PARENTS’ ROLE IN THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDUCATION IN SERBIA

PARENTS’ ROLE IN THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDUCATION IN SERBIA

Jovanović, Ana

Foreign language education in Serbia has always been a direct reflection of socio-cultural factors specific for the historic period in question. It does not come as a surprise, then, that the educational reform initiated in Serbia in the early 2000s brought new curriculum framework for foreign language learning in the institutions of formal education. By being learner centered, interdisciplinary, and oriented toward the development of multilingual competence, the main goal of the curriculum has been the creation of learners who could be easily integrated into larger global communities of students and professionals. This paper explores the role of parents in the foreign language education since it is repeatedly argued that they have strong effect on students’ performance and, by extension, on the educational outcomes. The analysis is based on the data from 3459 surveys administered to the parents of children in elementary Serbian schools with the intention to explore their attitudes toward the foreign language instruction in compulsory education. According to our analysis, three factors strongly influence parents’ attitudes, that is, extrinsic value (how well a task relates to future goals of their children), integrativeness (a positive disposition toward different aspects of foreign cultures), and perceived influence of foreign cultures in Serbia. A closer look at the data, however, suggests that the foreign language requirement is mainly seen as a vehicle for improving child’s social status and greater mobility. In light of these findings, it is important to reconsider parents’ roles in the implementation of multilingual education and to evaluate responsibilities they take on in the development of their children’s intercultural and multilingual identity. Keywords: attitudes, extrinsic value, foreign language education, integrativeness, parents’ role

Conference or Workshop Item
PeerReviewed

2014

3361