Mixed-aged class solutions in Primary Languages

How can the PLN schemes of work be tailored to mixed age classes?

Support from PLN: Blog, podcast and consultation

A couple of years ago, lots of coordinators were contacting me, looking at how to tailor PLN’s scheme of work for mixed age classes. The podcast I recorded contained lots of advice, some of which is still relevant now.

After hearing from many more coordinators in the Summer Term of 2023, I have written this blog and recorded a new and updated podcast. 

If you are looking for advice about tailoring the PLN scheme of work to mixed age classes, read this blog and listen to the podcast. PLN members and trial members can also book a free consultation to discuss this further.

Not ‘one size fits all’ – consideration and flexibility

After several one-to-ones, I have discovered many different scenarios and settings from 1.5 form entry to small schools, from a combination of mixed and standalone classes to schools where the structure can change each year.

As school settings are all different, it makes sense that each plan must be tailored to the unique setting. This is not a ‘one size fits all’ solution – to come up with a plan that works, in my experience speaking with different coordinators, there needs to be some consideration and flexibility where possible.

Where a school is at the start of their language learning journey, and is rolling out the introduction of a language, this allows for a simplified first year (all year groups following Stage 1). This is something I have advised a couple of schools to do, along with making a plan each year, reviewing and adjusting if or when necessary.

A straightforward approach – two-year cycle

I have come across lots of different settings and circumstances when speaking to coordinators but have consistently tried to take a straightforward approach – the simpler the approach, the better it is for staff to follow and keep to.

A two-year rolling programme is often the best option for schools: consisting of a Year A and Year B. The PLN scheme of work (whether that’s Click2Teach or Video2Teach) is structured in a way that Stages 1 and 2 are similarly pitched, as are Stages 3 and 4:

Stages 1 and 2 lay the foundations introducing simple sentences, nouns, adjectives, and core language content.

Stages 3 and 4 build upon those foundations, extending skills and knowledge to include complex sentences, use of conjunctions and introducing verbs.

This structure allows for Lower Key Stage 2 to follow Stages 1 and 2, and Upper Key Stage 2 to follow Stages 3 and 4.

Year A = Stage 1 (LKS2) and Stage 3 (UKS2)

Year B = Stage 2 (LKS2) and Stage 4 (UKS2)

Mixed Year 4 and Year 5 classes

Where classes are mixed Year 3 and 4, and mixed Year 5 and 6, the approach mentioned above tends to work well. Where there is a mixed Year 4 and Year 5 class, this does pose a challenge as there is quite a difference between Stages 2 and 3 in our scheme of work.

There have been a couple of schools with mixed 4 and 5 classes, and in this instance, I have recommended the use of Video2Teach and splitting the class to allow the Year 4s to follow the same stage as LKS2 and Year 5s could follow the same as UKS2. The use of Video2Teach with a native speaker on screen leading the lesson means that the children can access the lesson they need, and teachers or teaching assistants feel well-supported to deliver the lesson with Emilie or Irene on screen.

KS1 Language Explorers

Our new Language Explorers scheme has been designed for KS1 and will work well if your school has mixed Year 1 and Year 2 classes.

The Let’s Explore A and Let’s Explore B columns in the scheme can be used in a Year A and Year B format as with Click2Teach and Video2Teach or staff can use the units in a different order, to link with other areas of the curriculum if they wish.

Further consideration – key documentation

The last thing I advise is to look carefully at documentation and assessments. The Puzzle It Outs are pitched at the level of the scheme they are attached to and will therefore need to be adjusted – for example added challenge for Stage 2 learners following Stage 1.

Use the Core Skills Progress document to pitch your expectations of the children at different stages in their language learning journey. You may also need to look at and edit some of the documentation such as the Long-Term Plans, Scheme of Work Overview, and edit headings on the Knowledge Organisers, Phonics Map and DfE Unit Map.

A missed opportunity MOST schools make with Primary Foreign Languages: And how to fix it

Language learning in Primary schools is a tricky equation for most schools to solve. It is a multi-variant problem, ranging from mixed-aged classes to teacher confidence, and coordinator ability to promoting a wider school ethos and managing a tight budget. It can be very frustrating, demoralizing, and discouraging for those involved in leading and learning the subject.

At PLN, we are in the business of unlocking a school’s passion for languages. Irrelevant of the situation, we can see the potential.

And we also know that there is something that most primary schools aren’t capitalizing on, and it is almost certainly hindering progress, passion, and promise with language learning in their school.

100 extra language lessons

If you were offered 100 extra languages lessons that each child received during their primary experience, at no extra cost, would you take it? It’s a no brainer right?!

Yet most schools continue to ignore this opportunity, and if you are reading this article you probably are too!

KS1- The missed opportunity

There it is, hiding in plain sight, the elephant in the room. KS1 languages. It is not flashy, it’s quite obvious and it also makes complete sense, yet it is still ignored in most schools. It is common knowledge that the earlier we start learning a skill the better, so why not languages?

We are missing out on 100’s of language learning opportunities for your children, as little as 15 mins per lesson/ week would make a significant impact on the progress and passion of language learning in your school. If you were to implement it throughout KS1.

BUT, It is not mandatory at KS1

It also isn’t mandatory for you to go the gym regularly, eat a salad instead of a burger, be a caring and listening partner, and look after your elders. Yet we still know these to be good habits to keep and maintain.

