Language learning tech helps primary pupils

Foreign languages are not always prioritised in UK primary schools but researchers from the University of Reading are proving that digital innovation can help turn the tide.

The Digital Empowerment in Language Teaching project has won the British Educational Research Association’s Public Engagement and Impact Award for showing how digital tools can transform language education for teachers and pupils alike.

Funded as part of the ESRC’s Education Research Programme, the project is led by Dr Alison Porter at the University of Southampton in collaboration with Professor Suzanne Graham and Dr Anthony Zhang at the University of Reading, Institute of Education.

Empowering teachers, inspiring learners

Faced with the declining status of language learning in UK primary schools, teachers often struggle with resources and confidence. The project set out to change that by empowering teachers with skills and research-based digital tools.

At the heart of the project is a simple idea: when teachers feel confident and connected, pupils thrive. The team worked with 34 teachers across England and Scotland, offering nine flexible online modules blending research insights with practical tasks, bite-sized videos and interactive forums. Teachers reported significant boosts in their confidence, autonomy and motivation. One participant teacher said the modules “gave me confidence to innovate and helped me feel part of a professional community.”

But the project didn’t stop at teacher development. Eleven teachers co-designed a six-month intervention for 500 pupils, introducing interactive French and Spanish digital stories and an AI-powered phonics app.

Pupils in these schools outperformed peers in vocabulary and reading comprehension and showed greater creativity . The approach worked for all learners, including those with special educational needs. In follow-up questionnaires, one child said: “I learned new words and how to pronounce them, but also about caring for others and respecting differences.”

Professor Graham said: “This award recognises the transformative power of research and meaningful public engagement. By listening to teachers and pupils, and responding to their needs, we’ve shown that digital tools can be powerful for teaching foreign languages while fostering creativity, empathy and confidence.”

Collaboration beyond the classroom

The impact of the research extends beyond the classroom. Its findings are shaping national conversations on education, contributing evidence to a parliamentary report on restoring children’s love of learning and informing discussions with the Department for Education’s curriculum and assessment team.

To make research accessible, the team shared insights through blogs, webinars, and articles aimed at teachers and the wider public. They also launched a free online course featuring real classroom examples, which has attracted participants from 80 countries.

This global reach means the project is improving practice in the UK, as well as helping educators worldwide adopt strategies that boost language learning, creativity and empathy.

At a time when curriculum reform is on the horizon, Professor Graham and Dr Zhang’s work offers evidence that digital innovation, grounded in research and co-designed with practitioners, can improve language education for the next generation.