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Schools

March 2010

The 21st century teacher:modern foreign languages

Using technology to enhancemodern foreign languages teaching


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The 21st century teacher: modern foreign language 02

This publication offers insight into howtechnology can be used by teachers ofmodern foreign languages, highlightingopportunities to extend subject pedagogyand ICT skills. Other publications in

the series offer the opportunity to seehow technology is used in other subjectsand the cross-fertilisation of ideasand practice.


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Uing chnolog o nhncmorn forign lngug

As technology becomes a greater part of everyday life, it is

only natural that it becomes a central and essential part of

21st century learning. Learners are already engaging

extensively with technology and expect it to be used in school.

How do teachers beneft romthe integration o technologyinto all aspects o their role and

enhance the learningexperience o young people?

21st century teachers of modernoreign languages (MFL) usetechnology for numerousactivities in a similar way to theteaching of other subjects. Theyembed technology throughoutthe learning experience for theirlearners, ensuring the use of

technology supports the learningand teaching of the subject.

Like all teachers they willemploy technology to:

1. Enhance teaching andlearning by:

using a range of technologies

to cater for different learningstyles

using technology to enablelearners to collaborate withpeers and with partner schoolsand their students.

2. Improve administrationand planning:

for learning and teaching,

reusing and adaptingdocuments

by using technology to accessand share information andenhance your personalknowledge ofMFL andunderstanding of professionalissues around the subject.

3. Improve assessment andreporting by:

recording learner achievement

and attainment electronically,tracking pupil progress andusing the information inassessment for learning

communicating with parentselectronically through emailand the school learningplatform.

The above are just a few

examples and not meant to be acomprehensive list. Thefollowing pages give somepractical advice how teachers ofMFL (primary and secondary)use technology.


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Lrningn ching

Bringing learners into contact with the culture of other

countries where the target language is spoken is a priority for

21st century teachers. Cultural topics can range from cuisine,

sport and famous people to regional diversity and festivals.

The internet offers access toopportunities for whole-classwork (which can be done using

the interactive whiteboard). Sitesfor primary teachers includePrimary French and Languagesonline. Some sites also offerteaching ideas to help make thelearning of languages fun.

TheTeaching ideassite has awealth of starting points for theprimary classroom. Secondaryteachers may use sites such asAsisehace.net to provide learningresources (such as podcasts)covering grammar or situationallanguage. Students can usethese exibly at school or home.

Creating opportunities orcommunication

Teachers provide their learners

with access to native speakersand authentic languagesituations through the internetand also to facilitatecommunication in the targetlanguage with their peers in thisand other countries. Theyexchange emails, or use socialnetworking sites, such asThinkquest for collaborative

work, discussion forums and tobuild friendships.

Email, blogs and learningplatforms are all tools used bythe 21st century teacher tocommunicate with students,providing feedback or guidance.

CasestUdy

Using the technology todevelop language skills

Pupils at Mid Calder PrimarySchool, West Lothian, useemail and blogs to write astory in collaboration withFrench pupils.

James Walker and the buried

treasure was written,

illustrated and published bypupils at this school, withalternate chapters in Frenchand English. The pupilsreceived a chapter from theirpartner French school, andworked together to pick outvocabulary and translatephrases. They then continuedthe story themselves and

sent their chapter over to theFrench pupils.

continued overleaf
http://www.primaryfrench.net/http://www.languagesonline.org.uk/http://www.languagesonline.org.uk/http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/foreignlanguages/contents.htmhttp://www.asisehace.net/http://www.thinkquest.org/http://www.thinkquest.org/http://www.asisehace.net/http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/foreignlanguages/contents.htmhttp://www.languagesonline.org.uk/http://www.languagesonline.org.uk/http://www.primaryfrench.net/


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CasestUdy

A blog was set up and thechildren producedillustrations for each chapter.Parents and other pupilsvoted for the school whosework they preferred. In

groups, the children thenused Windows Movie Makerto produce an animation forsome of the chapters. Thismeant they could experimentand be creative whilelearning more of the targetlanguage.

