Bay education experts debate learning of second languages in schools

Some industry experts have welcomed the suggestion that children should be required to learn a second language while at primary or intermediate school.

However, concerns have been raised about the pressure this could place on teachers.

National's education spokeswoman, Nikki Kaye, released a private member's bill that would require primary and intermediate schools to offer at least one language other than English.

Schools could choose from a list of at least 10 "national priority languages".

The president of the Western Bay of Plenty Principals' Association, Matt Simeon, said the idea had merit but he questioned the practicality of putting more responsibility on teachers.

"Having travelled the world and only having one language we are pretty limited," he said.

"But do we have teachers to be able to teach it properly - and where do we get that time of day to give it the time and justice it needs?

"I don't think it is fair to place another expectation on them."

Simeon said learning a second language would provide more opportunities for pupils, but more funding would be needed to afford multilingual teachers.

"The time in the school day hasn't changed," Simeon said. "It is putting more and more expectations on primary and intermediate schools."

Simeon, who was also principal at Pillans Point School, said the school did not teach international languages to its pupils but did respect Maori culture.

Education Tauranga regional manager Anne Young said learning a second language at a young age was an opportunity for pupils to advance their learning.

"It opens up a window to the world and allows them to communicate with more people," she said. "It gives them a deeper understanding of culture."

Literacy Bay of Plenty literacy manager Annamaria Grafas said learning a second language was an advantage for children and was good for brain development.

"Children can learn several languages until the ages of between 7 and 9," she said. "These languages are absorbed into the brain with ease which dissipates as one gets older."

The Ministry of Education's acting deputy secretary of student achievement, Pauline Cleaver, said learning a new language helped children and young people to understand their own and other cultures.

"In this way, they learn to respect and value people no matter where they come from," she said.

"Language learning in and of itself also encourages children and young people to extend their thinking skills, and they may develop neural pathways which are not developed through other forms of learning."

LEARNING LANGUAGE AT SCHOOL:

Greg Simmonds' four children learn different languages at school.

The Priority One strategic projects manager's eldest daughter learned Chinese and German at Tauranga Intermediate School and was picking up Spanish at Tauranga Girls College this year.

"She went on an exchange to China with the school, and she got to put that into practice," Simmonds said.

His youngest children, aged 7, 9 and 11, attended Tauriko School where they learned Chinese and Maori.

"They can come home and say things in Maori so beautifully."

Simmonds said it was a good idea for children to learn a second language while at primary or intermediate school.

"I understand at that age you can pick things like new languages up quicker," he said.

He said children who learned different languages at school could then benefit in the workplace.

"As an exporting nation, if we can speak some of the languages at least we can have an appreciation of another culture."

Simmonds said he did not learn another language until he had left school.

"I didn't pick Chinese up until university. I did try to pick it up at secondary school, but there weren't enough people interested in the class, so I had to wait until uni," he said.

"I definitely think it would have been easier if I had started earlier."