‘Language World’ Oxford 2007

‘Discovering Language’A multi-lingual ‘language awareness’ project,funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation,

directed by the Association of School and College Leaders

Peter Downes, Project Director

Cath White, Cavalry Primary School, March, Cambs

Amanda Barton, University of Manchester

The problems facing primary schools as theyseek to implement the

National Languages Strategy

Shortage of time in the curriculum (pressure forimprovements in literacy and numeracy)

Shortage of teachers with qualifications and experiencein teaching MFL

The transfer arrangements from primary to secondary(parental preference being government policy) makes it virtually impossible to plan a coherent programme round the teaching of ONE Language through from 7+ to 14+

The language need of English native speakers is diversity,NOT just one language (which would probably be French for historical reasons)

The ASCL/EFF project

9 primary schools, 460 pupils, feeding into 5 secondary schools

In Years 5 and 6, pupils learn the basics of 6 languages, one term each, but with a ‘Language Awareness approach’

Taught by the class teacher, non-specialist, with user-friendly materials, notes, lesson plans, supported at arms length by a MFL specialist

French German Latin Japanese Spanish Punjabi

In September 2006, pupils moved on to secondary schools, started ‘linear’ language learning and their outcomes and attitudes are being compared with those of pupils from non-project schools

Quantitative and qualitative evaluation is being carried out by University of Manchester

‘Language Awareness’ – what is it?  

Explicit knowledge about language and conscious perception and sensitivity in language learning, language teaching and language use.  Within the primary school context: Knowledge about        the basic structures of language       the link between speech and writing      language in its cultural context      language and geography      language and history      language and society The aims of LA teaching with younger pupils       stimulate an interest in the phenomenon of communication      put language learning into context      indicate the range of languages, how they change and inter-relate      encourage careful observation and develop listening skills provide the conceptual framework and meta-language for future ‘linear’ language

learning

 

Discovering Language

Catherine WhiteCavalry Primary School, March

How it all began• September 2004 – Esmée Fairbarn

Foundation• Discovering Language project • Initial plan 6 languages over 2

years withY5 and Y6• ARGH!!• French, German, Latin, Japanese,

Spanish and Punjabi

Initial thoughts• How am I going to fit this in to the already

squashed curriculum?• Do I know enough about the languages to

undertake this, especially Japanese and Punjabi?

• How long is it going to take me to plan these lessons and do I have the time to do it?

• What if the children ask me a question I don’t know?

Problems Solved•Enthusiasm•Support from the top•Resources•Confidence to say I don’t

know, but I’ll find out•Support groups

The Resources

• French – La Jolie Ronde - Tout le Monde

• German – Early Start

• Latin - Minimus

Resources

• Spanish – Early Start

• Punjabi – Written by Baljit Bahra

• Japanese – Ready Steady NihonGo! Written by Katherine Donaghy and Tatsuya Nakagome

Japanese NumbersJapanese Numbers

数字数字

PP1

1

一

2

二

3

三

4

四

5

五

6

六

7

七

8

八

9

九

10

十

Children counting in Japanese

Teaching Ideas•Cross Curricular Links•Geography•Maths•Literacy•PE•Register

Discovering Language and

Language Awareness• Focus on the similarities and differences between languages.

• Looked at how words have travelled between language communities in French and German.

• English has absorbed elements of Latin e.g. n.b, a.d

• Gender of words from most of the languages.

Discovering Language and

Language Awareness•Building up of the number

system in Japanese and the differences between that and English.

•The different scripts – Japanese and Punjabi

What the children think!

• We love it! It is not like doing proper work!

• Love learning something that no one else knows!

• We get to know about people in other countries and about their languages.

• It’s really fun because we get to play games and sing songs.

Reflections• Managed to fit it into the curriculum.• Lesson preparation made easier by

having good resources.• Enjoying learning with my pupils.• Positive reaction from pupils and

parents and Ofsted!• Approach spread across the school

and teachers succeeding and enjoying it!

Towards a coherent strategy?

