Languages to be a must for primary kids

A teacher is seen in a classroom at a primary school in Leicester in a 2002 file photo. Primary school children must learn a foreign language if the decline in the popularity of language learning is to be halted, a government-backed review will conclude on Monday, according to the BBC.

LONDON (Reuters) - The government said on Monday it would make studying foreign languages compulsory for primary school pupils in a bid to reverse a serious decline in the popularity of subjects like French and German.

The move comes after a review headed by Lord Dearing, the former chairman of exam body the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, which concluded children should study a foreign language from the age of seven.

"The evidence is that is probably the best time to start -- when you are young," Dearing told BBC radio, adding that already about 70 percent of primary schools taught languages.

"Let's plan now to make it part of the standard curriculum from the age of seven, possibly in 2010 as part of a next review of the curriculum for primary schools."

The proposal comes amid a slump in the number of pupils taking modern languages at GSCE after the government decided they should no longer be compulsory for secondary school pupils up the age of 16.

Last year the number taking German dropped by 14.2 percent and there was a 13.2 percent fall in the entries for French.

However Dearing said he would not recommend reversing the decision to make languages optional for children over 14.

"We thought a quick fix like that wasn't the answer because there are some fundamental problems and we wanted to tackle those," he said.

"We need a range of learning opportunities for different kids with different aspirations. We want to help teachers to make full use of all that can be offered from modern technology."

Dearing was commissioned by Education Secretary Alan Johnson in October to examine what could be done to reverse the trend.

Johnson said he backed the report's findings and that languages would be compulsory for children aged 7-14.

"I want languages to be at the heart of learning," he said in a statement.

Dearing's report said changes needed to be made to the way languages were taught in schools as many pupils found the lessons boring and difficult.

He said if the right steps were taken such as better use of technology and more support for teachers, which the report suggested would cost about 50 million pounds a year, languages would become more popular once again.