Open the language door !

So it is European Day of Languages next week on 26 September.A day set aside to celebrate all languages. In primary languages I think we try to celebrate language learning every lesson and open the door on an exciting "New World" of sounds and written words.

 "Is it a human language? " - probably being one of my favourite questions from a new language learner this year.

"Is it a human language?" is a sensible question for a young learner ,especially if that young learner has only  ever experienced communication in his/her own first language. 

Let's celebrate the fact that we are helping young learners step through a narrow door and encouraging them to look at the wider world.

Think doors! Opening doors and stepping through one, two, maybe more doors! 

  • Ask the children to draw a big front door- a welcoming front door full of different colours.In each colour block or area on the door ask the children to write a favourite sound as a letter string or a favourite word they have learned this week or half term, a favourite praise word, a favourite greeting, a favourite question and a favourite phrase from their own first language. 
  • Stick the front door on to a second piece of paper the same size as the first doorand glue the left hand edge of the original door to the second piece of paper.
  • Ask the children to draw a second door on the second piece of paper ,again adding bright blocks of colour.Can they add a favourite sound as a letter string or a favourite word they have learned in the primary language lessons this half term, a favourite praise word, a favourite greeting, a favourite question and a favourite phrase they  now use in their primary foreign language learning?
  • Discuss with ther children how as a class you have already opened a door on a new "human" language and way of communicating.
  • Children could add a third door for another language they may already speak or read at home or with family and friends.
  • Collect in the doors or keep the doors in record books.
  • Look back at the doors lagter in the year  with the children and ask the children to talk about how much more they now understand about  the world of communication. 
  • You could continue to add doors e.g. add a third or a fourth door later in the school year or the following year and investigate yet another language ......

Let there be fun in progression!

Take a closer look! These young primary school language learners are so keen to get their new French/English spliced words up on the class white board. Thanks to Carol H and her enthusiasm and ideas the children will probably remember this lesson for a long while to come.It was all part of her celebrations of Roald Dahl's birthday and making links between English and the chosen target primary foreign languages in  the schools where she works .

On Tuesday they were Spanish words  because the children learn Spanish and my favourite spliced word  had to be "faspido" ( a splicing of "fast" in English and "rapido" in Spanish) . Playing with words both for fun and for purpose .Linking the recall of English language and looking up the same words in bilingual dictionaries to find the target language words so that the children could make new and far more interesting words. This picture below of today's French whiteboard in Carol H's class ,used as a working and sharing wall, speaks louder than words in my opinion!    

Meanwhile another associate of mine, Kate K ,was busy last week holding "tea parties" to welcome back her Year 6 Spanish learners in the two schools where she has worked with us as an associate for 12 months. Below is the description of the lesson she sent me .... 

"Last week with y6 we revisited introductions and extended feelings. We mimed and pulled some amazing faces. 'Estoy gracioso' proved a particular favourite! Then we played a tea-party game where we pretended we were drinking tea from the cups full of adjectives we created last term. We 'mingled' with other party goers, finding out all about them and how they were feeling, whilst sipping our imaginary tea - little fingers aloft, of course! Great fun! "

There is so much going on here from a language learning point of view too: transactional language, dialogue building, language recall,drama, communication , use of gesture, practising "estoy" with feelings, understanding agreement of adjectives

And finally Joanne H set out her learning stall with Y6 Spanish this last week....a year group she has taught since Y3.  She was looking at extended feelings too and focusing upon accurate use agreement of adjectives with subject of the verb "estoy....". Thanks to Joanne, as she has shared her full lesson plan on our PLN Facebook page . It is a lesson packed with challenge,focus and fun.Just right for the start of the busy year in Year 6 children's school life.

 

That first ever lesson

This short blog post is all about our young language learners and the importance of that first ever language learning lesson.

