A refreshing, inspiring day of connection and conversation:
By Dr Becky Fisher is Chief Executive Officer of the English Association
my key takeaways from the AQA Rethinking Language conference
Dr Becky Fisher - CEO of the English Association – shares her key takeaways from the Rethinking Language Conference where educators, researchers and subject experts came together to explore the future of English Language education.
Through powerful discussions and the latest research, the conference sparked fresh thinking and practical insights to engage and inspire learners. Here are some takeaways that stood out.
The volume and pace of education reform going on in England at the moment is dizzying. Spanning SEND, inclusion, curriculum, assessment, education pathways, and post-16 education, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the scale of potential change. The AQA Rethinking Language conference offered a welcome opportunity to take a step back, reflect, and come together to celebrate the subject we love.
As Chief Executive Officer of the English Association, the leading cross-sector subject association for English, I welcomed the opportunity to hear from practitioners about their experiences of and hopes and fears for English Language GCSE. Here are my key takeaways from the day. I’d love to hear from you: what do you think the future should hold for English Language?
Language matters.
In his keynote, Professor Rob Drummond told us that
language sits at the intersection of communication, identity, power, evidence, trust, authenticity, and critical thinking. These things have never been more complicated to navigate.
The English Language GCSE is crucial in giving students a map and compass to navigate this landscape: an understanding of how and why language varies across space, time, class, gender and sexuality, and race and ethnicity; how we use spoken language to create and perform our identity; and how language standards reflect social choices, not linguistic facts.
What’s more, as the panel on AI demonstrated, knowledge about language helps students to identify mis- and dis-information, to evaluate how information is being presented, and ‘teaches students how to be the human in the conversation’ (Sarah Dowey).
Media literacy – understanding what to do with information when you have it, as opposed to digital literacy, which is about accessing and using technology to get information – is key to giving young people the tools to ‘encounter the world with healthy scepticism’, as Sally Latham noted in the media literacy panel. Organisations like the English Association have welcomed the emphasis on media literacy in the Francis Review; the study of media has long been part of English, in which students would engage in creative and critical responses to texts such as designing film posters and making a magazine. However, as Andrew McCallum reported, the analytical essay has become the dominant mode of assessing students’ responses to texts, at the expense of these rich creative-critical explorations. As a result, English Language has lost focus on the immensely valuable experience of making meaning and understanding the impact of meaning on different audiences.
There is a need for change to the English Language GCSE...
Teachers and panellists I spoke to were keen to see change arising from the Curriculum and Assessment Review process: they want to see an English Language GCSE which gives students an experience of the rich discipline of language studies as well as the language awareness they need to move through their lives happily and successfully.
In the session on reform, Dan Clayton, Jo Heathcote, Becky Woods, and Andrew McCallum shared lessons learned from previous iterations of the Language curriculum. The panel agree that the 2010 reforms led to a ‘content-less curriculum’, which focuses on reading comprehension and writing, driven by rehearsing exam techniques rather than exploring language use, and reduces the opportunity for creative pedagogies which develop good readers, writers, and speakers.
The content and assessment of the Language GCSE must prepare students for the unequal world in which they live: as Professor Rob Drummond said in his keynote, ‘linguistic prejudice is real’ and students need to explore the ways in which language reproduces social inequalities. Assessment of English Language must not only reward a student’s ability to deploy Standard English, but also their ability to use a wide range of English’s and their awareness of why particular language is used in different circumstances.
… But there are many ways to make the most of English Language now.
As Steph Keenan reminded us at the start of the day, English Language GCSE as it stands presents many opportunities for creativity and breadth. Steph exhorted us to be brave and bold in bringing a wide variety of texts to the classroom: overheard conversations, online articles, social media posts, and family WhatsApp’s all present rich, complex language ideal for exploration with students. The study of English Language, as Keenan so vividly described it, is a great feast we should be gobbling up with our students.
Some teachers articulated a sense of nervousness around teaching English Language, particularly if their background was in Literature. However, in his keynote Drummond demonstrated that there is a wealth of free, research-based resources available to support teachers. He also encouraged teachers to pay close attention to the language of their students; they are already experts in the production of transient, multi-modal, and ephemeral texts, and by being curious about students’ language we can open up the richness of their language and give them a sense of pride and satisfaction in their linguistic identities.
Conversation and connection matters.
Every single person I spoke to at the conference welcomed the opportunity to get out of the day-to-day and engage with people they wouldn’t usually encounter. Awarding bodies like AQA and subject associations like the English Association provide regular opportunities to come together for celebration and support. Take this as a call to action to seek out an event outside your school or MAT, where you can explore fresh thinking and make new connections!
Dr Becky Fisher is Chief Executive Officer of the English Association
With over a decade of experience in education, she uses her expertise and extensive networks to promote, support and celebrate the discipline of English. The English Association is a leading cross-sector subject association for English language, literature and creative writing, connecting people and organisations through publications, events and networks to share expertise, foster dialogue and help shape the future of education.
Want to explore more ideas from Rethinking Language?
You can continue the conversation on our YouTube channel.
Here you'll find an exclusive interview with Dr Becky Fisher packed with practical insights for teaching English Language, alongside the full recording of Rob Drummond's keynote speech.
Let’s bring ideas, lessons and possibilities to life.