One topic is rarely mentioned in all the talk of improving standards in our schools：the almost complete failure of foreign-language teaching．As a French graduate who has taught for more than twenty-five years, I believe I have some idea of why the failure is so total． 1 the faults already found out in the education system as a whole－such as child-centred learning, the “discovery” method, and the low expectations by teachers of pupils－there have been several serious 2 which have a direct effect on language teaching．
The first is the removal from the curriculum(课程)of the thorough teaching of English 3 ．Pupils now do not know a verb from a noun, the subject of a sentence from its object, or the difference between the past, present, or future．
Another important error is mixed-ability teaching, or teaching in ability groups so 4 that the most able groups are 5 and are bored while the least able are lost and 6 bored．Strangely enough, few head teachers seem to be in favour of mixed-ability school football teams．
Progress depends on memory, and pupils start to forget immediately they stop having 7 lessons．This is why many people who attended French lessons at school, even those who got good grades, have forgotten it a few years later． 8 they never need it, they do not practice it．
Most American schools have accepted what is inevitable and 9 modern languages, even Spanish, from the curriculum．Perhaps it is time for Britain to do the same, and stop 10 resources on a subject which few pupils want or need．