We at PLN know that although KS1 is not mandatory, it is essential if you are looking to make significant progress in languages. Year 3 is too late to start, in every other country across Europe, and mostly the world, children start to learn other languages at a much younger age. And have a much higher performance rate. What if you added 3 years of solid learning to your primary languages, imagine the impact on your school?

How?

The more challenging question is how to implement in your school. Languages is a tough subject to teach, and it is no exception in the KS1 classroom. This is why at PLN we have invested in building a reliable, non-specialist friendly, fun, flexible, and engaging scheme of work in French and Spanish KS1. We also are offering training and CPD for your KS1 teachers, to use the scheme effectively. It is built up on video and ppt lessons, with simple-to-use instructions and fun topics.

The scheme is designed for the KS1 learner, with topics on dinosaurs, pet puppies and Mr Biscuit, and will ground your students in the language, educate the ear with basic phonetics, and begin the learning journey effectively, so when they turn up in year 3, far further along the journey than if they hadn’t seen it before.

Why not join in and found out how we can help you.

You can trial the scheme for free today, sign up here

Or you can contact us and ask questions you have

How to teach languages to KS1 learners

How to teach languages to younger learners?

Here in England, foreign languages have been part of the KS2 foundation curriculum since 2014. Children are entitled to learn a foreign language from the age of 7 years old. But what about starting it earlier? And what do you focus on if there isn’t a Programme of Study to guide you? How long and how often should you teach? What about writing and phonics – are the children going to get mixed up?

In this blog post, I would like to address all these concerns and put your mind at rest because ‘yes’ we believe that with language learning earlier is better!

We know that it is harder to learn a language as we get older and a vast number of studies points us toward starting learning a second language early.

What to include in your SOW?

At PLN we have written our own Language Objectives for KS1 learning in line with other aspects of the broader curriculum for EYFS and KS1 such as developing communication and social skills (listening and responding, taking turns, etc.), nurturing curiosity, empathy and tolerance, supporting the development of gross and fine motor skills, confidence boosting… all of this with a strong emphasis on having fun!

Our brand new ‘KS1 language explorers’ SOW is made up of: Let’s begin and Let’s Explore. Let’s Begin correspond to the 1st year of language learning and Let’s Explore is made up of 12 interchangeable units to cover 2 years of language learning.

In Let’s Explore, each unit is self-contained and no prior learning is needed to access any of the 12 units. We focus on the development of ‘soft skills’ rather than a progression based on vocabulary.

 What should you teach?

Topics are age-appropriate and include dinosaurs, mini beasts, greetings, playground games, etc. which are guaranteed to spark the interest of our young learners.

As with our other schemes of work, we fully support non specialist teachers and all our resources have native speaker audio support, and most lessons have at least one native speaker video input delivered by Irene for Spanish and Emilie for French.

Each unit has six lessons with three activities per lesson: A, B and C.  

A is a ‘warm up’, B is an input through the native speaker video and C is the ‘memory maker’ activity which include activity sheets or drama based activities.

You will also find some key documentation including Language Objectives, MTPs and Language Mats.

Here’s a snap shot of our Minibeast unit in Let’s explore A :

How long should your lessons be?

The lessons are planned for 15-30 minutes delivery with the option of the memory maker activity if you have longer sessions.

In Let’s Explore, children are exposed to the written words and there are opportunities for copywriting through the activity sheet in the memory maker ‘C’ part of the lesson.

What about phonics?

The teaching of phonics is embedded in the lessons through activities such as ‘stretchy words and bouncy words’ – children become familiar with playing with words and sounds and developing accurate pronunciation in a fun way.

Try it out!

The new KS1 Language Explorer is now ready for you to trial with ‘Let’s explore A’ live on the Primary Language Network VLE available to all members of PLN. The rest of the SOW is in development and launching fully in September 2023.

If you’re interested in finding out more about PLN and how we can support your school at KS1 and KS2 in French, Spanish or German then please get in touch !  

---

This blog was written by Emilie Woodroffe- Scheme of work and Content director at Primary Languages Network

The key concepts that every teacher should be aware of within Primary Foreign Languages

The twelve DfE attainment targets for primary languages are the backbone to which teachers can refer as children progress through KS2.  They illustrate the key concepts of the subject which pupils need to be taught and have experience and regular practice in, in order to go on to become confident language learners:​

1.       Listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding. 

2.       Explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs, rhymes and link spelling of sound and meaning of words. 

3.       Engage in conversations; ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek clarification and help. 

4.       Speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures. 

5.       Develop accurate pronunciation and intonation, so that others understand. 

6.       Present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences. 

7.       Read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing.

8.       Appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language. 

9.       Broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including through the use of a dictionary.

10. Write phrases from memory and adapt these to create new sentences to express ideas clearly.

11. Describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing 

12. Understand basic grammar.

Teachers need to know and make clear to pupils that there are four core skills to learning a language; listening, speaking, reading and writing (often quoted in this order to replicate the order in which a child acquires his or her first language).  Additionally, there are three ‘pillars of language’; vocabulary, phonics and grammar on which all language learning sits and which any language curriculum should have inbuilt. A final theme which runs through the teaching of any language is its cultural understanding. Omitted from the 12 attainment targets but mentioned in the purpose of study, ‘Learning a foreign language is a liberation from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures. A high-quality languages education should foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world.’  This statement promotes the ‘cultural capital’ that language learning has the power to influence in order to create global citizens of the future. 