The schools have developed agreat partnership, and thepupils can use videoconferencing and email todevelop their speaking andlistening skills further.

Read more at the CILT(National Centre orLanguages) site.

Teachers who are making themost of technology identifyauthentic target language textson the internet. Sites includePequenet andMomes, whichthey can use for whole-classwork.

Teachers can also use the

internet to form partnershipswith schools abroad forcollaborative projects. TheeLanguages site is a globalonline community of teacherssharing ideas and workingtogether with their students oncurriculum-relevant projects.Video conferencing is anothertechnology that can bring

students into direct contact withtheir counterparts in targetlanguage countries.

Technology is used by teachers ofMFL for submission tocompetitions, such as theEuropean Award or Languages.

Creating learning materials

Authoring software such asTask magic andFun with textshelps teachers create learningmaterials. These can be used bystudents in a variety of ways:from home, school or as a wholeclass on the interactivewhiteboard. Generic wordprocessing or presentationsoftware can be used by teachersto create learning activities, oftenwith multimedia content.

Encouraging independent

learning

Teachers facilitate students useof the school network or blogs topost assignments, or showcase

creative work includingpresentations, text, voicerecordings and video clips.Learners also use voicerecorders and editing software tocreate podcasts.
http://www.cilt.org.uk/home/valuing_languages/european_award_for_languages/2009_winners/a_novel_idea.aspxhttp://www.cilt.org.uk/home/valuing_languages/european_award_for_languages/2009_winners/a_novel_idea.aspxhttp://www.cilt.org.uk/home/valuing_languages/european_award_for_languages/2009_winners/a_novel_idea.aspxhttp://www.pequenet.com/http://www.momes.net/http://elanguages.org/http://www.cilt.org.uk/home/valuing_languages/european_award_for_languages.aspxhttp://www.mdlsoft.co.uk/http://www.camsoftpartners.co.uk/fwt.htmhttp://www.cilt.org.uk/home/valuing_languages/european_award_for_languages/2009_winners/a_novel_idea.aspxhttp://www.cilt.org.uk/home/valuing_languages/european_award_for_languages/2009_winners/a_novel_idea.aspxhttp://www.cilt.org.uk/home/valuing_languages/european_award_for_languages/2009_winners/a_novel_idea.aspxhttp://www.camsoftpartners.co.uk/fwt.htmhttp://www.mdlsoft.co.uk/http://www.cilt.org.uk/home/valuing_languages/european_award_for_languages.aspxhttp://elanguages.org/http://www.momes.net/http://www.pequenet.com/


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Using editing sotware toimprove pronunciation

A Year 9 teacher atCramlington Learning Villageused Audacity software with

students to record a play theyhad scripted based on the useof high frequency words inlanguage learning. Their peersand teacher listened and madesuggestions for improvingpronunciation and language.The students then acted on thisfeedback by editing theirAudacity le with the required

improvements.

Students then uploaded thenalised version of their work(in mp3 format) to theGo!Animate site and used itas a voiceover for an animationthey made to go along withthe script.

Students then shared thisonline via their e-portfolio(supplied by Realsmart) andreceived summative feedbackfrom their teacher and

comment-based feedbackfrom their peers. Theiranimation was also availablethrough the Go!Animatewebsite to anyone they wishedto share it with.

Speaking is an extremelydifcult skill to improvebecause as soon as the wordshave left your lips, you are

unable to redraft them to makethem better. Using Audacitymeant that students could editindividual sections of theirvoiceover to improve rightdown to improving thepronunciation of a single word.

Find out more at Teachers TV:Hard To Teach Secondary MFL Using ICT

www.chr.v

Teachers of MFL use applicationssuch as Glogster with students,which enables them to createtheir own posters with video andaudio and Voki, which lets themcreate their own speakingavatars. They also use AnimotoandVoicethread to create onlinepublications and animations to

develop their oral and writingskills.

