Potential for more Portuguese in schools

Sunday 01 October 2023

Portuguese language lessons could become more common in Jersey schools, as the Education Department looks to expand its language offering.

Some schools are moving languages – including Portuguese – from being an ancillary subject to being offered in the optional subject "blocks", according to Seán O'Regan, Group Director at Children, Young People, Education and Skills (CYPES).

He added that there was "an ambition" from one school to use technology so as to be able to teach any language.

Some schools have already incorporated Portuguese into their curriculum, explained Mr O'Regan.

Pupils at Haute Vallée secondary school read Portuguese-language books to pupils at Janvrin primary school each week to help them develop their language skills.

Haute Vallée offers a combined Portuguese-Spanish option for students who already have some fluency in Portuguese, allowing them to complete a Portuguese GCSE in one year and then move on to a two-year Spanish GCSE. The school also offers a regular three-year GCSE in Spanish.

A British-Irish Council meeting hosted in Jersey in early October is expected to focus on the Jèrriais language and multilingual learners in Jersey.

Mr O'Regan said: "We've got a greater diversity of languages being taught. Some schools are looking at bringing some languages which used to be ancillary subjects, including Portuguese, into the option blocks to be taught later in the day.

"The choice is improved but the compulsion isn't there, so the young people (14-16) aren't actively choosing it."