1. An Introduction to Primary Languages
Essex Primary SCITT
Spring Term 2016

2. Objectives
To become familiar with National expectations for language learning
To understand the key principles of early language learning.
To explore ways to introduce languages in the primary classroom.
To consider effective planning for progression in language lessons

3. Your own language learning experience
What was your personal experience of learning a language like?
How could that impact on how you teach languages to young learners?

4. Your role in developing language learning
How can you promote language learning to young learners?
Do you envisage any barriers to being involved in language teaching?
If so, how could these be overcome?
Get delegates to talk in groups about why they think children should be learning a foreign language at primary level. And think about what they can bring to children’s experience.

5. Implications for teaching languages
You don’t have to be fluent in a language to teach it effectively!
Resources are available to support primary practitioners
Keep content limited so that you teach topic areas you are familiar with
From discussion about rationale, get delegates to think about how they feel about their involvement in early language learning.
Take feedback from discussion and talk through key points above.

6. Overview of the national context and expectations

7. Language teaching
The teaching of a foreign language to children from Years 3 to 6 compulsory
National Curriculum 2014 indicates subject content
This covers general skills and knowledge – not particular topic areas or languages.

8. Teaching time
The recommended time allocation for language teaching is a total of one hour per week.
Research has shown that the most effective model is to split this hour into one dedicated lesson of approximately 30 minutes, and some supplementary sessions of 5-10 minutes delivered throughout the school week.
Other models of organisation are possible but language teaching is more effective when appropriately embedded.

9. The National Curriculum for Languages
Purpose of Study
A high-quality languages education should foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. The teaching should enable pupils to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing. It should also provide opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes, learn new ways of thinking and read great literature in the original language. Language teaching should provide the foundation for learning further languages, equipping pupils to study and work in other countries.

10. The National Curriculum for Languages
Programmes of Study/Subject content
Teaching should focus on enabling pupils to make substantial progress in one language
Skills covered:
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing
Understanding Grammar

11. The principles of Early Language Learning

12. Principles of language learning
Key stages:
Repetition
Recognition
Recall
Real context
Go through the cycle for each new topic.
Move between stages, returning to each stage frequently.
Very important to plan progression with language learning. So that children are fully supported and challenged at all times.
Talk delegates through the key stages but explain that this will be much clearer when we try and complete some activities with a topic area.

13. Repetition Using a range of stimulus. E.g. flashcards.
Using another “first voice”. E.g. CD / ICT.
Making repetition varied.
Need for regular practice.
Time to consolidate.

14. Recognition
Children need opportunity to demonstrate understanding through recognition.
Use flashcards and physical responses.
Reinforcement through games.

15. Recall Children get the opportunity to produce the language.
Move to this stage only when children are ready.

16. Real context
Children get the opportunity to use learnt language in a new context. E.g role play.
Children’s learning needs to be extended beyond individual words.

17. Context to practise the 4 Rs
Topic area: colours
Key structure: do you like? I like …
Outcome: survey to find out the class’ favourite colour.

18. Sample activities based on the 4 Rs
Word level activities:
Repetition:
Using a range of voices/ speeds
Hot and cold game
Pass the colour
Recognition:
Repeat only if true
Which number?
Recall:
Either/or
Connect 4
Sentence level activities:
Repetition:
Chanting a sentence
Pass the sentence around your table.
Recognition:
Responding to a sentence
Recall:
Guess my favourite colour
Real context:
What is the group’s favourite colour?
Chant ‘aimes-tu le bleu’ etc in canon. Then pass diff flashcard around each table to practise.

19. Pause for thought How can pupils record the results from their survey?
Which programmes of study have been addressed with these activities?
Could you use similar activities with pupils you are working with? Would they need to be adapted? Would you need support?
About 1 ½ hours to here.

20. Classroom instructions
Giving some instructions in French is a good way of increasing children’s exposure to the language
Start with one or two instructions and build up
Try having an ‘Instruction of the Week’
Practise some instructions from HO

21. Introducing Literacy
Reading and writing skills need to be taught in all year groups
Literacy activities will run alongside oracy activities
The 4Rs approach applies to literacy activities as well as oracy
What are the possible pitfalls when working with the written word?

22. Examples of literacy activities - Reading
Matching written word to picture
Responding to the written word
Reading games
Memory games
Circle games
Word sorting
Dominoes
Pictionary
Reading for a purpose
Do memory game using IWB and word cards. Word sort. Dominoes

23. Examples of literacy activities
Writing
Copy writing
Word games
Hangman
Missing letters
Guessing games
Writing for a purpose
Show on IWB ways of copy writing and missing letters. Talk through others.

24. Ways to reinforce language learning through the week
Using the register
Early morning work
Classroom instructions
P.E. lessons
Other curricular areas
Short games and activities

25. Planning for progression

26. What makes an effective scheme of work for languages?
Driven by demands of NC and the needs of the learners rather than by a resource
Organised into units of work, allowing sufficient time to explore topics in appropriate depth
Each unit includes work at sentence level and has a clear, defined outcome
Clear progression from one unit to the next and from one year group to the next

27. Progression through the scheme
There should be clear progression across the scheme
Progression comes from development of language skills
Increasing complexity of sentence structures also extends children’s language learning

28. Key structures Do you have…..? I have / I don’t have … What is it?
It is …
Do you like….?
I like / I don’t like …
What is there?
There is …
What is it like?
It is …(description)
What would you like?
I would like …
Where is it?
It is... (using prepositions)

29. Key principles of a unit of work
It is built around objectives (from the KS2 Framework or the 2014 Curriculum Programmes of study)
It shows progression from word to sentence level
There is a balance between new and previously learnt language
Pupils are working towards a key end of unit outcome

30. Possible structure of a unit of work
Introduce new vocabulary (individual words or phrases)
Introduce sentence structure
Introduce written forms
Consolidate learning, linking sentence to nouns learnt
Teach/revise any other language needed to prepare for outcome
Complete outcome
Not invariable – particularly as children get older, may intro writing sooner and may have more language to introduce

31. Exploring a unit of work
Unit of Work for Y3 –
The Enormous Turnip

32. Assessing Primary Languages
Not formally tested; use teacher assessment
Statements available to support judgements of each of the skills
Linked to Target Tracker

33. Plenary
How does this approach compare to the way you have learnt another language?
How confident do you feel to teach a language at Primary level?
What are the implications for your own professional development?