e-Pedagogium 2026, 26(2):27-36 | DOI: 10.5507/epd.2026.014

Second Foreign Language in Primary School: Research and Arguments

Hana Andrášováa, Martin Lachoutb, Václav Velčovskýc
a ORCID 0000-0002-1492-3653, Department of German Studies, Faculty of Education, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Dukelská 9, 370 01 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
b ORCID 0009-0004-0098-238X, Department of German Studies, Faculty of Arts, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, Pasteurova 13, 400 96 Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic
c ORCID 0000-0002-8844-3601

This review study synthesises recent European research on the teaching of an additional foreign language (FL2) in primary education (ISCED 1+2). The studies surveyed report positive associations between FL2 learning and executive functions, metalinguistic awareness, and reading and mathematical literacy, without evidence of detriment to attainment in other subjects. The literature further documents contributions to social and intercultural competences and to learners' motivation, including among pupils from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Economic analyses indicate a favourable rate of return on public investment in foreign-language provision. Comparative evidence from Slovakia, where compulsory FL2 was withdrawn in 2019, is examined as a policy case. The study identifies findings relevant to curriculum development and delineates the limits of the available evidence.

Keywords: second foreign language; primary education; CLIL; executive functions; intercultural competence; equity in education; language policy; Czechia; Slovakia.

