{"value":{"id":76317,"askingMemberId":1597,"askingMember":null,"house":"Commons","memberHasInterest":false,"dateTabled":"2014-07-08T00:00:00","dateForAnswer":"2014-07-10T00:00:00","uin":"204492","questionText":"To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to increase the uptake of foreign languages in schools.","answeringBodyId":60,"answeringBodyName":"Department for Education","isWithdrawn":false,"isNamedDay":false,"groupedQuestions":[],"answerIsHolding":false,"answerIsCorrection":false,"answeringMemberId":4097,"answeringMember":null,"correctingMemberId":null,"correctingMember":null,"dateAnswered":"2014-07-14T00:00:00","answerText":"<p>The new national curriculum in England introduces the teaching of a foreign language to key stage 2 (ages 7 to 11) from September 2014. This will increase the take-up of foreign languages in both primary and secondary schools. By starting languages earlier, pupils will have longer to develop their skills to a high level before continuing with language learning in secondary school.</p><p>The English Baccalaureate is also already encouraging more young people to study a language at GCSE level. Take-up by key stage 4 pupils in England of a modern foreign language increased by over 20% between 2012 and 2013.</p><p>To support the introduction of languages at key stage 2, the Department for Education has allocated £350,000 this year to fund training on the new national curriculum for teachers of modern foreign languages in primary and secondary schools. The Department has also allocated £1.9 million to teaching schools to lead curriculum change across and within their teaching school alliances.</p><p>Approximately 46 of the projects being supported involve languages.</p><p> </p>","originalAnswerText":"","comparableAnswerText":"","dateAnswerCorrected":null,"dateHoldingAnswer":null,"attachmentCount":0,"heading":"Languages: Education","attachments":[],"groupedQuestionsDates":[]},"links":[{"rel":"self","href":"/Questions/76317","method":"GET"}]}