The scheme of work that you intend to use, must display all of these traits in order to deliver Primary Langugaes effectively. At PLN, we have schemes of work to support all teachers, plus the training required for staff to feel confident in the delivery and coordination of the subject. For more info click the button below

Primary Languages success at Beamont Primary

A spotlight on the Primary Languages Development Award: 5 key strengths at Beamont

Lucy and school children celebrating the PLDA achievement

As the mentor for the Primary Languages Development Award (PLDA) I have the privilege of being able to look closely at the languages provision of different schools and see the development of PFL through the evidencing and target-setting process.

In November 2022, Lucy Smillie from Beamont Primary completed her PLDA and this was a great example of a PLN member school making good use of the tools available on the VLE. Here’s what Lucy says about the PLDA:

“Completing the PLDA was a fantastic opportunity for myself as languages lead to further understand our languages provision in school. We assessed where we stood using the baseline assessment and set targets to work towards. The PLDA was beneficial to showcase the strengths in our languages provision and celebrate what we do at Beamont.

The support I received from PLN was beneficial to help us through this process.” As you can see the process is positive, as you start by identifying what you are already doing well, then set targets to move towards, and improve your existing provision. At the end of the process, there are so many more positives plus the celebration once your certificate arrives!

Below are five strengths I identified after Lucy completed her award (although I could have mentioned more!) Perhaps these are things you have in place at your school? Have a think about the questions at the end of each of the five strengths, then click the button at the end of the blog to look at the PLDA information page and see if now is the time to achieve accreditation for your languages provision!

1) Engaged in CPD

What a strength! Lucy was engaged in the CPD journey and encouraging her staff to do the same. Furthermore, teachers were accessing the upskilling app and gaining certificates for attendance and achievement, then submitting them to Lucy – this shows how well the subject and support for staff is being monitored. Well done!

Are you and your staff accessing the CPD available to you?

2) Confident coordinator

As well as getting involved in CPD, and monitoring how staff are getting on too, Lucy leads her subject confidently and is ready to lead a briefing or staff meeting to deliver important information and updates to staff. This shows great Subject Coordination – an important aspect of the PLDA.

How do you feel about leading your subject? Would you benefit from further support?

3) Planning and support used well

This was really great to see – documents available on the VLE being used to good effect. There are so many useful documents on the Primary Languages VLE, from plans for the scheme of work, to subject leader file documents such as the Core Skills Progress document and using these and adapting where necessary is a real strength.

Are you happy with your subject leader file? The PLN Effective Coordination session is a good one to help you get set up.

4) Languages celebrated

A highlight for me when looking through evidence is always the photographs of displays, examples of work and whole school celebrations. At Beamont, Spanish is clearly integrated and celebrated with displays and information shared with parents through the school newsletter.

Have you got languages displays up in school? Do you share languages news with parents?

5) Links to KS3

Establishing transition links can be an area of challenge, but equally this can be overcome. An email to your feeder secondary school can often be the start of meaningful dialogue. From here, sessions can be arranged with KS3 staff being invited to school, and language tasters for Year 6, as Lucy arranged during her PLDA process.

Have you established links with your feeder secondary school?

---

I hope this blog has given you some things to think about; is now the right time for you to consider completing a PLDA? Start now and you could be celebrating your achievement before the year is out! Use the button below to visit our PLDA page for information on the different levels of award, prices and areas of focus. If you would like to discuss the award and what is involved, you can also book a consultation on the PLDA page. Let’s move languages forward together!

Delving deeper into Primary Subject coordination

Insights from a Primary MFL Consultant

I’m Kate Percival, a primary teacher and MFL consultant here at Primary Languages Network. In this blog series, I’ll be sharing top tips and inspirational ideas from the schools and coordinators I’ve been working with. Read on to find out more.

Busy Bees at Bradshaw

I recently met with MFL coordinator Laura Henshaw at Bradshaw Community Primary School in Warrington, and we had a rich discussion about her role and the direction Spanish is taking in her school.  Bradshaw CPS has been a longstanding member of Primary Languages Network. Teaching assistant Laura is currently in charge of delivering Spanish using the Click2Teach scheme of work in Years 3 to 5 and a class teacher has been using Video2Teach lessons in Year 6. 

Below are some of the key take-aways from our session:

Laura found it really useful to talk over PLN’s Core Skills Progress chart (saved in Coordinator Tools, Scheme of Work on the VLE). As the DfE and National Curriculum does not break down the four modalities of listening, speaking, reading and writing into end points for each of the four compulsory years of learning at KS2, PLN has developed its own which aligns with the scheme of work seamlessly.

I was proud to share the latest addition to the Core Skills Progress chart: video links to examples of speaking at the four stages! Not perfect by any means, but realistic examples of what to expect a child at the end of each stage to be able to pronounce.  Remember the phrase ‘understood by a sympathetic native listener’? This is something I quote a lot both in consultancy sessions and CPD as it makes us realise that we are not after perfect pronunciation but instead an emphasis on having a good go and communication.  After all, 99% of the population are ‘sympathetic listeners’ wouldn’t you agree?

Delving deeper

Laura was keen to explore more about the kinds of questions she might need to answer in a subject specific deep dive.  We had a go at a mock interview and Laura’s passion shone through. The key to confidently answering these types of questions is knowing where provision is at the moment and where you’d like it to progress in the future.  You don’t have to have all the ‘boxes ticked’; it is more important to know the next steps you will need to take to achieve your coordinator goals.  For more top tips on preparing for a deep dive, you can look in Coordinator Tools, Ofsted section for our ‘Ofsted Ready Planning Chart’.

