Главная страница «Первого сентября»Главная страница журнала «Английский язык»Содержание №10/2009

English 'Losing Out' to Literacy

English lessons are dying out and being replaced by literacy, the leader of a teaching union claims.

Children were reading extracts rather than whole books and this meant the love of reading was being lost. The government insists whole books are read and says it is committed to making reading part of children’s daily lives.

Dr. Bousted told delegates at the ATL’s annual conference in Liverpool: “English is no more. It has been replaced by a newcomer – literacy. Literacy, as a subject, is based on the naming of parts. Children rarely read whole books; they read parts of books – extracts. These extracts are mined for adjectives, and adverbs, and active verbs, and nouns. The belief is, once the parts have been named, then they can be used, independently in the children’s writing. But they cannot choose what they will write; they cannot choose the form they want to write in – that would be far too dangerous.” She added that the concept of pleasure had gone. “I don’t want to get misty eyed about the past, but it is clear to me that something important has been lost – for both teachers and taught. And that is the heart of the subject – the subject which is dear to my heart – the subject of English.”

She said Ofsted had encouraged a literacy strategy without speaking and listening, because the former chief inspector of schools Chris Woodhead had convinced ministers that these were not needed. “For those children who spend their lives at home cocooned in front of the television, interacting with no-one, this loss will be incalculable,” Dr. Bousted said.

The former English teacher also complained that teachers’ lives were “being made a misery” by a constant regime of inspection and “ridiculous” control. “Is there any profession which is more watched over, more regulated and more directed than teaching?”

Lessons had become a “common pattern”, she said. She painted a picture of teachers obeying a dictated formula for every lesson, which included:

• starter, middle section and plenary

• explanation of learning objectives

• pace and activity

• interactive learning

Such rigid structures were causing teachers to lose their professional pride and feeling of autonomy. And children were “bored rigid” by the same lesson structure again and again, she added.

The government denied teachers were over-inspected, and said literacy had not led to the death of reading and the enjoyment of language. “The government is firmly committed to making reading a daily part of children’s lives and we have a range of initiatives to encourage all young people to take an interest in reading for pleasure,” a spokeswoman said. “It is right that schools should come under rigorous scrutiny and assessment by a body independent from ministers. This makes sure that parents can be confident standards are being maintained, that achievements are properly celebrated and that any problems can be identified and resolved.” A majority of parents valued inspections, she added.

Dr. Bousted did however, praise the government’s work to raise standards and help the most deprived children. “There is much to congratulate this government for,” Dr. Bousted said.

“It has put its money where its mouth is.”

But it was still telling teachers what to do.

Story from BBC NEWS