1. Evaluating modern language teaching
Sample questions for senior leaders

2. Planning the course
Does the scheme of work provide a cohesive plan from the beginning of KS3 to end of KS4?
Is the course design based on a text-book’s structure or around pupils’ learning needs?
The language course should be seen as one continuous event, with content being planned and sequenced to enable systematic progress from Year 7 through to Year 11.
Teachers need adequate time for planning and access to suitable textbooks and resources. GCSE, as a terminal assessment, should measure how well pupils have learnt the language, but GCSE assessment approaches should not shape the language course from an early stage.
Courses should focus initially on embedding knowledge of the most frequently used words in a language (including verbs) and a strong knowledge of grammatical principles.
Text-books have a place as resources to support learning, but should not provide the basis of a course as not all textbooks are constructed sufficiently well to form the basis of a whole course.

3. Vocabulary How is teaching of vocabulary planned?
Can teachers tell you what words will be taught and when?
How has the order been decided?
How are pupils taught to revise vocabulary?
How is vocabulary learning tested?
Teachers should know which words they plan to teach at each stage of the course (including verbs), and select these based on frequency of use in the language. Common words should be covered in the early stages – this may mean having to review any existing approach which organises learning into thematic topics if this doesn’t lend itself to acquiring vocabulary.
They should plan for multiple encounters with each vocabulary item in contexts which are increasingly less supported, and move from receptive to productive use, so pupils have multiple opportunities to transfer these words from the working memory to the long term memory.
Vocabulary testing – what interventions are there when students are not remembering words they have been taught? (is this because words aren’t being encountered frequently enough?) What self-testing and revision resources are available to pupils?

4. Grammar How is teaching of grammar planned and sequenced?
How does assessment of grammar teaching inform corrective or remedial teaching and intervention?
What core grammatical features will students have mastered by the end of each year?
What grammar is taught at what stage? And how is each topic introduced, explained and practised?
Research indicates that:
succinct explanations lead to more rapid mastery than relying solely on students identifying patterns themselves and extrapolating grammatical rules from them. However, explanation needs to be complemented by various forms of practice
if practice forces attention on understanding the function of the grammar in the input (listening and reading), then initial explanations are not always necessary ie. practice that makes noticing and interpreting the function of the grammar essential is key
in formal approaches to grammar teaching, there is a risk of overloading students with too many features at once. Too many grammatical features introduced in one go will lead to difficulty in using the grammatical features accurately in practice. Often, aiming to master a pair of features at a time and their meaning/function can be effective.

5. Phonics/pronunciation
Are foreign language phonics taught to pupils in the early stages?
How do you know this approach is successful?
Evidence, including from the most effective practitioners, is that direct and systematic teaching of phonics in the new language is the most reliable method for assuring accurate pronunciation and spelling.
It’s good practice to plan for the systematic and incremental teaching of phonics in the new language. This will help pupils achieve accurate pronunciation and greater confidence in speaking the language.
The aim should for a learner to pronounce from written form most words accurately, including those not yet explicitly taught; and that they can produce potentially accurate spelling of new words. Various exercises can feature as part of a planned approach to teaching and practising phonics, such as note-taking, dictation or dictogloss, reading aloud passages to practise pronuciation
How is pronunciation assessed/tested or reviewed?

6. Use of the new language
What opportunities are there for pupils at each stage in their learning to speak the new language in the classroom?
How is the language used in a planned and systematic way to reinforce language previously taught?
What is the balance in the classroom between pupil and teacher use of the new language?
Where the new/target language is used by the teacher, is elicited from pupils, and builds on previously taught language, it is a highly effective way of embedding language in the long term memory, practising recall and encouraging use for real and creative communication. Use of the new language in the classroom is one part of a number of strategies for teaching and practice of language. This needs to be supported by strong direct teaching. Otherwise, however carefully planned, it is unlikely to result in good student progress.
What methods do teachers employ to ensure oral mastery of the new language?
How much of the new language is spoken in the classroom? (teachers should use English judiciously where explanation or instruction is needed. This must be carefully balanced with the need to provide as much new language as possible in the limited time available)
Don’t equate use of memorised chunks of vocabulary or fixed phrases with a full development of language competence. Free, creative manipulation of language comes only when learners recognise grammatical patterns and vocabulary and can use them in different contexts.
Ask about error tolerance  

7. Textbooks What, if any, textbooks are used?
How are they used and how extensively?
How well do they support a planned approach to teaching vocabulary and grammar?
The best textbooks introduce and revisit vocabulary systematically; introduce a wide range of commonly used words, especially verbs, early; and have a clear and well sequenced grammatical structure running through them. It’s hard to find a textbook that delivers all of this, and some schools we spoke to either didn’t use textbooks, used them only as a supplementary resource, and/or produced their own handouts, vocabulary lists, exercises etc.

8. Use of enriching and stimulating materials
What authentic materials are used to support learning?
Are the materials appropriate for the stage of the course pupils have reached and build on vocabulary and grammar taught?
Do they provide interest or knowledge of another country?
Pupils should have an opportunity for culturally and socially enriching contact with people from other countries
Too often, practise involves communicating meanings already known to the pupil and teacher eg. asking for their own name, physical description, hobbies, or asking and giving information to a fictitious penfriend/exchange partner where here is no genuine information gap etc.
Use of authentic materials, planned in such a way as to support systematic sequencing of vocabulary and grammar, gives an opportunity to develop ability in the language and an awareness of its culture in a meaningful way
Using the newly learnt language to teach pupils about the history, culture, religion, politics, music, film or literature of the new country can be very effective
What opportunities are provided to students to travel to the country or interact with ‘real’ speakers of the target language? For example is this using visits, where possible, internet and virtual communication opportunities, or other opportunities such as foreign language assistants?
How is technology effectively used to improve language teaching?  Is there any scope for the development of this?

9. Transition from primary school
What knowledge do pupils bring with them – of English grammar and of other languages - from primary school or from home?
How is this knowledge used?
Does the school have links with its main feeder primary schools to find out what pupils have covered in the KS2 curriculum?
Pupils are joining secondary schools with a better understanding of English grammar and grammatical terminology than before. While some of English grammar terminology differs from that used for French, German or Spanish, many of the concepts are similar. To overlook the opportunity this represents to build continuity in learning from KS2 English to the secondary foreign language is a significant missed opportunity.
Primary schools are teaching foreign languages to differing degrees and a significant number of pupils come from homes where another language may be spoken. What do teachers know about what new pupils have been taught? Can it be built on?

10. Attitudes to language teaching
What proportion of students continue to study a language beyond key stage 3?
What are pupils’ views of how they have been taught languages?
What does the department/school do to promote studying a language?
In some schools, all pupils or all of those in higher ability sets may be required to select a language as one of their KS4 options. If higher ability pupils must take a language GCSE, what proportion of other pupils continue with studying a language? If low, why?
Has a survey been carried out to gauge KS3 and KS4 pupils’ views of their language learning? Do they enjoy language lessons? Do they feel they are making progress?
Do pupils/parents understand the benefits of studying a language? Do they appreciate that pupils of all abilities can learn a language, not just the more able?
What is the status/perception of languages within the school? How does the language department’s profile compare to other subjects?
What opportunities are provided to students to develop independent language learning beyond the classroom?
How do you reinforce the relevance of MFL at a classroom, department, school and community level?