European day of languages 2020
Every year we celebrate the joy of learning languages on European Day of Languages. We always create a theme and a song. This year is no different and we want to share the theme, our ideas and resources with everyone, both network and non- network members. Welcome to “Over the Rainbow”!
Network members can access the materials in Seasonal Special Autumn 1 on the VLE and non network members can download for free the video, transcript and the two Rainbow Writers activity sheets from our Active Lingo shop here.
Joanne Hornby, in the pictures above, composed our very special network song ”Rainbow of Love” which she recorded as a video and shared with delegates at the virtual conference in June ‘20. It’s all about looking for hope and joy in the natural world around us in these bizarre times. This year, due to Covid 19 restrictions, each school and setting has its own rules about singing.No problem. The music video is a song in parts, to watch and enjoy, to listen out for the French and Spanish and to practise some simple British Sign Language too.
Below is a simple guide to how we suggest that you could use the free resources, follow our theme and create a whole school focus on a “Rainbow of Love. All the activities mentioned have taken into account social distancing and teaching in bubbles.
Step One
Watch the music video and ask the children to listen out for the colours of the rainbow in the language, French or Spanish that they are learning in school.
Listen a second time and ask the children to identify the colours in the other target language and potentially the BSL actions for each colour.
Network members can access the online videos of our native speakers, Emilie and Irene, speaking the words too.
Step Two
Using our resources Rainbow Writers and Rainbow Writers Poetry, look at the similarities and differences in the two target languages of French and Spanish from the music video. Looking for links between languages, play drama and “in your seat” games. Focus on colours and creating rainbows. The beginners’ activities lead to colour adjective word art and rainbows……
and the more advanced activities in “Rainbow Writers’ Poetry , look at nouns and simple sentences with adjectives and support the learners to write their own “Rainbow of Love” poetry.
Step 3
Network Members, take the learning a step or two further…..
Primary Languages Network members can take the theme beyond just one lesson with the following resources. Listen and read along to the Teach by Story Autumn 1 story (French / Spanish) and practise numbers , colours and items “over the rainbow”.
And children can design their own imaginary worlds “over the rainbow”, David Hockney style with….
resources from the VLE in our “Home and School Resources” area. Use the Autumn LEAP package (French and Spanish), Stages 1-4 “Over the Rainbow “ materials to create and describe “imaginary worlds over the rainbow “ which the children can then draw and /or paint in the style of David Hockney and his landscape paintings.
