English being taught as a foreign language. In Leeds. (England).

[big-will 7]

A secondary school in Leeds at which more than three-quarters of pupils do not have English as a mother tongue has introduced lessons for all pupils to teach them English as a foreign language.

The headteacher, Georgina Sale, said all pupils of City of Leeds secondary school, including those for whom English was a first language, would soon receive the extra 50-minute lesson each week.

The extra tuition would "boost their fundamental English skills and improve their basic spelling and grammar", she said. "We hope this will allow pupils who speak English as a first language as well as our multilingual learners the same opportunity to accomplish A and A* grades at GCSE."

 

Pretty wild when you think about it.

[NoFakie 45]

I think Britain needs more immigrants. Just think of the house prices!

 

[Thundercat 60]

Sensationalist journalism there. It can't possibly be 'English as a foreign language' if it's being taught in an English speaking country. That designation is only assigned to language lessons that are being taught in target language removed contexts (i.e. countries where English isn't the first language.) I guess it doesn't sound as radical if you call it what it is though, English as a second language.

[oblivion 5]

Take out the perceived 'sensationalism' though and you are still left with more than 3/4 of students not having English as their mother tongue.

[Thundercat 60]

I see. Those kinds of numbers aren't really all that crazy where I'm from in southern Ontario. Even when I was a kid most of my friends were bilingual (including myself) and a lot of them were English as a second language.

[Alexander L 80]

Ontario speaks French and Anglais right?

 

England speaks English and Swahili.

[Thundercat 60]

Officially yes. I think French takes a second seat to Tamil, Chinese and Punjabi now.

[pie-eater 207]

It varies so much in England.

 

For example, in my families' rather posh countryside area, I would guess that in the local schools there's hardly anyone 'of colour', never mind speaking anything other than pure well-to-do Lancashire.

 

Not that far away though you'll have areas where you'd probably be surprised to hear any English.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

Sensationalist journalism there. It can't possibly be 'English as a foreign language' if it's being taught in an English speaking country. That designation is only assigned to language lessons that are being taught in target language removed contexts (i.e. countries where English isn't the first language.) I guess it doesn't sound as radical if you call it what it is though, English as a second language.

 

Not true, before coming back to Japan in 2007, I was teaching EFL classes to the foreign students in the high school I worked in at home....cue lots of hearty humorous anecdotes of how Scotland doesn't speak English

[Thundercat 60]

Sorry Tubby but the terminology is wrong. The only time you can have EFL in an English speaking country is when you have foreign students coming to the host country as short-term 'educational tourists'. This means the students are not integrating with the host community in any way.

 

It may be that the terms EFL and ESL have become more distinct since 2007 but what you (and the article) are describing is certainly ESL and not EFL.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

Ah! ESL....yeah you are probably right

[Alexander L 80]

If English ain't their first language then it may be their second, third or fourth etc language. Simples.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

Wow! What an insight! It's like a light has just switched on

[Alexander L 80]

Glad to be of help.

[BagOfCrisps 24]

Thing about this in many parts of England is just how quickly it has happened.

 

Grannies in Leeds with their faculties must find it all rather alarming. For want of a better word, just such a big change.