Year 3 and 4 – ‘Investigating Languages’ – stimulating an interest in languages, comparing, contrasting,developing listening skills and word identification

Years 5 and 6 – ‘Discovering Language’ – a longer exposureto a range of languages

Years 7 – 9 Learning a specific language, aiming for accreditation including GCSEat the end of Year 9

Years 10 and beyond – developing MFL1 further, startingMFL 2 or MFL3 for specific purposes

‘Discovering languages’ evaluation

School of Education,

University of Manchester

(Dr. Amanda Barton, Joanna Bragg, Dr. Ludovica Serratrice)

Methodology

• 336 Year 6 pupils completed questionnaires in June 2006.

• 5/6 pupils interviewed in each school in June/July (n=41)

• All available primary staff who were involved were interviewed (n=13)

• 148 parents completed questionnaires• Head of each school interviewed face to face

What are the potential benefits of a multilingual model?

Pupils: - Equipped them with the basics to survive in a number of

other countries- Preferable for pupils who might struggle with/dislike one

particular language- Good preparation for secondary school- Cultural benefits:

“I think it’s important because other countries are different to our country. If we hadn’t learned about their culture we might do something to offend them, not knowing that we had offended them, because we do things differently.”

What are the potential benefits of a multilingual model?

Pupils: • Appreciated that they would have gained more in-depth

knowledge of one language only

Pupils & teachers:- Sustains interest

Teachers:- Lower ability children and those with SEN had benefited in

particular (‘levelling effect’/ ‘new start’ boosts self-esteem & kinaesthetic/oral activities were particularly well-received by these children).

What are the potential benefits of a multilingual model?

Teachers:- Risk of children becoming bored in Y7 if they were having to re-learn

a language. - Overcomes problem of subject knowledge in primary practitioners:

“….the teachers here aren’t experts.”- Cultural dimension:

“We’ve got a lot out of it, not just the language. There’s been the broader aspect as well.”

Headteachers:- Enabled pupils to “look at the different skills involved in learning

languages” rather than just acquiring linguistic knowledge. (Backed by feeder secondary school where 3 languages are taught).

- Sustainability: programme does not require language specialists

Ease of use

Background:• Most teachers invited to teach the programme had

a qualification in a language, although A level was the highest qualification. Most had (rusty) GCSE or equivalent.

• The majority of the teachers had never taught a language.

• All teachers had to teach languages with which they were unfamiliar; Japanese & Latin were viewed as the most challenging.

Ease of use

• Staying ‘one step ahead of the children’ was viewed both positively and negatively:

- source of pressure for some staff, especially when the CD was the only model

- “something different, something new”- “I was quite excited because it was a

learning thing for me to do as well. A lot of homework!”

The contribution of the programme to the primary curriculum

• Literacy: pupils drew links between English and FL structures; improved understanding of metalanguage, e.g. ‘verbs’ & ‘adjectives’; sensitised pupils to concept of singular & plural; increased awareness of the origins and meanings of words in English:“…the pupils now consider grammar and the way language works. In that way, I think it has helped their understanding of the English language.”

• Latin cited as especially helpful in improving literacy – awareness of gender, grammar and word order.

The contribution of the programme to the primary curriculum

• Intercultural understanding: “It’s put the language learning in a context so that

people can see how the language fits into the culture.” (Headteacher)

• Links with other subject areas, e.g. Latin & Romans; geography; spontaneous use of TL in other subjects.

• Increased pupils’ confidence in speaking & listening in English & enabled teachers to identify pupil strengths & weaknesses in these areas.

Parental responses

• 148 parents completed questionnaires• 91% felt that languages should be taught in

primary school.• 60% of these felt that a range of languages should

be taught.• 76% of all parents felt that their child had

benefited from the programme.• 67% indicated that learning languages can help

children in other subjects.

Language teaching in the future in the project schools

• All schools set to continue with a modified version of ‘Discovering language’: 5/7 to extend further down the school

Modifications:

- Continue with French, German, Spanish & Latin only- Pupils learn a different language each term, but embedded

in the curriculum- Omit Latin & re-order so that European language would be

taught, then non-European- Continue with class teachers teaching their own classes