Attitudes to Modern Foreign Language Learning: Insights from Comparative Education

Drawing on the results of a tri-national comparative survey of secondary pupils' attitudes towards Modern Foreign Language Learning (MFLL), this book illustrates both the importance and nature of learner attitudes and the contribution of comparative education to our understanding of educational issues. Questions considered include: What is the nature of the pupils' attitudes to the educational dimensions of learning French, German and English in each country? To what extent do educational factors influence the pupils' attitudes to learning each language in each country? How similar are the pupils' attitudes to MFLL within and between the three countries? What judgements can be made about the relative significance of educational and socio-cultural influences on pupil attitudes to MFLL in each country.

Table of Contents:
1. Introduction: Attitudes to language learning; 2. Comparing: Issues and contexts; 3. The Concept of Attitudes; 4. Attitudes to Modern Foreign Language Learning and Educational Influences; 5. Socio-cultural Attitudes and Influences; 6. Attitudes to Learning German, French and English; 7. Modern Foreign Language Learning Attitudes in the Three Countries; 8. Conclusions and Lessons; List of References; Index.

About the Author :
Brendan Bartram is Senior Lecturer at the School of Education, University of Wolverhampton, UK.

Review :
'Invaluable to researchers in the field of Modern Foreign Language Learning (MFLL) as well as teachers and policy makers. The book is packed with comprehensive evidence difficult to come by elsewhere. Bartram's conclusions about how to respond to the remarkable findings about language attitudes, especially the commodity view of language, are well worth discussing in national and international circles.' Bärbel Diehr, Professor of TEFL and Psycholinguistics, University of Wuppertal, Germany ‘This book offers fresh insights into secondary school students' attitudes to learning modern foreign languages in different countries. In a clear and evidence-based manner, and with the power of a comparative perspective, it draws out important lessons for policy and practice.' Michele Schweisfurth, Reader in Comparative and International Education and Director, Centre for International Education and Research, University of Birmingham, UK In this work for teachers and policy makers involved in the field of modern foreign language learning (MFLL), Bartram reports on a survey of the attitudes of secondary students in three countries - England, the US, and Australia - and compares them to student attitudes in Germany and the Netherlands, where students are more positive about foreign language learning. The research details sociocultural factors that influence students' attitudes, offering new insight into the theoretical understanding of language attitudes.