Teachers facilitate their studentsto use learning platforms tocommunicate with fellowstudents and create personalpages that incorporate photos,video, and voice recordings. Wikisare also used by learners for

collaborative activities and byteachers to promote debate,co-operation and to providefeedback.

CasestUdy
http://goanimate.com/http://goanimate.com/http://www.glogster.com/http://www.voki.com/http://www.voki.com/http://animoto.com/http://voicethread.com/#homehttp://voicethread.com/#homehttp://animoto.com/http://www.voki.com/http://www.glogster.com/http://goanimate.com/http://goanimate.com/


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Administration and planning

The 21st century teachers ofMFL use technology todocument their planning. Theyrecord pupil achievement inelectronic format to informparents. Plans, once storedelectronically, are adapted fordifferent groups of pupils,thereby creating an increasedelement of personalisation anddifferentiation.

As part of their planning,teachers of MFL use technologyto create resources, for personaluse and to share withcolleagues. These resources areplaced on the school network or

learning platform. Materials aretagged or hyperlinked frommaster planning documents, sothat colleagues can nd relevantresources easily and efciently.Colleagues then use and adaptthese resources, thus creating agrowing resource bank.

When planning, teachers use theinternet to identify onlineactivities for students. Sites suchas Languages online provide arange of interactive activities thatstudents can pursueindependently. Teachers alsocreate their own resources andshare these online with the

wider community. For instance,teachers at the AshcombeSchool offer a range of resourceson the school website, includingactivities that can be used withthe iPhone.

ThePrimary resources site hasa variety of resources that

primary teachers can use andadapt for their own purposes.

Teachers of MFL use email anddiscussion forums to shareideas, create and updateschemes of work, reviewresources and contribute to ICTpolicy development. Theydownload relevant policydocuments and use technology

to share opinions and frameresponses where necessary.

They regularly updateonline areas where studentwork is showcased. TheAll Saints Languages Blog is anexample of this.

Whether it be participating informal online professionaldevelopment, or attending ICT

training to update skills, 21stcentury teachers keep theirknowledge and skills up to date.They engage informally onlinewith colleagues nationwide,using, for example, Box o tricks,Flashmeeting or TalkaboutPrimary Languages.
http://www.languagesonline.org.uk/http://www.ashcombe.surrey.sch.uk/Curriculum/modlang/index.htmhttp://www.ashcombe.surrey.sch.uk/Curriculum/modlang/index.htmhttp://www.primaryresources.co.uk/mfl/mfl_french.htmhttp://www.allsaintslanguagesblog.typepad.co.uk/http://www.boxoftricks.net/http://lmhtob.wikispaces.com/http://primarymfl.ning.com/http://primarymfl.ning.com/http://primarymfl.ning.com/http://primarymfl.ning.com/http://lmhtob.wikispaces.com/http://www.boxoftricks.net/http://www.allsaintslanguagesblog.typepad.co.uk/http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/mfl/mfl_french.htmhttp://www.ashcombe.surrey.sch.uk/Curriculum/modlang/index.htmhttp://www.ashcombe.surrey.sch.uk/Curriculum/modlang/index.htmhttp://www.languagesonline.org.uk/


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Assessment and reporting

The 21st century teachers ofMFL contribute to the schoollearning platform/website,which informs parents andlearners about the work thattakes place in the classroom. Italso links to useful resourcesthat learners might use at hometo develop language skills (suchas Voki.com, which allows usersto create speaking avatars).

Teachers use proprietarysoftware to predict futureperformance and set targets forimprovement. They use ICT toinform parents of their childrensprogress and levels ofattainment. They also useproprietary software forcontinuous assessment of

performance. Students can usethe software for self-assessmentand to track their own progress.Teachers monitor individualperformance, providingfeedback, setting personaltargets and matching to NationalCurriculum levels. The softwarestores pupil data, video, text,audio and assessment details, as

a continuous learning portfolio.The software also provides aneasily accessible instantoverview of progress overtime for student, teacher,and parents.