Received: April 29, 2026; Revised: June 21, 2026; Accepted: June 23, 2026; Published: November 10, 2026  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Andrášová, H., Lachout, M., & Velčovský, V. (2026). Second Foreign Language in Primary School: Research and Arguments. e-Pedagogium, 26(2), 27-36. doi: 10.5507/epd.2026.014
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Ayres-Bennett, W., Hafner, M., Dufresne, E., & Yerushalmi, E. (2022). The economic value to the UK of speaking other languages (Research Report RR-A1814-1). RAND Corporation. https://doi.org/10.7249/RRA1814-1 Go to original source...
    2. Beacco, J.-C., & Byram, M. (2007). From linguistic diversity to plurilingual education: Guide for the development of language education policies in Europe. Council of Europe.
    3. Bialystok, E. (2017). The bilingual adaptation: How minds accommodate experience. Psychological Bulletin, 143(3), 233-262. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000099 Go to original source...
    4. Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung. (2018, October 23). Fremdsprachenkenntnisse für die Fachkräfte von morgen [Press release]. https://www.presseportal.de/pm/110144/3898005
    5. Česká školní inspekce. (2023). Tematická zpráva: Výuka dalšího cizího jazyka. ČŠI.
    6. Dallinger, S., Jonkmann, K., Hollm, J., & Fiege, C. (2016). The effect of content and language integrated learning on students' English and history competences: Killing two birds with one stone? Learning and Instruction, 41, 23-31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2015.09.003 Go to original source...
    7. DESI-Konsortium. (2008). Unterricht und Kompetenzerwerb in Deutsch und Englisch: Ergebnisse der DESI-Studie. Beltz.
    8. Eberhardt, J.-O. (2013). Interkulturelle Kompetenzen im Fremdsprachenunterricht: Auf dem Weg zu einem Kompetenzmodell für die Bildungsstandards. Wissenschaftlicher Verlag Trier.
    9. Eurostat. (n.d.). Educational attainment statistics. Eurostat. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Educational_attainment_statisticsEuropean Commission, European Education and Culture Executive Agency, & Eurydice. (2023). Key data on teaching languages at school in Europe: 2023 edition. Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2797/529032 https://eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/publications/key-data-teaching-languages-school-europe-2023-edition Go to original source...
    10. Eurydice. (2025). National reforms in school education: Slovakia. https://eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/eurypedia/slovakia/national-reforms-school-education
    11. Ginsburgh, V. A., & Weber, S. (2020). The economics of language. Journal of Economic Literature, 58(2), 348-404. https://doi.org/10.1257/jel.20191316Janíková, V., Andrášová, H., Lachout, M., Marečková, P., Podrábská, K., & Zajícová, P. (2011). Výuka cizích jazyků. Grada. Go to original source...
    12. Klieme, E., & Beck, B. (Eds.). (2007). Sprachliche Kompetenzen: Konzepte und Messung. DESI-Studie (Deutsch Englisch Schülerleistungen International). Beltz.
    13. Lorenzo, F., Granados, A., & Rico, N. (2021). Equity in bilingual education: Socioeconomic status and content and language integrated learning in monolingual Southern Europe. Applied Linguistics, 42(3), 393-413. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amaa037 Go to original source...
    14. Ministerstvo financií Slovenskej republiky. (2020). Národný integrovaný reformný plán: Moderné a úspešné Slovensko. https://www.mfsr.sk/files/archiv/63/NIRP_master_20200930_final.pdf
    15. Ministerstvo školství, mládeže a tělovýchovy. (2025a). RVP ZV - únor 2025. https://msmt.gov.cz/file/64300/
    16. Ministerstvo školství, mládeže a tělovýchovy. (2025b). Opatření - RVP ZV červen 2025. https://msmt.gov.cz/uploads/210/Opatreni_RVP_ZV_2025_06.pdf
    17. Ministerstvo školství, mládeže a tělovýchovy. (2025c). Statistická ročenka školství: Výkonové ukazatele. Retrieved from https://statis.msmt.cz/rocenka/rocenka.asp
    18. Ministerstvo školstva, vedy, výskumu a športu Slovenskej republiky. (2017). Učiace sa Slovensko: Národný program rozvoja výchovy a vzdelávania. https://www.minedu.sk/data/files/6987_uciace_sa_slovensko.pdf
    19. Ministerstvo školstva, vedy, výskumu a športu SR. (2017). Učiace sa Slovensko: Národný program rozvoja výchovy a vzdelávania. MŠVVŠ SR. https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/files/4187_en.pdf
    20. Nadvorníková, O., & Klinka, T. (2023). Language policy of the Czech Republic in the field of second foreign language teaching: the future of German, Spanish, French, Russian, and Italian in the revision of curriculum proposal. XLinguae, 16(4), 156-180. https://doi.org/10.18355/XL.2023.16.04.12 Go to original source...
    21. Národní pedagogický institut ČR. (2025). Revize Rámcového vzdělávacího programu pro základní vzdělávání. NPI ČR. https://prohlednout.rvp.cz/zakladni-vzdelavani
    22. Obilișteanu, G., & Niculescu, B.-O. (2018). Intercultural competence in teaching and learning foreign languages. International Conference Knowledge-Based Organization, 24(2), 345-350. https://doi.org/10.1515/kbo-2018-0113 Go to original source...
    23. OECD. (2025). Education at a glance 2025: Slovak Republic. OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/education-at-a-glance-2025_1a3543e2-en/slovak-republic_713737b6-en.html
    24. Pires, L., Mancebón, M.-J., Mediavilla, M., & Gómez-Sancho, J.-M. (2024). New evidence on the impact of learning in a foreign language on educational outcomes. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 83, Article 101386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2024.101386 Go to original source...
    25. Simanová, L., & Lynch, Z. (2023). Foreign language teaching in the dynamics of curricular changes in pre-primary and primary education in Slovakia. International Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, 2(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.33422/ijsfle.v2i1.366To dá rozum. (n.d.). Analýza zistení o stave školstva na Slovensku. MESA10. https://analyza.todarozum.sk/ Go to original source...
    26. Tragant, E., Marsol, A., Serrano, R., & Llanes, À. (2016). Vocabulary learning at primary school: A comparison of EFL and CLIL learners. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 19(5), 579-591. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2015.1035227 Go to original source...
    27. Tribushinina, E., & Mackaaij, M. (2023). Bilingual advantages in foreign language learning: Evidence from primary-school pupils with developmental language disorder. Frontiers in Education, 8, Article 1264120. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1264120 Go to original source...
    28. Yurtsever, A., Anderson, J. A. E., & Grundy, J. G. (2023). Bilingual children outperform monolingual children on executive function tasks far more often than chance: An updated quantitative analysis. Developmental Review, 69, Article 101084. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2023.101084 Go to original source...

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content