Foreign Language Acquisition in Primary Education: Curriculum and Syllabus Design in Spain
1. Introduction
Language is an essential and characteristic part of human beings. It is our main means of communication but also our main barrier. The fact that there are many languages in the world prevents us from understanding each other. One of the solutions that many countries have adopted is to promote the teaching of an existing language (English) at school, an initiative which has been enhanced by the European Commission.
The European Commission, in the Promotion of Language Learning and Linguistic Diversity, developed the Action Plan 2004-2006 (2003), in which it expressed its intent to extend, consolidate and develop the early learning of one or more foreign or additional languages in each of the EU member states. As an example of the importance given to the learning of a new language, Erasmus+ programmes have been financed by the European Commission.
In this topic, I will explain the importance of the foreign language in the Curriculum, giving special importance to the laws that have governed our Educational System in recent years. The second part of the topic will be devoted to the criteria to bear in mind in two important documents within the school organization: the School Educational Project and the Didactic Syllabuses. Finally, I will compile the main ideas in a brief conclusion and I will also enumerate the most important bibliography used for the development of this topic.
2. The Spanish Educational System
Compulsory Primary Education in Spain lasts six years (from 6 to 12 years old). These six years are divided into three educational cycles of two years each. The evaluation of this period will attend to the competence acquisition that has taken place.
Moreover, in terms of education, the Constitution identifies a series of areas over which the State has exclusive competence and others for which the Autonomous Communities may assume responsibility. In Spain, by December 1999, all 17 Autonomous Communities had assumed full powers over education, under the coordination of the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC) at the national level.
2.1. Curriculum
At this point, it is important to state there are three levels of control of the curriculum as follows:
a) The official curriculum (or basic curricular design, Royal Decree 157/2022, March 1st, for the National Official Curriculum for Primary Education), determined both at the national and the Autonomous Community level (Decree 61/2022, July 13th, must be mentioned here). The official curriculum sets out objectives, methodological principles, key competences, contents (basic knowledge for the Spanish territory), learning situations and assessment criteria.
b) Curricular plans defined in the Educational Project which is delivered in school. They must state the educational aims in general terms.
c) Syllabus Designs in which the individual teacher adapts the school’s curricular plan to meet the needs of the children in his/her class. Every teacher has some discretion for setting concrete standards for his/her class.
2.2. Curriculum Content
In relation to the official curriculum requirements, specify that the following ‘areas of knowledge’ must be studied at the compulsory primary level:
- Spanish Language and Literature (and the co-official language and literature of the Autonomous Community Language.)
- Mathematics.
- Natural Science and Social Science.
- Foreign languages. (At least one)
- Physical Education.
- Artistic Education (Plastic arts, Music, Dance, and Drama).
- Education in Civic and Ethical Values, only in 5th grade.
2.2.1. Reasons to Justify the Inclusion of This Area in the Curriculum
However, the Organic Law 2/2006, on May 3rd, modified by the current law LOMLOE, states children must have an initiation in a Foreign Language from the second Cycle of Infant Education.
What’s more, the National Curriculum for the Teaching of English in Spain (Royal Decree 157/2022 of March 1st) refers to the fact that learners need English both for educational and social reasons:
Let’s move on now to analyse which are the main implications to be included regarding the foreign language.
3. Foreign Languages: General Implications and Criteria to be Considered in Primary Education
Under current reform proposals, the study of a foreign language will become compulsory nationwide from age six and it can be added a second foreign language in the third cycle (5th and 6th courses) whenever the Autonomous Communities authorized it. In addition to foreign languages, special emphasis is also being placed on the command of ICTs and cultural aspects, both especially related to the foreign languages area of learning.
In its intent to foster Foreign Language acquisition, the Madrid Autonomous Community has fostered the development of Bilingual Schools in which at least 30% of the scholar schedule is taught in English. These schools are regulated by the Order 5859/2010, December the 10th.
What’s more, following these guidelines, Order 2126/2017, June 15th, regulates the extension of the Program Bilingual Spanish-English to the second cycle of Infant Education in bilingual public schools of the Community of Madrid to ensure better acquisition of communicative competence.
Furthermore, the curriculum of Primary Education will be formed by the objectives, key and specific competences, contents (basic knowledge), evaluation criteria and the didactic methodology for this stage. Let us explain them all:
3.1. Key and Specific Competences
Key competences are those that students must develop throughout compulsory education to achieve their personal and active citizenship exercise to incorporate into adulthood satisfactorily and be able to develop permanent learning throughout their life.
According to RD 157/2022, key competences are characterized by their transversality, there is no hierarchy between them and there doesn’t exist an exclusive correspondence to a single subject. They are the following:
- Linguistic competence.
- Plurilingual competence.
- Mathematical competence and competence in Science, Technology and Engineering.
- Digital competence.
- Personal, social and learning-to-learn competence.
- Citizenship competence.
- Entrepreneurship competence.
- Cultural consciousness and artistic expression.
The key competence’s objective is to encompass learnings from different subjects in one overall framework, and in turn, they are acquired when working on the specific competences of each area, but what are Foreign Language specific competences?