In the classroom, teachers uselearner response/voting systems(handheld interactive personalresponse devices) for formativeor summative assessment.These give immediate feedbackto students and monitorindividual performance.

Teachers also use technologysuch as video recorders, blogsand wikis to gather material forcontinuous assessment ofstudents target language skillsand competence. Student work,text, audio les, animatedposters or video clips, can bepresented on the whiteboard andused to develop criteria-based

peer assessment skills in whole-class discussion.
http://www.voki.com/http://www.voki.com/


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ar ou 21 cnurchr of MFL?

About you

Consider what you do towards developing your range

of professional teaching skills with technology.

Do you use technology to access and share information and enhance your personalknowledge of the language/languages you teach and the culture of target countriesand understanding of professional issues around MFL?

Do you use technology to access information and concepts using the authentic voicesof your target language communities?

Do you support your learners to record and share audio and video to support andrene all four language skills and provide feedback, including peer assessment,e.g. podcasts?

Do you use technology to enable contact and collaboration between learnersand with partner schools and their learners?

Do you extend learning by providing MFL activities and resources on thelearning platform or website?

Regula

rly

Do you audit the range of resources, software and hardware used in theteaching of MFL and identify any gaps in provision?

Someti

mes

Notatall



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dicovrmor onlin

For further help and ideas on how to turn your checklistinto actions, try reviewing some of these resources.

CILT, The National Centre for LanguagesProvides independent advice on all aspects oflanguage teaching, learning and use and aims to

improve the teaching and learning of languages.

MFL SunderlandWritten by MFL teachers for MFL teachers. Bothprimary and secondary. There are resources, links

and support, including an online forum.

Languages ICTAdvice, guidance, resources, and many casestudies exemplifying best practice with ICT inteaching and learning of MFL.

MFL Resourcesand Teacher Resource Exchange:Resources created by teachers for teachers.

E-TwinningUse ICT to form a partnership for collaborativeproject work with schools in Europe.

Primary LanguagesThe national gateway to advice, information andsupport for the teaching of primary languages. MYLO: The Open School for Languages

An online learning tool aimed at Key Stage 3offering a range of innovative learning activities.Covers French, Spanish, German and Mandarin.

Association for Language Learning (ALL)Up-to-date useful information for all those whoteach MFL. Special one-stop-shop, including casestudies, dealing with the New SecondaryCurriculum (www.all-nsc.org.uk/nsc/ )

Learning and Teaching Scotland MFLExcellent advice, resources, including blogsand podcasts.

BBC Schoolsand BBC LanguagesInvaluable resources for teachers of languages at

primary and secondary levels.

Ictopus

A support service for primary education offeringfree good quality lesson ideas and teachingsuggestions using technology in MFL.
http://www.cilt.org.uk/http://www.sunderlandschools.org/mfl-sunderland/http://www.languages-ict.org.uk/http://www.mflresources.org.uk/http://tre.ngfl.gov.uk/http://tre.ngfl.gov.uk/http://www.etwinning.net/en/pub/index.htmhttp://www.primarylanguages.org.uk/home.aspxhttp://mylo.dcsf.gov.uk/http://www.all-languages.org.uk/http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/mfle/index.asphttp://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/http://www.bbc.co.uk/languageshttp://www.ictopus.org.uk/index.php?sc=2&sub=1&pg=3&sort=releasedate&sortorder=%20DESC&subjID=6http://www.ictopus.org.uk/index.php?sc=2&sub=1&pg=3&sort=releasedate&sortorder=%20DESC&subjID=6http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/mfle/index.asphttp://mylo.dcsf.gov.uk/http://www.etwinning.net/en/pub/index.htmhttp://tre.ngfl.gov.uk/http://www.mflresources.org.uk/http://www.sunderlandschools.org/mfl-sunderland/http://www.bbc.co.uk/languageshttp://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/http://www.all-languages.org.uk/http://www.primarylanguages.org.uk/home.aspxhttp://www.languages-ict.org.uk/http://www.cilt.org.uk/


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