This year we are creating a series of blog posts to explore FAQs from our Primary Languages Network schools. In this post, we begin to address the frequently asked question above. How can schools that are just starting off, address the needs of the UKS2 pupils and how can teachers ensure that beginner language learning is right for both the age and stage of the learner?
Well, primary foreign languages are like Maths. You can’t just dip in or select a topic. You really need to put the building blocks of learning in place first of all. This means that the content and the skill levels that UKS2 children will be exploring could potentially be for the most part the same as those explored by LKS2 children. Hence the fact that in our Primary Languages Network Schemes of Work you will see reference to Year 3 - Stage 1 or Year 6 - Stage 4 (of learning).
The bigger challenge is to make the learning relevant and engaging for the children higher up in the year groups of KS2.
Below are 9 approaches we know work and the examples of work have been shared by our network schools. We hope that these approaches help you to find ways to address the challenges of Year 5 and 6 classes, who are at stage 1 or 2 or language learning.
One: In Charge of Whole School Informative Displays
Give UKS2 the responsibility to design informative displays about the target language countries and the target language learning in your school.
Two: Interesting age-appropriate twists to simple language activities
Give simple language learning an age-appropriate interesting twist. Design a school mascot for the subject, perhaps to even use this as a sticker on the front of learning journals or as the logo for language learning ambassador badges or reward certificates. In the process practise speaking and writing simple personal information and look at numbers and cultural facts too.
Three: Data gathering, class surveys and challenges
Build in lots of opportunities for class surveys, games and challenges. Create activities too where children are finding out and retrieving information and recording the data they find
Four: Refreshing school and classroom signage
Make it the responsibility of UKS2 to research and generate signage for the school and the classrooms and to keep this fresh and up to date. UKS2 could create their own simple target language posters for the LKS2 learners for example of numbers , colours, days of week etcetera..
Five: Challenging Maths activities using simple number knowledge
Link the simplest of learning to other areas of the curriculum.so for example here the numbers at single digits but the activity is using addition, subtraction, division and multiplication.
Six: Language Detectives and skills of understanding unfamiliar language- from an early stage.
Right from the start, encourage your UKS2 language learners to develop independence and become language detectives. Bilingual dictionaries are a great place to start and linked with the sound-spelling work you will be doing as stage one learners the UKS2 children can explore unfamiliar vocabulary and reading and speaking aloud this language from a very early stage in learning.
Seven- Current, relevant and age-appropriate hooks.
Make the “hooks” for learning dynamic and purposeful . We always try to recognise not only the “stage” of the learners but the “age “ of the learners and to make the activities have a twist that addresses the maturity of the learners.
Eight: Creativity, performance and links with literacy
Encourage creativity and look for links with literacy. Poems, using the simplest of language are a great starting point and linking the creativity to the wider curriculum or school calendar adds point and purpose too.
Nine: Add extra reasons to learn - use APPs, record performances, perform for other classes….
Plus look for opportunities where you can record UKS2, encourage them to use APPs and IT to record their own work or perform for younger children and enjoy the fact that the children lower down in the school can understand the target language in the recordings and performances.