Specific competences are an important element that is intended to connect, on the one hand, the key competences and, on the other hand, contents and the evaluation criteria.
3.2. Objectives
The main objective of teaching foreign languages in Primary Education in Spain is to facilitate the acquisition of students’ communicative competence. This implies the development of the several sub-competences which are involved in it: grammatical competence, discourse competence, sociolinguistic competence, strategic competence and socio-cultural competence.
Bearing all these aspects in mind, teachers adapt the objectives to the group of students in each unit, depending on what they want to reach with each one.
3.3. Contents
Contents are defined in terms of knowledge, skills and attitudes whose learning is essential for the acquisition of key competences.
Contents (basic knowledge for the Spanish territory), specific competences (and their relation to operator descriptors, and therefore Key competences) and assessment criteria are proposed in the RD 157/2022 for each of the three educative cycles. In this sense, contents have been disposed to be worked along two academic years, giving students flexibility for their acquisition.
The three blocks of contents are COMMUNICATION, PLURILINGUALISM AND INTERCULTURALITY. However, according to D 61/2022, which establishes the curriculum of Primary Education in the Community of Madrid, there is another block of contents called SYNTACTIC DISCURSIVE CONTENTS.
3.4. Methodological Orientations
Spanish teachers/learners of English need therefore to be made aware of the importance of context for language use and be prepared to adapt English to any given situation.
In practical terms, at the end of Primary Education, students should have acquired communicative competences defined in level A1 of the CEFR in listening, speaking, reading and writing. However, A2 and B1 levels are the ones supposed to be obtained in Bilingual Schools. So, from the very beginning, oral activities of comprehension and expression should be encouraged.
On the first courses, some well-known techniques such as songs, games and the narration of tales must be used. Later on, some other techniques such as making predictions, inferring meanings and attitudes or theatre in English should be used.
3.5. Evaluation
The main aim of evaluation is to provide us with as much information as possible about our students’ learning progresses as well as to check the effectiveness of our own teaching practice.
According to Decree 61/2022, July 13th, and more specifically Order 130/2023, January the 23rd, that establishes the evaluation and organization process for the Madrid Autonomous Community, students’ learning evaluation during the Primary Education Stage will be global, continuous and formative and it will take into account the acquisition of key competences in accordance with the exit profile established in Annex I of Decree 61/2022, July 13th.
Evaluation will be carried out in 3 different moments, initial evaluation takes place at the beginning of the school year, summative at the end of the school year and formative along the year.
3.6. Attention to Student’s Individual Differences
Diversity is present in this society, and therefore in our students. Homogeneity in a group-class does not exist. The pupils with educative necessities must develop their personal capacities to the maximum and must acquire the objectives of the curriculum.
On the one hand, according to articles 71 and 73 of the LOMLOE, article 14 of Decree 61/2022 and specifically Order 23/2023, March 22nd, which regulates the educative attention to students’ individual differences in the Madrid Autonomous Community.
However, ordinal measures will be adopted with the whole group when required (group, time, etc.) It can be done through the Universal Design for Learning Guidelines by promoting flexible and accessible pedagogical processes adapted to our students’ needs, interests, characteristics and learning rhythms.
‘Plan Incluyo’ has been designed to address the individual differences of the students and will be incorporated into the School Educational Project as stated in article 121.2 of Organic Law 2/2006, May 3rd. It will include aspects like the analysis of student diversity or the identification of possible barriers to learning among others.
4. Foreign Language Area in the Educational Project and in the Syllabus Design
Our current educational System is based on an open and flexible conception of the curriculum. These can be seen in the Teaching Decrees of the Autonomous Communities, where curricular aspects are specified. Moreover, schools have autonomy to decide how to achieve the ultimate goals. Adjusting the Decrees to the educational environment leads to the Educational Project of the School.
The Educative Project of School is considered as the document where the school model is defined, as well as the tools used to develop and evaluate the processes reached and obtained.
As teachers, it is necessary to know about the contribution of Foreign Language to the integral formation of students in the Educational Project. Taking the educative project of each school where its context and particular features are specified, teachers design syllabus designs with:
- Specifications of general objectives.
- Sequence of contents (basic knowledge)
- Methodological principles, students’ groupings, activities and resources.
- Evaluation criteria and instruments of evaluation.
5. Conclusion
If children are learning English in a “natural way”, their early classroom experience should be essentially in English and language should ideally be “acquired” in a similar way to the bilingual child with the teacher taking a similar role to the bilingual parent. Therefore, the key to primary Foreign Language learning is: knowledge of language and linguistic culture, experience and enthusiasm of early learning in general and young learner-friendly environment: both physical (classroom and equipment) and affective.
6. Bibliography
- Community of Madrid. (2019). Decree 61/2019, of May 28, of the Government Council, establishing the curriculum for Compulsory Secondary Education and Baccalaureate.
- Government Council. (2023). Decree 23/2023, of March 22nd, regulating educational attention to individual differences of students.
- Government of Spain. (2022). Royal Decree 157/2022, of March 1.