The research project

The Progression in Primary Languages research project is a longitudinal study, conducted over four years, which will gather in-depth data on the development of young learners’ language knowledge in French, German and Spanish. The data gathered will build a detailed picture of language learning throughout Key Stage 2 (age 7 to 11) and explore the individual, instructional, and contextual factors that influence language learning in classroom settings in English-speaking countries where exposure to the language being learned is limited.

The data generated through the study will help to identify realistic learning outcomes and benchmarks for primary languages, following on from key recommendations in the 2019 White Paper published by the Research in Primary Languages Network.

Click on the links below to find out more about our research:

Longitudinal study of linguistic progression

Perceptions of Primary Languages