Excellence Groups were established by the Scottish Government in 2010 to consider what makes for excellence in different subjects, and in skills development, across learning. The Groups met a number of times in the autumn of 2010, and prepared a final report.
The Modern Languages Excellence Group Report offers a blueprint to secure, promote and enhance the provision of Modern Languages in Scotland. It does this by demonstrating the vital importance to Scotland of developing the language skills of our young people and by exemplifying how, through Curriculum for Excellence, this can be achieved. It attempts to define Excellence in classroom pedagogy, but demonstrates that Excellent pedagogy alone will not reverse the downward trend in languages. Excellence in leadership is also required so that together practitioners and decision-makers can inspire Scotland’s young people to engage more fully with their language learning and continue into the Senior Phase.
Dispelling myths and developing strong partnerships both internally and externally, within and across departments, within the cluster group, with parents/carers, and with FE, HE and local businesses, form central leitmotifs. In the current challenging economic circumstances, these themes are more relevant than ever. We hope that schools up and down the country will draw on the findings from this report as they undertake their planning for the 2nd full year of CfE.
Modern Languages Excellence Report (link to Scottish Government site) or Modern Languages Excellence Report (download as PDF)
Modern Languages Excellence Report - Case Studies (download as PDF)
Modern Languages Excellence Report - Summary (download as PDF)
Members of the Modern Languages Excellence Group