The English language results of Catalan students at the end of ESO have been consistently low for the past fifteen years, with almost half of the students finishing compulsory schooling with a deficient oral level. Faced with this situation, many centers have opted to start English earlier in early childhood education.
However, a report by Equitat.org (formerly Fundació Bofill) suggests that starting earlier does not guarantee better results. The study recommends first ensuring linguistic competence in Catalan and focusing efforts on English from the age of eight.
The Ciutat d'Alba school in Sant Cugat del Vallès has implemented this strategy for four academic years, eliminating English in early childhood education to focus on mastering Catalan. This decision was made after collaborating on a research project led by the director of the Department of English and Germanic Philology at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
“"We do not live in an environment where English is the habitual language. Therefore, we cannot provide the favorable conditions for young children to learn it immersively, nor are they prepared to learn it explicitly. Thus, until they are older, we are wasting time that could be dedicated to learning Catalan."
The Equitat.org report, prepared by the same researcher, advises intensifying English teaching between the ages of eight and nine (third grade of primary school), as this is when children have consolidated the linguistic skills necessary to acquire a new language more easily. This restructuring has involved changes in staffing and curriculum, with a playful approach in first and second grade and group splitting from third grade for more personalized learning.
The results at Ciutat d'Alba school show improvements in end-of-stage tests in sixth grade of primary school, surpassing the average of other schools of similar complexity in Catalonia. In addition to academic results, a significant increase in students' confidence to participate and communicate in English has been observed.
“"There is enormous social pressure for children to learn English, especially because families want to give their children what they perhaps did not have."
The study also highlights the need for more teacher training, proposing that primary school teachers achieve a C1 level and secondary school teachers a C2. Likewise, a mentoring program with specialized English professionals is recommended to support schools.
