Language Teacher Supply: The Vicious Cycle, the Effects of the EU Referendum and Attempts to Solve Supply Shortage

Abstract

This chapter notes the vicious cycle of language teaching and language teacher supply. Smaller GCSE cohorts trigger a causal effect on language provision in general and on language teacher supply specifically. Secondary school language departments rely not only on home-grown talent but also on those who come from the Continent or other native communities. Recruitment campaigns continue to target French-, German- and Spanish-speaking countries in order to deal with the language teacher supply issue, which may become more difficult after Brexit. The chapter proposes an induction programme for language teachers trained outside of the UK, whose qualifications are currently accepted for ‘Qualified Teacher Status’, in order for them to get an insight into the UK school system. But it argues that the long-term solution to lack of language teachers is to tackle the vicious cycle, whose elements include the lack of language teacher training and professional development at primary level.