Looking forward

Register challenge to practice and embed language.

Another area we discussed was future proofing.  Laura was acutely aware that should the staffing structure change for any reason, she would need to make sure that class teachers were confident with the delivery of Spanish and had enough subject knowledge to support it.  We discussed delivering an update in a whole staff meeting or INSET session regarding the 12 attainment targets, four skills and three pillars of language learning and how they all work together.  We also agreed it is important that class teachers are aware each week of what their class is learning and where that learning has come from and will move on to.  Even if class teachers are not delivering, they need to have this awareness. This could be as simple as a conversation in the corridor to update, a quick email or post-it note left on the desk of any links to online learning that you would like the class to repeat before the next session.  This led us on to talk about those short re-visits of language between formal lessons which are so crucial for recalling and embedding learning. We decided a ‘register challenge’ could be established once a day where a target language question is asked to each child during the register. 

PLN’s CPD calendar

In terms of Laura’s own CPD, she felt it would be invaluable to observe a specialist teacher and coordinator deliver in another local school which PLN are supporting her with.  Laura is also going to see what the PLN CPD journey can offer her both at coordinator twilights held half-termly online and upskilling sessions with Joanne Eccleshare for her colleagues. 

Finally, Laura wanted some tips on how to make marking more manageable. With responsibility for the majority of language teaching throughout the school, the piles of books can really mount up! I suggested marking more than one week’s pieces at a time which can have the effect of getting through books quicker. Also, sorting books into piles requiring similar feedback is useful. This way, you can post-it note your feedback (eg: ‘remember adjective after noun’, ‘great use of conjunctions’, ‘lower case letters for months’ etc) and verbally respond to the class at the start of the next lesson. Research shows that verbal feedback has the most impact, even better if it can be done ‘live’ (circulating whilst pupils work independently). Stamps and stickers are a great way of speeding up the process. As is a marking code. PLN has developed one for French and Spanish (saved in Coordinator Tools) which you can use or adapt. And remember, not every session will have a written outcome; sometimes the focus will be spoken or listening.

Target language marking codes can help with workload

---

MFL consultancy sessions can run virtually or in person and can cover areas such as: starting out with primary languages in your school and putting together coordinator documentation, preparing for an MFL deep dive or looking for the next challenge. You will be given a full report of the discussion which includes working points and this can be shared with your Head teacher.  Also included is a shorter catch-up session at an agreed future date where we can celebrate progress made and support with anything further. 

If you would like to book Kate for a consultancy session, click the button below or contact sylvia@primarylanguages.network

Video2Teach: 3 unusual ways that teachers are using it to deliver effective Primary Languages

Video2Teach is a video lesson KS2 scheme of work providing, primarily, for the non-specialist languages teacher. It has been highly effective at doing so, having received the award of ‘Highly commended’ at the Teach Primary Awards for foundation subject innovation, it is being used in over 8000 lessons per month in schools all across the UK. Click on the pictures below to see an example clip in French and Spanish

Video2Teach creates the backbone of primary languages lessons throughout KS2. In the scheme, Emilie and Irene are your virtual language specialists and native speakers, delivering progressive learning at the correct stage, with engaging tasks, fun phonics, focused retention work, interactive games and other interesting activities. They allow the teacher in the classroom to become the assistant, pausing and playing the video where required to ensure that learning is ample within the classroom.

However…

To our surprise, this isn’t the only way the scheme is being used. We have learned that Video2teach is not only useful for non-specialists, but for all teachers using the primary curriculum. Here are 3 unusual ways, that the Video2teach scheme is being used to enhance and improve Primary Languages

1. ‘I use the V2T scheme to add another voice in the classroom’
Kate Percival- Primary Languages consultant

Kate Percival- Primary Languages Consultant

Specialist primary language teachers, who do not need to depend on the scheme, are using Video2Teach to maximize the effectiveness of their lessons. Kate, our local expert, finds she uses the scheme to ‘provide a different voice’ to her classes, she wants children to be ‘exposed to a range of different accents of French’ and therefore will use Emilie as this. She finds that V2T also adds ‘a different texture to the class, a different point of interest and focus for children, and sometimes adds the spark that a lesson requires’ whether it be using a ‘tongue twister or story-based lesson’

Another MFL coordinator, Steve Eardley, a fluent Spanish speaker, and specialist languages teacher, will use the Video2teach scheme because he wants children to hear a female Spanish voice as well as his, to make sure students have a fuller range of experience throughout primary language learning, listening to different voices and accents.

2.      A CPD tool for teachers

The Video2teach scheme is a fantastic demonstration of effective primary languages practice, Emilie and Irene bring their own teaching ideas to each lesson, which they use in classrooms every week whilst teaching for PLN. This not only makes the video lessons engaging and effective for non-specialists, but a learning tool or guide for all teachers to learn from and magpie. Specialist teachers are using the lessons as a further CPD tool, watching the videos and pinching ideas, and then adapting their resources and bringing an extra flourish to their own lessons.

The video2teach scheme is also being used with our ITT courses, Joanne Hornby, our ITT trainer suggests the V2T is ‘giving learning teachers a clearer picture of what successful primary language lessons looks like’.

