Recent policy in modern foreign language teacher training provision in primary education in France: linguistic opportunity or linguistic inequality?

Measures to ensure that students sitting the Master’s degree in Primary Education: Master MEEF 1er degré (les métiers de l’enseignement, de l’éducation et de la formation) at the School of Education (l’école Supérieure du Professorat et de l’éducation – ESPE) demonstrate a minimum B2 CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) level of Modern Foreign Language (MFL) proficiency before taking up post as primary school teachers in the French education system signal a strong political will to promote foreign language learning in France. Second language acquisition (SLA) research indicates the importance of fluency, good pronunciation and intonation when teaching primary English (Ellis, Brewster, Girard 2002; Ortega 2009). This study sets out to investigate how salient SLA research findings are in the minds of Master MEEF 1er degré students. In this context, this paper adopts a qualitative approach combining content analysis and critical discourse analysis of semi-directed interviews conducted with four Master MEEF (M2) student teachers: two at C1/C2 CEFR level and two at A2/B1 CEFR level. Results indicate that the C1/C2 level student teachers welcome the legislation requiring a minimum B2 CEFR level of MFL proficiency. They believe that it is essential for future primary teachers to provide a good phonological model of English to their pupils. In contrast, this issue is not addressed by the A2/B1 level student teachers who consider that A2/B1 linguistic skills should not bar them from entering the teaching profession. Moreover, they argue that the legislation is unfair because they have had insufficient opportunity to improve their linguistic skills at school and at university and refuse to accept personal responsibility for their linguistic competence. The paper concludes with the implications of these findings as regards foreign language learning at primary level. Les mesures visant à faire en sorte que les étudiants de Master MEEF 1er degré démontrent un niveau minimum B2 de compétence en langues vivantes (LV) du CECRL (Cadre Européen Commun de Référence pour les Langues) avant de prendre leur poste en tant que professeurs des écoles (PE) dans le système éducatif fran？ais signalent une forte volonté politique de promouvoir l’apprentissage des langues étrangères en France. La recherche en SLA (second language acquisition) montre que la fluidité, une bonne prononciation et intonation sont essentiels pour enseigner l’anglais efficacement dans le primaire. Cette étude se propose de mesurer l’importance qu’accordent les étudiants de Master