Languages in the Primary Classroom

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Languages in the Primary Classroom

• Karen Keeling

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Aims

• Whole school planning for Primary Languages
• Developing a Primary Language Policy
• Integrating Primary Languages into the life of
  schools and classrooms
• The role of the Primary Language Subject
  coordinator
• Transition between KS2 KS3

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Whole school planning for Primary Languages

• Development
• Points for consideration
• Has the head teacher provided staff with
  opportunities to develop their skills as
  linguists and language teachers?

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• Is there a language coordinator? If so, is this
  person encouraged and enabled to attend planning
  meetings with colleagues in school?

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• Is the KS2 Framework for Languages known and used
  by teachers as part of their development as
  language teachers?

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• When planning staffing for teaching MFL, schools
  might consider
• which language is most appropriate
• the provision for teaching MFL in the secondary
  school(s) to which most of the children will go
• how to assure continuity of teaching when staff
  leave
• what support is available
• the arrangements for professional development.

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• Classes might be taught by
• a peripatetic specialist teacher of MFL
• a primary specialist with some knowledge of the
  foreign language
• a native speaker of the foreign language without
  formal training in teaching MFL.

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• Best model
• The class teacher delivering language teaching

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• Variety of models for the provision and delivery
  of languages
• Working on their own
• Working with Local Authority support
• Working with Specialist Language College
• Working with other primary schools

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Careful planning

• Progression in the language
• Building on childrens earlier experiences
• Staffing
• Continuity of learning
• Time allocation
• Inclusion
• Links with other curriculum areas

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Case Study

• Barrs Court Primary School, South Gloucestershire
• What factors do you think contributed the most to
  their success in ELL?

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What is a primary school MFL policy?

• An MFL policy will have a range of audiences
• new teachers to the school
• existing teachers
• non-teaching curriculum support staff
• parents.

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• New teachers to the school will use the policy
  to
• understand the schools approach to the teaching
  and use of MFL
• obtain guidance in the way they should be using
  MFL in their lessons
• find out what support may be available to develop
  further their language skills, knowledge and
  capabilities.

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• Existing teachers will use the policy to
• gauge what access they should have to MFL
  resources
• assess future MFL developments and their impact
  on their work
• learn how other year group teachers are using
  MFL, helping their cross-curricular planning
• understand the responsibilities involved in the
  teaching and use of MFL
• offer guidance on the extent to which MFL should
  be incorporated into their individual lessons and
  subject schemes of work
• know what procedures exist to monitor and assess
  pupils MFL capability.

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• Non-teaching curriculum support staff will use
  the policy to
• find out what level of MFL provision should be
  available to support individual pupil development
  and achievement
• find out which individuals are responsible for
  maintaining the schools MFL resources
• provide information about the existing resources
  and any future development plans

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• Parents will use the policy to
• find out what MFL experiences their children
  should have at school
• help them to decide how to support their childs
  learning of MFL
• compare the provision and approach of different
  schools.

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Developing a Primary Language Policy

• When planning to introduce a modern foreign
  language, schools need to consider
• The aims and objectives for teaching a modern
  foreign language
• The choice of modern foreign language
• The age at which the language is to be introduced
• The availability of suitably trained teachers
• The amount of teaching time, including the number
  of weeks taught in the school year
• Continuity and progression from class to class
  and from primary to secondary school

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Integrating Primary Languages into the classroom

• How can languages be useful as a tool for
  reinforcing basic skills and revisiting concepts
  already covered at an earlier stage?
• How can languages help to develop literacy,
  numeracy and ICT skills?
• How can learning in other subjects be achieved or
  practised through a foreign language?
• Which everyday classroom routines could be easily
  and effectively carried out in a foreign
  language?
• Which resources, already in place in the primary
  classroom, could be used to teach a language?

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Integrating Primary Languages into the life of
schools
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The role of the Primary Language Subject
coordinator