Video2Teach is providing the teachers of tomorrow with a much more concrete idea of what Primary Languages can be, and supports new teachers in their learning and development greatly. Joanne also states that ‘We need to make entry into Primary Language teaching as accessible as possible, and the V2T is a friendly first step’

3.      Hybrid style teaching/ native teacher exposure

Initially, schools whom consist of mainly non-specialist teachers, will depend completely on the video lesson scheme. However, As teachers develop their confidence in delivery of French and Spanish, they seem to take on a hybrid style teaching approach. Using the videos only for when they need the native speaker in the classroom, but taking over when they are not required.

For example using Irene for introducing vocab, grammar, and phonics, but then taking over the lesson for the game and task element, in which specialist language is less essential.

To be able to do this, the teacher must have confidence in themselves, and also requires a critical and open mind. Teachers will initially depend completely on the Video2Teach scheme, but over time, as they learn the structure and pacing of lessons, teachers will become less dependent on the whole video lesson.

At PLN we absolutely love to hear that schools are turning the scheme into something that works for each individual teacher. A confident teacher will feel able to adapt the scheme to both their children and their teaching style. However, they will always depend on the Video2Teach scheme for ‘native speaker exposure’. We want children to listen and see a native speaker every week, to allow mimicking and imitation of correct pronunciation and intonation!

Speaking to teachers that use a hybrid style approach, are finding the balance between video and teacher is something that should be treated on a lesson-by-lesson basis, sometimes they will opt to use the whole video, other times just a couple of minutes!

---

 Final thoughts…

So there we have it, 3 unusual ways that the Video2teach scheme is being used in schools today.

If you are interested in having the scheme in your school, click here for more information, and links to book a free trial, consultation, or purchasing membership.

#3 How to promote self-efficacy in primary schools - 3 part series

View fullsize

I’m Kate Percival, a primary teacher and MFL consultant here at Primary Languages Network. In my blogs, I’ll be sharing top tips and inspirational ideas from the schools and coordinators I’ve been working with.

In the third part of this series we look at further ways to encourage a growth mindset and steps to improve self-efficacy amongst our young language learners.

Read on to find out more.

Kate Percival, Primary MFL Consultant

1.       Language Detective Skills

As adults we know them as ‘transferrable skills’ but our super language detectives are developing skills they can take with them to high school and beyond; with any language they choose.  This is their super power, so tell them this! When faced with a piece of language, what is your first way in? We find what we already know. Look for words we’ve already learnt; colours, numbers, animals, certain set phrases. Then see what we can work out. Cognate words are the same words in English (or near-cognates if they are similar in spelling and pronunciation).  They really are a gift when it comes to unpicking meaning. They can’t always be trusted as in the case of false friend words but this is what makes language interesting.  Next, we need to use very similar strategies to guided reading in English. We teach the children to skim and scan, read for the gist, work out what the unfamiliar words mean by using context.  As a last resort, we know we can use resources around us; working walls, word mats and glossaries, bilingual dictionaries. The key is understanding that we don’t actually need to know what every word means to unpick meaning.  That light bulb moment when children realise they have all the skills they need to understand is brilliant!

Language detectives colour code parts of a sentence eg pronouns, verbs, nouns and conjunctions.

2.       Phonics

Children learn to read English in the UK using phonics.  So it makes sense that they learn to read unfamiliar words in a target language by learning key phonemes and graphemes too. I’m not saying we teach phonics discretely (although graphemes can be taught the same way as words and games played with them etc) but as and when you meet new sounds within the words you are learning, extract them, collect and display them somewhere (poster, working wall, make a model, add to a chart in books) and refer to them when you need them.  This self-efficacious super power was described by language teacher Estelle:

“We collected sounds from words learnt so far.  These collections help pupils become better reading detectives (it could help their spelling and their pronunciation too).  I plan to create a shoebox treasure chest which children post their sounds on ‘coins’ becoming ‘richer and richer’ as the treasure chest fills.”

— Estelle Jones, Palace Fields Primary, Runcorn.

Using a phonics wheel to refer back to previously learnt phonemes and graphemes.

3. Identify the skills! Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing

And finally, over to Lauren for this one:

“My older children love using their knowledge organisers to help them with independent work and they are so good at using them now that they will flip back to KO’s from old topics to check for older vocab/grammar points.
Also, using our AFL tracking clouds reminds children of what we have done so far and gives them the chance to see for themselves what they need to work on. Last week we spent about 15 minutes traffic lighting the clouds and was great to see children saying ‘we didn’t do dictionaries last term! Or ‘we did that in writing but not in speaking’ and really thinking about what they have done and what needs to be done. Last week, I explicitly went through the four language learning skills with examples of activities that we do for each and from this week onwards I’ve been saying ‘which skill(s) will be need to use for this task?’
”

— Lauren Boon, MFL Lead, St Mary’s Academy Trust

This is children using the resources they have at their disposal to further their learning – some schools know it as Brain, Buddy, Book.  To help you identify the skills used in each task throughout the Schemes of Work, PLN now incorporate the picture symbols for Speak, Read, Write, Go Fetch, at the top of the slides.  Look out for them in your next lesson and draw the children’s attention to them. 

Skills icons appear throughout the PLN scheme of work to help identify to children the skills they are working on.

So why teach self-efficacy? Well, once children learn how to help themselves, they can apply those skills across the curriculum, so it helps with all subjects.  They are developing that resilience are always aiming for and a shift in their growth mindset and attitude to learning.  This prepares them for secondary and beyond; transferrable skills so that all children can achieve. And that, in my mind is worth striving for. 

