英国的现代外语教育:发展与挑战

Promoting Modern Foreign Languages in the UK: Developments and Challenges

英国的教育制度一向以发展本国语言为首要任务,现代外语不是重点关注的对象。由于政府未给予应有的支持,语言教学一度处于危机之中。自从2002年《国家语言战略》的出台,现代外语教学进入了新阶段。十年来这项战略性规划取得了一定成效,但和欧洲其他国家相比仍处于明显劣势。为了进一步推进现代外语教育,使外语教育更好服务于国家发展战略,2013年11月,英国文化协会发布《面向未来的语言》专题报告,从经济繁荣和国家安全的角度,对英国长期的语言需求进行了战略分析,确立了未来10种关键语言。

The education system in the UK has all along attached more importance to developing its own language.Modern foreign languages(MFL)are not one of its priorities.For lack of due government support,language education in the UK has met with serious crises.Since the publication of The National Languages Strategy in 2002,the country has launched a nationwide drive to promote modern foreign languages,with considerable success,but still far behind its European neighbours.To further promote MFL,the British Council published Languages for the Future:Which Languages the UK Needs Most and Why.The report identifies ten most important foreign languages on the basis of comprehensive strategic analysis.