First a couple of things as primary foreign language practitioners we have learnt along the way and try to remember:

  • We can not presume that children have any prior knowledge of places beyodn their own locality
  • We must remember  that some children have vast experience of other countries and cultures too that will be a treasure chest of experience we can hopefully delve in to and use as we develop our language learning. 
  • As primary practitioners we would always set the scene and lead in to new learning so we must do the same with primary foreign languages.

Here is a "first ever language learning lesson" for young learners (works well with Y1/Y2 or LKS2)..................................

  1. Start  by finding out how much children know about the World beyond their own road etc. You will probably have children who have limited exposure to other places and you may have children that have already lived in the country or a target language speaking country or have relatives in these countries.
  2. Perhaps show them local pictures and ask do they recognise the places.
  3. Show them some large "postcards" of the target language country. (You could make your own and add enlarged pictures of target language stamps).
  4. Explain that today you are all going on an "explorers' journey"  to the target language country.
  5. Ask the children to share with partners what they hope to see/ find out /hear etc. (You coould write an explorers' wishlist...) 
  6. If you can go on Google Maps and "fly" to Spain/France/Germany/China.Count the children on to the pretend play and say hello to the class.Can the class respond  with the greeting?
  7. On your pretend flight why not have realia-- touchy feely objects linked to target language country that are relevant to the children and perhaps  show them a target language big book. You could have an inflight video of a target language song or cartoon too!
  8. To start your "language journey" as you step off your imaginary plane - practise greetings and actions with the children and then play a game of Simon says  with greetings and the actions
  9. Ask the children to greet others around the classroom and imagine it is just as if they have just arrived in the country.
  10. Finish with a simple song to listen to and that you plan to develop over the next few lessons so that children can join in with and sing independently.
  11.  Give all children a passport stamp in their brand new language record books /folders etc - to say "welcome" to a brand new learning adventure.

Personal info press calls and photo shoots.

Take a look at the Hans Holbein painting of "The Ambassadors". Art makes a great  device to develop transactional language in language learning across all stages of learning. Some of you may have already used my 3D Art ideas.  and you may like to try my 3D Art whispering galleries activities too.

Art and languages can lead to simple spoken and written  descriptive sentences and can lead to creative extended spoken and written sentences and text often with a touch of  drama and languages too.Here is how....

Personal Info Press Calls

  • Either as fact or fiction simply ask the children/ pupils to gather information about the character(s  in the painting(s) that you share with the class .So ask the children to investigate names,ages,birthdays, where characters live, languages spoken, feelings and emotions, role within a family or profession , likes and dislike .Ask the class to create  draft fact files.
  • Now create simple transactional language chains.Ask simple questions to different children /pupils and build up the information as a class in a transactional language chain about each charater in the picture.you can do this as first and secind person singular or as a third person singular question and answer focus.Maybe  with more advanced pupils you could ask them to make comparisons of the characters' personal information.
  • Add personality by adding voice, actions , dramatic effect.
  • Ask the children/pupils to work in pairs and build dialogues to investigate the characters personal information and characters. With different stages of learners you can obviously build different levels of language structure and content.

Photo Shoots

  • Look at the objects and elements that have been added to the painting(s)."The Ambassadors" is a perfect example of how objects within a painting suggest and give political and social commentary to the painting. 
  • We can use this technique at every stage on language learning.
  • Simple: ask children to label objects with nouns in the target language and replace objects with word art - so the written form of the target language noun in the shape of the object as a  flap stuck over the object
  • Not as simple: ask children to label objects with nouns and adjective describing what the object looks like in the target language and replace objects with word art - so the written form of the target language noun and adjective are within the shape of the object as a  flap stuck over the object.
  • More challenging: ask the children to think about why the object is in the painting.Can they add the nouns and adjective describing what the object looks like in the target language and replace objects with word art - so the written form of the target language noun and adjective are within the shape of the object as a  flap stuck over the object- but this time also add on the reverse side of the flap a comment.The comment should suggest what the object really wants to tell the viewer of the picture

.....and finally why not convert the written to a spoken record and add sound files to the paintings  using the Tinytap APP

 

Popcorn whizz banger birthday cards!

