Dr. Jonathan Kasstan develops impact through the Linguistics in MFL Project which includes a heritage languages component. See the most recent publication associated with this project.
This paper advocates for the integration of linguistics into the UK Modern Languages (MFL) curriculum, proposing a more inclusive and pluralistic approach to language study. Drawing on an intervention with over 300 A-level students in French, German, and Spanish, the authors demonstrate the feasibility and appropriateness of incorporating linguistics topics into A-level MFL courses. They find that these topics are inherently interesting for language students and that a brief four-hour linguistics course boosts students' confidence in language skills. With untapped potential for linguistics within the current A-level MFL framework, the authors recommend prioritising the inclusion of linguistics to attract new students and bridge the gap between language skills and cultural content. Additionally, they argue that introducing linguistics challenges entrenched prescriptive language ideologies, fostering a more inclusive discipline.
The landscape of Modern Languages (ML) education in the UK is diverse, encompassing both utilitarian and academic approaches. While many ML Bachelor's programs adopt a disciplinary focus on literature, culture, and history, some, notably at the University of York, incorporate linguistics. Surprisingly, linguistics is notably absent from ML courses in English schools, despite being present in higher education. The recent revision of the ML A-level specification emphasizes language skills but lacks specific linguistic content, perpetuating a divide between language skills and cultural content. This discrepancy contrasts with the more comprehensive coverage of linguistics in English Language A-levels. The A-level ML curriculum, focused predominantly on cultural aspects, sidelines linguistic analysis, reinforcing a traditional approach to language instruction that adheres to an idealized standard native-speaker norm and neglects regional and social variations. The absence of linguistics in school-level ML education contradicts the multidimensional perspective advocated by the UK Department for Education.
The paper highlights the benefits of integrating linguistics into Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) teaching, arguing that the current division between language skills and content topics in the A-level curriculum misses the opportunity for a truly integrated study. The inclusion of linguistics in A-level French, German, Spanish, and other languages is proposed to bridge the content/skills divide, reinforce core language skills, and introduce students to the Scientific Method. Moreover, linguistics is seen as a tool to challenge and change students' attitudes towards language, addressing issues such as native-speakerism and standard-language ideology. The paper suggests that linguistics can empower students to be more critical thinkers, better prepared for authentic language interactions, and ultimately find pleasure in engaging with the history and structure of the languages they are studying. This, in turn, has the potential to attract a more diverse group of students to the study of languages, beyond the utilitarian arguments often presented.