We’d love to hear from you if you have tried a technique and you are seeing results. Equally, let us know if there is something in your practice which really helps to boost confidence and self-esteem in your young language learners. Tag us on Twitter @network_primary or email us to share! kate@primarylanguages.network

---

To book one of our trainers for a twilight or full day session for your school or Trust, get in touch with sylvia@primarylanguages.network

Kate Percival runs MFL consultancy sessions for co-ordinators which can run virtually and can cover areas such as: starting out with primary languages in your school, putting together coordinator documentation, preparing for an MFL deep dive and looking for the next challenge. You will be given a full report of the discussion which includes working points and this can be shared with your Head teacher.  Also included is a shorter catch-up session at an agreed future date where we can celebrate progress made and support with anything further. 

If you would like to book Kate for a consultancy session, contact sylvia@primarylanguages.network or click on the link below:

European Day of Languages 2022

Zooming towards EDoL:
Six inspiring ideas that are out of this world!

This years EDoL interactive crib sheet

At the start of every academic year, we find our minds drawn towards the language celebration on or around 26th September… European Day of Languages!

At PLN, we offer a range of resources linked to a particular theme, plus an archive of previous themes available to members on the Primary Languages VLE.

This year, our theme is all about rockets, positivity and also Eurovision!

1)     I am a rocket

Thanks to the wonderful Joanne Eccleshare, we have another fabulous song to practise with our language learners. Full of positivity, hopes and dreams for the future and available in French, Spanish and English, this song will bring languages to life in school (and quite possibly get stuck in your head!!) With audio files and backing tracks, teachers can join in the singing with the children and have fun consolidating prior learning and picking up some new vocabulary too!

2)     Rocket word art

Sticking with the rocket theme, the children can then go on to create Word Art rockets in French, Spanish or German. The two rocket templates can be filled with colour words or a countdown from September to May… when the UK will be hosting the Eurovision Song Contest!

3)     Ukrainian basics video

It’s important to remember why the UK are hosting Eurovision in 2023, and that is on behalf of Ukraine. Why not have a look at our YouTube video featuring some basic Ukrainian language and phrases… or there may be Ukrainian children in your school who could teach you some more of their native language, what a great opportunity!

4)     Eurovision performance

Perhaps the children will enjoy the rocket song so much that they are inspired to have a mini-Eurovision-style performance in school! There are so many great songs that Joanne has created over the years, and this is a way of really bringing this languages celebration to life. Imagine each year group performing a different song, from Rainbow of Love for EDoL 2020, the Sea Shanty journey song from last year and this year’s Rocket song – what an incredible show that would be! And if the children enjoy performing, they could put on another show in May…

5)     Microphone of positivity

But no performance would be complete without a microphone, I hear you say! This is no ordinary microphone… this is our Microphone of Positivity! As the rocket song is full of positive vibes and affirmations, the children could decorate their microphones with lyrics from the song, feelings phrases learnt in language lessons, positive phrases in another language they know… the possibilities are endless!

Or if the children are feeling creative, they could make a 3D microphone with a kitchen roll tube, use a toy microphone, or even use a hairbrush!

6)     Hopes and roles

In UKS2, the hopes and roles unit could be a great extension activity or lesson. Part of the song includes professions, and this unit allows the children to express what they would like to be when they’re older. Use the professions PowerPoint to introduce the professions and phrase in French, Spanish and German.

So, there you have our six ideas for European Day of Languages 2022, all featured on the EDoL 2022 PDF along with the podcast to talk you through these ideas. I hope you find them inspiring and enjoy celebrating languages in your school!

#2 How to promote self-efficacy in primary schools - 3 part series

View fullsize

I’m Kate Percival, a primary teacher and MFL consultant here at Primary Languages Network. In my blogs, I’ll be sharing top tips and inspirational ideas from the schools and coordinators I’ve been working with.

In the second part of this series we look at further ways to encourage a growth mindset and steps to improve self-efficacy amongst our young language learners.

Read on to find out more.

Kate Percival, Primary MFL Consultant

1.       Practice, practice, practice! – opportunities for recall

We cannot expect children to remember a set of new words which they have only heard a couple of times.  Depending on what you read, research tells us a word needs to be engaged with 12, 25, 60 times before it is assimilated.  We owe it to our learners to give them plenty of opportunity for practice and recall so that working memory is freed up for new learning.  Ideally your warm-up/starter should be a retrieval task recapping previous learning just like our Go Fetch recall activities.  And then, why not make use of those spare two minutes here, five minutes there during the week, usually at transition times, to re-visit language? Listening and joining in with a song again during tidy up time, choosing who lines up for break or lunch by listing vocabulary or answering a target language question, using your PE warm-up time to recap new words in a game of corners. In fact, little and often is most effective with language.  I always say registrations are the most under-used time for learning. Think about it; the two and a half minutes it takes to do the register, twice a day can be a great opportunity to use the target language. Answer with an opinion phrase or the name of a sport for example. Use your PowerPoint on ‘slide sorter’ mode on the board to work through the vocabulary in order if you like. By the afternoon, remove a bit of support and use pictures only or ask the children to respond from memory. The whole class is hearing the repetition of language 30 times as well and this practice, makes perfect!