 

Popcorn and birthday card celebrations for Roald Dahl!

 

  • ·         Ask the children to think of adjectives to describe the characters in one or more of his famous stories. Write them up in English on the board.
  • ·         Select the best ten adjectives.
  • ·         Which of these adjectives do the children already know in the target language?
  • ·         Using bilingual dictionaries look up the adjectives the children do not already know.
  • ·         Write up these 10 adjectives on the board next to the meaning in English of the adjective.
  • ·         Write the adjectives on pieces of paper and then scrunch them up –and pop them in a box – like popcorn. Play a game of Roald Dahl popcorn charades. Can the children take it in turns to take a scrunched up piece of paper and act out the adjective and can the class guess the meaning and locate the target language adjective.

Ask the children to make thier own popcorn style (see tweet at top of page) birthday celebration cards  for Roald Dahl. Ask the child to add their favourite five adjectives from the list you have made as “whizz pop banger words” zooming out letter by letter from the popcorn box.

Making best use of the User Files on the PLN VLE

Yesterday whilst at a school  for a 1 to 1 consultancy ,we discussed the ways the school cpould use the "User Files " area on the PLN VLE (virtual learning environment). The User Files  really should be seen as the school trewasure chest of language learning and progress.

For PLN network members this is located on the school's home page of the VLE when a member of staff logs on.

All school staff have access to this area and this is a secure area just for your school and can not be accessed by other network members, who will have their own secure area "User Files" too. 

Below are the ways we considered that the school could make best use of the school's User Files this year......  

  • Create a folder in  the User Files area and clipboard (copy and paste) from anywhere on the VLE resources and links to folders that school may like to use for special events e.g. yesterday we used this to create a European Day of Languages area for staff in the school so they could select activities and resources quickly and efficiently for their own classes, that the coordinator thought would be useful in her school.
  • Add important resources and activities to the existing Y3,4,5 and 6 folders as they are found or searched for on the VLE or as they are sourced or created by the coordinator. The Y3 teachers for example then have a point of reference to go to (the Y3 folder in the User Files) to find documents, resources and activities that the school cooordinator wants to bring to  staff attention or wants  staff to use.
  • Use the already existing "Assessment folder" in your User Files to pick,select and clipboard relevant documentation and tools from the VLE so that these can be accessed and used by staff during the year to measure or track  progress in learning.
  • Create a "Tracking Progress" folder where staff can load from their desk tops updated PLN class tracking sheets on a termly basis and update the class spreadsheets as the children progress in their language learning skills across the school year.
  • Invite staff to use the existing year group folders  in the User Files area to upload evidence of children's speaking and writing- sound files/ APPs / photos of writing and display etc.They can create a sub folder within the year group folder entitled  for example "Y3 2016 Speaking and Writing Evidence" 
  • Create a "Celebrations" folder in the User Files where the coordinator can load photos of school events  celebrating language and culture or story reading or visits from native speakers.

Simple but effective and really useful for the busy primary languages coordinator and staff or to share with the visiting PPA teacher.

With support we can all teach primary languages!

Well it is the end of the first week back. It's been a very busy week .I have already delivered 1 to 1 consultancy in Manchester in one of the 190 network schools working with us and organised over twenty 1 to 1 consultancies between school coordinators and PLN associates .Our associate teachers have been in to most of the 49 schools working within the PLN Associate Teacher Support Programme. Just as the week comes to an end on my Twitter feed  appeared  the tweet above. A fantastic end to the week !.

We are a network of schools and teachers who believe that everyone can deliver effective primary language learning, given the correct and sustained support. 

Six years ago it was just me and the 45 schools and now the whole network has evolved in to a much bigger and better "support machine" - specialist and non- specialist teachers working together within a network to build sustainable and effective language learning.The native speaker associate colleagues help us to get the language and cultural celebrations just right and the associate teachers bring so much to the table  with previous or current experience as primary language coordinators, SLT, HLTAs and secondary language teachers. Each and every school brings their own piece to the support framework too - from the sharing of a successful activity to a whole school language day or  new approach that we can share immediately via the VLE (virtual learning environment).

