A significant education reform is underway in the Czech Republic, with plans to introduce English starting in the first grade.
The new teaching approach for young children will focus on listening, songs, and imitation, without grammar or exercises. The goal is to have children familiarize themselves with the language first before focusing on grammar and vocabulary later on.
However, the reform also includes changes in the languages offered in schools. For their second foreign language, students will be limited to choosing between German, French, or Spanish.
This shift has sparked criticism, especially regarding the de facto ban on Russian, a language currently studied by around 20% of Czech students as a second foreign language.
A survey conducted by the Ipsos agency revealed that 54% of the Czech population believes Russian should remain an option for study in schools.
