Foreign Language Teaching in Europe
Within 1995 the European Commission’s White Paper "Teaching and learning – Towards the learning society", declared that "upon completing initial training, everyone should be proficient in two Community foreign languages". A Lisbon Summit of 2000 defined languages as one of a 5 key skills.

As a matter of fact, potentially around 1974, at least one foreign language was mandatory all told however deuce European countries (Ireland and the United Kingdom apart from Scotland). By 1998 nearly all pupils within Europe studied at least one foreign language when a share of their required education, a just exception existence Irel&, in which primary and secondary schoolchildren study two Irish and English, but neither is considered the foreign language. Pupils around upper secondary education see at least 2 foreign languages inside Belgium's Flemish Community, Denmark, Luxembourg, Finland, Sweden, Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia.

On the average within Europe, initially of foreign language teaching, learners stand lessons for 3 to 4 hours the week. Required lessons around a foreign language unremarkably run at the prevent of primary school or the begin of secondary school. Around Luxembourg, Norway and Malta, however, a number one foreign language is learnt at age captaaround hicks, & in Belgium's Flemish Community at age X. Half of the EU's primary school pupils view the foreign language, on the average.

English is the language taught most typically at moo secondary level in the EU. 93% of toddlers there view English. At upper secondary level, English is possibly additional widely taught.

French is taught at lower secondary level altogether EU countries except Slovenia. The sum of 33% of European Union pupils study French at this level. At upper secondary level a figure drops slightly to 28%.

German is taught in 100% EU countries. The aggregate of 13% of pupils inside the European Union see German in lower secondary education, & 20% see it at an upper secondary level.

Despite the high rate of foreign language teaching inside schools, a total of adults claiming to speak a foreign language is typically moo than will become required. This is particularly admittedly of native English speakers: around 2004 the British survey showed that only of these inside Decade UK workers could speak the foreign language. To a lesser degree 5% can count to Xx around another language, e.g.. 80% said it may act overseas anyway, because "everyone speaks English". Around 2001, the European Commission survey encountered that 65.9% of population in the UK spoke simply their native tongue.

Since a Nineties, a Common European Framework of Reference for Languages has tried to standardize the learning of languages through Europe.

Bilingual education
Inside the select few countries, learners use lessons taken completely within the foreign language: e.g., to a higher degree half of European countries by owning a minority or regional language community use unfair immersion to teach each a minority & a state language.

In the 1960s and 1970s, some central & eastern European countries created the body of bilingual schools for easily-performing pupils. Cases differently languages were taught within the foreign language. In the 1990s this system was opened to everthing pupils generally education, although occasionally countries however produce candidates sit an entrance examination. At a equivalent period, Belgium's French Community, France, the Netherlands, Austria and Finland also began bilingual schooling schemes. Germany meanwhile had established a select few bilingual schools in the late 1960s.

Methods of teaching foreign languages
There are many methods within wide have:

Immersive language education places students in the situation in which it must apply the foreign language, whether or even does'nt it understand it. This creates fluency, but not accuracy of usage.

Tutoring by a native speaker is one of the better tons-all-round methods. Even so it takes the spotted salamander native private instructor, which can be a uncommon, expensive trade good.

Directed practice has students repeat phrases. This method is utilized by U.S. diplomatic courses. It might quickly provide the "phrasebook" cognition of the language. In these restricts, a students' usage is exact & accurate. Even so a student's guide of what to say is non flexible.

Absorptive language education has students listen to or watch streaming videos tapes of language system acting inside situations. Virtually all teacher currently acknowledge that this method is ineffectual by itself.

Grammatic language education instructs students in grammar, and will bring vocabulary to memorize. Virtually all teacher at present acknowledge that this method is uneffective by itself.

Communicative language teaching (CLT) is an approach to the teaching of second & foreign languages that emphasizes interaction when two a means & the ultimate goal of learning a language.

Eclectic methods combine a above into one course of survey. Which are actually a usual.

Blended learning combines face-to-face teaching with interactional (& so oft electronic) practice activity. This may be achieved through the adoption of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). VLEs use been a major incubation point in the TEFL industry above the go Fivesome years. It is developed either as an externally-hosted platforms onto which content may be exported by the school or even institution (examples existence 'Worldwide Web Course Information, WebCT' or even a 'Blackboard' VLE) or even when content-supplied, course-managed learning platforms (an lesson existence a 'Macmillan English Campus'). A key difference is that a latter is suspire to trend lines course-building per language school. This means that teachers could blend their existent courses sustaining games, activites, hearing exercises & grammer information units that come contained on the net. This hwhen applications inside the schoolroom & as self-survey or even remote practice (for instance in an net café).

Acronyms and initialisms
CALL — Computer assisted language learning

DELF — Diplôme d'études nut langue française

EAL — English as an additional language EAP — English for academic purposes

EFL — English as a foreign language ELT — English Language teaching

ESL — English as a 2nd language ESOL — English for speakers of more languages

ESP — English for Special Purposes or English for Specific Purposes (e. g. technical indicator English, scientific English)

L1 — Foremost language, mother language

L2 — 2nd language

SLA — 2nd language acquisition

TELL — Technology-enhanced language learning

TEFL — Teaching English as a Foreign Language TESL — Teaching English as a Second Language TESOL — Teaching English to Speakers of More Languages (or even even) Teaching English as a 2nd or More Language TOEFL — Test of English as Foreign Language

TOEIC — Test of English for International Communication

TPR — Total Physical Response

TPRS — Total Physical Response Storytelling