It is all together as a network of specialist and non-specialist primary language teachers that we are now able to offer all round support for the teachers who have to deliver primary language learning across their own schools or in their own classrooms.

Support ranges from:

Primary language teaching and learning is our passion and we would love you to join us.Find out more here. 

First week back network coordinator's checklist

Here are our network coordinator's first week back checklist bullet points. Have you.....:

  • Shared the VLE log in with staff?
  • Shared the school user files on the VLE with staff and explained how to clipboard resources to the relevant year group's user files?
  • Shared ways that you would like the language learning environment to be developed across the whole school.(This blog post on setting up and starting off at the start of the year will help you) 
  • Shared the Ready Made French or Spanish complete KS2 lesson planning and resources with KS2 staff and shown them how to access this via Teaching Resources? (This blog post on Ready Made will help you)
  • Shared the KS2 German SoW Plus lesson planning and resources if your school teaches German of course!
  • Shared the European Day of Languages  resource folder in Seasonal Specials Autumn 1 folder on VLE ready for week of 26 September? 
  • Shared the resources and lesson ideas for International Literacy Day on 8 September and Roald Dahl Day on 13 September? You can find these in Seasonal Specials Autumn 1 on VLE
  • Shared the link to "Staff on board" blog post and the simple greetings , numbers , colours activities that all staff could engage with this half term with their classes?
  • Provided relevant class teachers (and PPA staff) with Tracking Sheets (to be sourcde in Subject Planning area in MFL Coordinators Tools folder on VLE)  - one per class - to keep a record over the year of progress across transactional language,phonics,grammar, Puzzle It Outs , DfE Attainment Targets. (This blog post on Assessment will help you ) ? 
  • Shared the KS1 learning packages if school has decided to embrace language learning from EYFS to Y2 too? 
  • Taken a look in and shared signage and school classroom language learning tools,such as table mats and posters for school classrooms and corridors  from the Link and Learn website within our VLE?
  • Emailed us to organise your free 1 to 1 Consultancy this year with one of our teaching associates?

Now keep a look out for your free local network meetings .Coordinators' CPD and the date of the conference next year! 

Staff on board in September!

Ready for the new academic year and successful whole school participation in primary languages?

Here are a few steps you can take this September to  encourage staff to take their first steps - getting on board with primary language teaching and  learning

  • Introduce your staff to simple greetings and numbers and colours activities that they feel confident to use and share with the children.Take a look at the activities here and share these with the staff at an early staff meeting this academic year: Greetings and a simple question , greetings and feelings, colours, Fantasy football teams and numbers
  • Support staff to create first language learning displays with the children.Here is a very simple activity for the children  to make;

 

  • Have you thought about and organised some simple easy to feliver activities of European Day of Languages on 26 September to celebrate languages from around the World? Here is a really simple and creative step by step guide for an idea for all your staff and children:  A bouquet of greetings
  •  
bouquet.jpeg

How to use our assessment tools in your school

Over the last two years we have been working upon the best ways we can find to develop assessment in primary language learning that is meaningful and also manageable. Below are the core tools that we are now using in schools- working with a variety of different approaches.You may wish to adopt and /or adapt these tools to help you during the next academic year track , assess and plot language learning progress.

If your school is a network member you can access all these tools on the VLE .Go to the home page and select Subject Planning and then go to MFL Coordinators Toolkit or you can also access the assessment tools in the Subject Coordinators' folder in the French/Spanish and German KS2 SoW Plus.

The AfL clouds are proving really popular in schools.We recommend that you download the word documents and create individual A4 documents for each term for each child. The children can glue these in record books and complete with 1,2 or 3 stars or ticks, depending on how secure they feel about each statement.

