PPLI Audit of Foreign Languages - Flipbook - Page 34
The number of classes for each language in 3rd year versus 5th year
Q10: How many class groups are currently studying these languages in third year?
Q18: How many class groups are currently studying these languages in fifth year?
Average number of class groups per year, in schools where the
language is taught, in 3rd year and 5th year, by type of school* * This breakdown is available for English-medium schools only
3rd year - French
5th year - French
3rd year - German
5th year - German
3rd year - Spanish
5th year - Spanish
3rd year - Italian
5th year - Italian
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Community and
Comprehensive
ETB
Fee-Paying Voluntary
Secondary
Non-Fee-Paying
Voluntary Secondary
Figure 27: The number of classes for each language in 3rd year versus 5th year
There is a relatively high progression rate for those taking a foreign language in the third year of Junior Cycle in to
5th year though there is some variation according to language. For French, the number of classes in 5th year is half
a class less than in 3rd year in all schools except in fee-paying voluntary secondary schools where the number of
classes stays the same. The number of German classes in 5th year is only one fifth smaller than in 3rd year and this
pattern is repeated in all schools. In Community and Comprehensive schools Spanish provision reduces by half a
class, in ETB schools provision only reduces by one fifth, in fee-paying schools there is no change, and in non-feepaying a third less. Italian is not offered in the Community and Comprehensive schools that responded to the audit.
There is an increase of one tenth of a class in ETBs for Italian from 3rd to 5th year, and of a whole class in fee-paying
voluntary secondary schools indicating that Italian is sometimes introduced as a new subject in 5th year. There is a
reduction of one fifth of a class for Italian from 3rd to 5th year in non-fee-paying voluntary secondary schools.
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Audit of Foreign Languages Provision in Post-Primary Schools 2017
Post-Primary Languages Initiative February 2017 Draft Report