2.       Differentiated but with a ‘no ceilings approach’

We know tasks need to be differentiated to cater for children’s ability levels and throughout the PLN Schemes of Work, you will be familiar with the ‘circle’ and ‘hexagon’ options of worksheets but it is also worth considering a ‘no ceilings approach’ sometimes where children can have a go at the activity and see where their own level is and tasks like PLN’s ‘Rainbow sentences’ do exactly that.  Children can start small and build up to writing a more complex sentence following the rainbow-ordered columns, all the time knowing that they will achieve a grammatically correct sentence which adds to that sense of achievement.

Rainbow writing scaffolds but does not limit what children are able to write in the target language.

3.       Children set their own targets

I will let Steve explain this one:

““When introducing new vocab, particularly at the start of a half term, I make a point of telling the children that they don’t have to remember them all straight away. Obviously, fantastic if they can but if they can remember 5 (or as many as you can) of them to begin with, that’s brilliant, and then gradually build on that remembering a couple more the week after and so on - and using that same vocab in the different aspects of their language learning throughout the topic will naturally build on that - just so that the children don’t get too overwhelmed. I sometimes sense that sigh of relief in them. It’s not about learning tons of vocab - but how they apply those language learning skills using that vocab. You don’t always have to know what the word means to apply some of those skills!” ”

— Steve Eardley, MFL Coordinator, Michael Drayton Primary School

Reward skills, strategies and steps to self-efficacy

One key thing to remember is that we need to be the role model for the children in our class. Make the mistakes, take time to show how practice makes perfect and share the strategies you use yourself as a lifelong language learner. Find out more steps to self-efficacy in PLN’s next and final blog of the series. Coming soon…

---

To book one of our trainers for a twilight or full day session for your school or Trust, get in touch with sylvia@primarylanguages.network

Kate Percival runs MFL consultancy sessions for co-ordinators which can run virtually and can cover areas such as: starting out with primary languages in your school, putting together coordinator documentation, preparing for an MFL deep dive and looking for the next challenge. You will be given a full report of the discussion which includes working points and this can be shared with your Head teacher.  Also included is a shorter catch-up session at an agreed future date where we can celebrate progress made and support with anything further. 

If you would like to book Kate for a consultancy session, contact sylvia@primarylanguages.network or click on the link below:

#1 How to promote self-efficacy in primary schools- 3 Part series

Insights from a Primary MFL Consultant

I’m Kate Percival, a primary teacher and MFL consultant here at Primary Languages Network. In this blog series, I’ll be sharing top tips and inspirational ideas from the schools and coordinators I’ve been working with. Read on to find out more.

---

I was recently asked to train teachers with Star Institute on the subject of self-efficacy in MFL and it got me thinking.  At the last PLN Leadership twilight, we discussed and skill-shared this topic and having spoken to colleagues and co-ordinators, I realised a lot of what we do in the primary classroom is in an attempt to develop learners’ independence. Independence to be organised (‘Miss, I can’t find my pencil’) to be motivated to learn (‘When is it breaktime?’) and to help themselves know how they learn best. (I don’t get iiiiiiiiit’). Yes, a lot of the time, we hear these responses and rush to sort out the ‘crisis’: ‘Here you go, use this pencil’ ‘Only 10 minutes then it’s time for break’ ‘OK, let me show you how to do it,’ but actually if we want our children to mature into self-efficacious (is that the right adjective?) learners they need to be shown how to help themselves.  With this in mind, I’m finding myself replying ‘OK, how do you think you could solve this problem? What could you do to help yourself here?’

The results are paying off. 

Instead of ‘I can’t do it…’ try ‘I can’t do it yet…’

Sometimes, as adults with years of experience, we forget that children might just have to be explicitly taught how they can become more independent, take responsibility for what they learn and what they achieve. Tackling any of the learnt helplessness we sometimes see in our classrooms. That seismic shift from ‘I can’t do it’ to ‘I will do it’.  Fostering that ‘growth mindset’ rather than a ‘fixed mindset’.

Here are a few of the things we can do to explicitly teach children self-efficacy in MFL, most of which you will almost certainly be already doing but, as I have realised myself not necessarily communicating it with the children themselves. 

1.       Foster a safe culture

Children need to know it’s ok to make mistakes. It’s actually how we learn and improve.  By knowing what isn’t right, we can work out what is. With languages, we all ‘make mistakes’ all of the time. I will often have to double check a spelling in a bilingual dictionary or play a phrase back using an audio sound file just to check pronunciation; it is crucial the children see this as a strength to improvement and not a weakness. So, that culture of ‘having a go’ is very much one of PLN’s Language Detective skills and you’ll see it regularly comes up in the Check for Learning section at the end of our Click2Teach and Video2Teach lessons. Often, my language detective certificate will be given out to that person who has stepped out of their comfort zone to try something new and learn from it. 

Reward strategies, skills and a positive attitude to learning with PLN’s language detective certificate. Found next to each Click2Teach and Video2Teach lesson.

2.       Discuss metacognition: the best ways to memorise words

We use language learning strategies all the time in MFL lessons, I mean all the time. But do you discuss why we use them, and how they help, with the children? When we put our ‘silly’ actions to new words, there is a scientific reason behind it.  It is called a Total Physical Response or TPR developed by Dr James J Asher: by linking something physical with language, the connection strengthens within the brain. Google it – it comes straight up (well, underneath The Pensions Regulator).   I wow the children with this nugget of science and for some, who are initially reluctant to keep up with all the physicality, when you explain that next week when we play a competitive game, those joining in with actions might have more of a chance of winning, they are usually swayed to join in! In fact, when the next week comes and children are focussing on recall, it is often the action they remember first, but soon after follows the language. Magic!