The Tracking sheets have been updated this year as you can see below.As the PLN associates  work in 49  of our 190 network schools we find our Tracking Sheets invaluable as a dialogue tool between school , class teacher , coordinator and associate language teacher.One sheet per class teacher and one sheet kept by the associate, updated by the associate and a copy photocopied half termly or termly for the coordinator to keep in her PFL record. The tracking sheet informs everyone about development of transactional language, phonics, grammar, language skills , progress in 4 core skills and progress against the DfE ATs.  

We have tried to make it as easy as possible for all teachers, class teachers, PPA teachers ,HLTAs delivering languages and subject coordinators and SLT. Network member schools of  Primary Languages Network  can access on the VLE all the materials and resources needed to track and assess. Schools can use some or all of the Puzzle It Out activities, the phonics tracking activities and the grammar tracking suggestions to acquire evidence of children's growing language skills progress.These are also hosted in the Subject Planning area of the VLE in MFL coordonators Toolkit and also in the KS2 SoW Plus area in the Subject Coordinators folder. 

The appropriate age and stage half termly Puzzle It Out assessment activities/guidance which now include native speaker listening resources plus the phonics and grammar trackers activities are all now  also directly linked (just one click away) to the Ready Made French and Spanish.

To enable effective dialogue between teachers, parents, SLT and  OfSTED, all network members have access to Assessment Benchmark Descriptors based upon the stage of learners' language learning skill development across the four main language learning skills of Listening,Speaking ,Reading and Writing.

And to make sure school has an uptodate record which can provide data  to demonstrate stage on stage progress of year groups , cohorts and individual pupils ,there are downloadable spreadsheets which can be updated over each academic year. These are in the Subject Planning area of the VLE in the MFL Coordinators Toolkit.

Hope this helps. Please get in touch via the link should you want to know more. Contact us here.

Getting back to language learning activities

Stepping Stones and a first lesson back

Simple activities to step by step revisit prior learning and get ready to build a platform to this year's learning.

Touch base AfL

Revisit and practise prior knowledge with a pair or team challenge.

Let's open the window on language learning : an opportunity to practise prior knowledge of personal information questions and answers and to build upon this though the coming academic year.

Setting out our language learning stall : ways to establish a positive, successful and sharing language learning environment in school

 

 

How to use Ready Made French and Spanish

Ready Made French and Spanish Y3 to Y6 plans are now complete. As network member schools all  your staff can access the half term by half term planning. Log in to the VLE homepage and select Teaching Resources and go to Ready Made French or Spanish and select the year/stage of your learners and the appropriate half term's planning. You can mix and match blocks within half terms and year groups too.

There are six half term planned blocks per year/stage.Teachers have the option to select one or more specific focus within the half term block. For example you can decide with your children in Y3 Autumn term whether your focus will be on greetings, numbers and colours or a combination of two of these.

In each block of planning you can select individual lesson plans with immediate links to the necessary resources, sound files, key words and phrases plus  teacher grammar support documentation too. Each activity has a signposted DfE Attainment Target and an age/stage appropriate activity objective.There are maximum three activities per lesson and the activities have subtitles and are bullet pointed stage by stage activities.  

Ready Made  can act as a training manual for teaching staff either in the target language or approaches to delivery. Some schools and colleagues will want to dip in to themes and focuses rather using the whole package. 

Alongside the core lesson plans there is the option to select from the right hand panel  activities to develop the phonics, reading and grammar skills of the target language.These are all age and stage appropriate and progression as a language learner has been built in across the age/stages. The direct links via Ready Made  enable the teacher to record and celebrate learning through the use of APPs and to access direct links to authentic stories and songs. 

Click on the Puzzle It Out link to access the appropriate language learning skill level core assessment activities .This year you can also access the accompanying  native speaker sound files for the listening element of Puzzle It Out.

As schools grow in confidence then there is the opportunity to step away from Ready Made and  explore the SoW Plus,Seasonal Specials ,Cross Curricular and Treasure Chest packages hosted on the main  Primary Languages Network VLE too.

Please get in  touch if you want to know more.Just click the link  and contact us here