Bridging the gap: Issues of transition and continuity from primary to secondary schools in Greece

Abstract

Although Greek children’s early start with foreign languages is considered an advantage, this seems to be lost in their transition to secondary school. Learners in their first year of secondary education are usually required to repeat work covered in previous years and as a result, they often lose interest in English classes within the state school. This paper aims: (a) to explore the problems related to the lack of continuity in foreign language education between the primary and secondary sector, and (b) to suggest a scheme of teaching and learning which will take into consideration the idiosyncrasies of the Greek educational context