a web site you like and say what it is you like about it?a) Web site name..b) What is the main thing you like about it?…..”

• Also – two focus groups


Types of site nominated

support

engines

Magazine

Academic

26%

Enthusiasms21%

8%

Other7%

Search

24%

Games 4%

Shopping 2%

Communication

8%


Design – likes

• Lots of links – But wanted to know what they would find by clicking

• Layout– Simplicity and lack of clutter

• Colours and pictures– Sensitive readers of these– Eye-catching but “not too in-your-face”– Colours not patronising (?) – Cartoons vs photographs? Space ships and

monsters?


Design - dislikes

• “Things that mess up your eyes”– backgrounds,

blinking, flashing

• Annoying sounds, or music, that can not be turned off

• Having to download helper applications– Flash and Acrobat

Reader mentioned

• “Lots of text” off-putting; focus groups unanimous

• It was not quantity but arrangement of text that mattered– small blocks, clearly

headlined,separated– students wanted to

scan, not read– “searching” the web

page


Urban75


BBC


Bitesize revision site


Design for marketing• How could we market languages through our

design?• Considered existing examples in media..• .. but there were some contradictions with our

survey findings• How to avoid ‘patronising’ design?• Would our design align us with particular sites

that students liked/disliked?• Working within constraints (time, budget)


Marketing our content• Combining unusual subjects but also music,

sport, fashion• Reflecting teachers’ interests, ideas• Degree of freedom as these were not formal

beginners’ courses• Provided some interaction with content• Gave students opportunity to have some

success with simple language tasks• Prioritising the examples of language chosen:

similar words, faux amis, unusual features, literal translations of expressions


ATLAS taster site - homepage


Russian taster – homepage


Danish taster - homepage


Russian Alphabet exercise


Hot Potatoes for Danish


Hot Potatoes for Polish


Impact ? Quotes from feedbackWhen asked what they had gained from exploring

the site:

• It has opened my eyes & shown me that languages can be very valuable in the huge wide world.

• This is an eye-opening opportunity that I would be most interested in joining.

• The growing importance of languages in many sectors of employment and has encouraged me to continue with the study of languages.

• It was great finding out stuff about other countries. I think more sites like this should be created. It encourages young people to look further.


Recommendations for HE• Target year 9 students when selling “the wide

range of careers with languages”• Contact school sector colleagues and help to

– Put enjoyment back into LL

– Do what you can to get school syllabuses changed

– Engender a sense of purpose beyond the mercenary

– Sell “ new” languages and support schools where they are being taught

– Exploit the use of CALL


General marketing strategies

• Know your target audience well ;-their tastes, past experiences of, knowledge of and attitudes towards LL and how they “read” the web pages.

• Involve them in design• Accentuate the positives; the “fly the nest”

dream• Don’t overstress “there’s a good job at the

end of it”.• Make sure of effective dissemination • Be optimistic!


Thanks to the following• All the students who took part in the

survey,used the site and gave useful feedback.

• The school language teachers who helped with the survey and gave us feedback on the web site.

• The UCL language teachers who developed the Taster courses. They are from the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, the Department of Scandinavian Studies and the Language Centre.


ATLAS - A Taste for Languages at School

• The ATLAS project is funded by – The Nuffield

Foundation

– CfBT Research & Development

– UCL

• Partner Schools:

– Ashcombe School, Surrey– City and Islington College,

London– Cranford Community College,

Hounslow– Elliott School, London– Haverstock School, London– Haydon School, Pinner – Parliament Hill School,

London – Weald of Kent Grammar School

for Girls, Kent– William Ellis School, London

30 June – 1 July 2004 CILT SOAS Conference 1 The ATLAS project Arousing an interest in school students for the take-up of new languages at university Terry.

Documents

cilt soas conference

web page slide

web design

media slide

languages learning languages

urban75 slide

bbc slide

budget slide