Degree of success at the end of secondary education : the case of english as a foreign language

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyse the actual degree of success in English teaching as a foreign language in Spain. To carry out this study, I took into account the objectives stated from the Spanish Ministry of Education. The Organic Law 2/2006, of May 3, in Education, in its article 6.2, sets that it corresponds to the Government to set the minimum teachings. The minimum teachings are basic aspects of the curriculum concerning the objectives, basic skills, content and evaluation criteria. The object of this Real Decreto is to establish the minimum teaching for Compulsory Secondary Education. I took also into account the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) which provides a definition of the level of language which should be reached at each stage of the learning process. At the end of the Compulsory Education in Spain an A2 level should be reached. The methodology used involves the fulfilment of a survey by the 4th year students of a Secondary School, with the purpose of knowing if it is true that students achieve the goals which I mentioned before, regarding the English language. The results obtained are shown through graphs. Some aspects observed are, among others: foreign language classes in secondary education are given in Spanish; they are unidirectional classes from teacher to student; these lessons are focused on grammar based on the course book, they lack audio-visual resources and new technologies.