Using actions to aid memory

3.       Active learning styles

www.shaneclark.org.uk

We know children learn through a combination of styles and it is useful for them to work out how they learn best.  I am a note-taker, always have been and always will be. I write lists of the lists I need to write! I’ve noticed some of my Year 6s naturally like to take notes in language lessons and I’m all for that! Some bring a little note book in from home, some like to practise spelling patterns over and over on a whiteboard, some like to annotate their tracking clouds with target language that they know or remember. These are great habits to get into.  For others dual coding supports them and luckily, again, we always accompany new vocabulary with clear pictures, photos, flashcards etc.  Active learners thrive in games like Simon Says, drama and mime activities and of course MFL appeals to the auditory senses too, teaching by songs, rhymes, poems and the richness of sound when focusing on phonics and speaking tasks.  These are all regular features of the primary language lesson and in general, they lead to the fun, joy and laughter that is also key for that all-important motivation. 

4.       Memory hooks – the sillier the better

I love memory hooks: they are a little insight into how the mind works! The silly ones are usually the most memorable.  Mnemonics, sound similarities, links with other words and concepts, whatever the word makes you think of can help in remembering its spelling and meaning.  What make memory hooks even more powerful is sharing them.  I award language detective points to those who tell the rest of the class what their memory hooks are and allow others to ‘magpie’ them if they work for them too! An example might be remembering the word for grape in French as ‘un raisin’ knowing that a raisin in English is a dried grape. Gamers might link the word for tired fatigué to the fatigue level meter on their computer games working out it means a lack of energy.  One of my favourites recently was how to remember the difference between the pronouns for he and she il and elle.  One Year 5 child told me if you put a B in front of both you would get Bill and Belle helping you to remember which is which! (Now I use that to share with others too.) 

Find out more steps to self-efficacy in PLN’s next two blogs. Coming soon…

---

To book one of our trainers for a twilight or full day session for your school or Trust, get in touch with sylvia@primarylanguages.network

Kate Percival runs MFL consultancy sessions for co-ordinators which can run virtually and can cover areas such as: starting out with primary languages in your school, putting together coordinator documentation, preparing for an MFL deep dive and looking for the next challenge. You will be given a full report of the discussion which includes working points and this can be shared with your Head teacher.  Also included is a shorter catch-up session at an agreed future date where we can celebrate progress made and support with anything further. 

If you would like to book Kate for a consultancy session, contact sylvia@primarylanguages.network or click on the link below:

3 Big reasons schools love completing the PLDA

At PLN, we want schools to feel proud of their Primary Languages, and one of the ways we help them to achieve this is through the Primary Languages Development Award (PLDA).

I feel very privileged to be the PLDA mentor, as it allows me to see the language provision of many different schools, some at the start of their language journey and others where languages have been established a long time and are looking to refine their provision.

The schools that complete the PLDA always have something positive to say about the process and their achievement. Here are the three BIG reasons why schools love doing the PLDA:

1)     Put the spotlight on languages

Let’s face it, the primary timetable can be a bit of a squeeze, and it’s a challenge to fit everything in! The priority subjects are often the core subjects of English and Maths and sometimes languages can be a low priority or a time to catch up on daily readers…

The feedback that I get from coordinators completing the award is that it is wonderful to put the spotlight on languages. To achieve the award, the focus becomes languages in school, making sure that teaching and learning is taking place, making links with high schools, celebrating European Day of Languages, establishing assessment and so on…

This can be so rewarding for languages coordinators, to have their subject as a whole school priority, and feel the support of staff, and the achievement at the end of the process which can be proudly displayed and celebrated in school!

2)     Move languages forward

The PLDA assessment criteria are organised into seven sections and there are three levels to achieve: Establishing, Enhancing and Outstanding.

What I always suggest to coordinators is that they look at which criteria they already have evidence for, and to celebrate this as the great features of their existing languages provision. The remaining criteria are then the targets to work towards, and once those targets have been met, they have actively moved their languages provision forwards. Once all the criteria have been met, the award can be sent to school and you can celebrate your achievement!

3)     Unite your staff

Team work makes the dream work! Although the process of evidencing is down to the coordinator, it needs to be a team effort for the award to be a success. There are certain criteria which are centred around the coordinator and the responsibility to collate the evidence lies with him/her. However, to be successful in achieving the PLDA, staff and SLT will need to be on board.

Here are some examples of criteria where the coordinator needs staff involvement:

Staff need to be aware of the DfE Programme of Study, languages need to be mentioned in the School Improvement Plan, and the coordinator needs to demonstrate how he/she supports staff.

I have received lots of great feedback from coordinators saying that they were so proud of what they had achieved and how staff have really got behind them to reach the goal!

A few smaller reasons…

Coordinators love the clear structure of the award that gives them the guidance they need to complete their evidence.

They also appreciate the guidance and support from me during the process and knowing they can ask questions if they get stuck on any of the criteria.

Save the best ‘til last… receiving the award certificate! This is definitely a highlight and a great way to celebrate the hard work of the coordinator, the teamwork of the staff and the fact that PFL has been moved forward in school!

---

 Are you interested in achieving the PLDA? Would you like to put the spotlight on languages and move your provision forwards?

You can find out more details such as pricing and award level descriptions on our PLDA page here. You can also book a consultancy to ask questions about the award, and access the order form if you want to go ahead.