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Keeping sight of the big picture: a critical response to Ofsted’s 2021 Curriculum Research Review for languages

ABSTRACT This article offers a critical perspective on Ofsted's (2021) Curriculum Research Review for Languages (OCRR). Whilst the OCRR contains much that we would agree with (including its underpinning principle of drawing on research evidence to inform policy and pedagogy), we are nevertheless concerned that it could result in unintended negative effects on both teachers and learners of modern languages. We believe that any problematic elements of the OCRR will be amplified by the powerful status of the organisation whose name it bears. Overall, we think there is a danger that the OCRR could lead teachers to focus too heavily on individual building blocks in the early stages of language learning, and thus lose sight of the ‘bigger picture'. We also disagree with some of the OCRR's specific recommendations, which, we argue, do not seem to be based on sufficiently rigorous or extensive evidence. We suggest that other ‘pillars' may also be important in supporting the edifice of language proficiency, including strategic competence and intercultural understanding. Further, we argue that the OCRR fails to reflect recent technological advances which have transformed the language learning environment. Finally, we argue for the crucial importance of teachers’ professional judgment in determining the most appropriate instructional approaches for a given classroom on a given occasion. Addressing these concerns, our article discusses the following topics: (1) the importance of communication in modern language learning; (2) the development of communication strategies; (3) the potential impact on target language teaching; (4) the position of culture in language learning; (5) the role of challenging texts, spoken and written; (6) the role of technology; (7) the nature of teacher professionalism; and (8) the evidence base on which the OCRR explicitly draws in making its recommendations.