Bullock Report (A Language for Life)

Front cover of the Bullock Report - A Language for Life (1975)

A Language for Life, better known as the Bullock Report, was a UK government report published in 1975 by an independent committee, chaired by Alan Bullock, set up by the government to consider the teaching of language.[1]

Its primary recommendation was that "every secondary school should develop a policy for language across the curriculum."[2]

The Bullock Report also called for a re-examination of the debate into what English was, how it should be taught, and what needs to be covered. This debate continued for many years, resulting in the Cox Report 1989 and the National Curriculum for English.[3]

While the Bullock Report had a major influence on the thinking of English teachers in the late 1970s and early '80s, it drew some criticism for its undue "optimism" and was gradually moved to the background as the UK placed greater emphasis on education as a practical means to employability.[1]

  1. ^ a b "BULLOCK REPORT". Encyclopedia.com.
  2. ^ McArthur 1998, p. 529.
  3. ^ McArthur, Tom, ed. (1998). "Teaching English". The Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0192800619. Provides an overview commentary on the Bullock Report.