1. Rob Illingworth An engaging languages day - building participation and KS4 Hall Park Academy

2. Building an active and engaging languages day. For RTSA MFL Teach Meet: 15 th July 2015

3. Rationale Since languages has become optional at the HPA student uptake has dropped dramatically. Only sixteen students in our Y11 cohort had chosen to take a language. One of the aims of this day was to raise the profile of languages with students and parents. To in an engaging way, increase the uptake across the school and include a variety of French cultural links.

4. Sessions We wanted to make sessions as engaging and active as possible and decided on the following sessions: Assembly (with Q+A with Edouard Shoenecker, native French speaker from the Nottingham Forest Academy) French PE lesson (handball) French fashion French food French music These were chosen as subject likely to be the most motivational for students.

5. Assembly The assembly looked at the importance of learning languages. It included: 1. A Presentation by me about languages 2. Q+A with Edouard Shoenecker (with listening grid for students) 3. Experiences of students of languages at GCSE (which were very powerful)

6. Sport - Handball During this sessions students completed a PE lesson about handball in French including: A warm up: This was followed by a task on body parts and intructions (e.g Jetez, sautez etc) Handball shooting drill: This used the instructions from the drill to practise shooting in handball Game refereed in French: This allowed students to use the skill practised and Y9 referees were provided with refereeing terms and signals in French which were shared with the students, allowing this to work.

7. Music This session followed on from our unit on music. It worked as follows: Quick on the draw: Key language dictionary race to extend subject specific language to talk about music. Modelled example Mini-White Board: Opinions and reasons on music (timed) Faux Radio Show: students take part in a radio phone in about the new music in the charts they have heard.

8. Food During this sessions students: 1. Seated in French by GCSE students 2. Matched up pictures to French menu. 3. Ordered food from the menu in French 4. Were given an “amuse bouche” taster plate of French foods to try. 5. Students asked and answered questions about the food they had tried (using key skill bingo card) 6. Students learned how to complete a cheque in French and paid the bill for their food

9. Fashion This was set up like a mini textiles design project, where students? 1. Annotated the key features in the designs of a famous French fashion designer 2. Used this to design an outfit in the style of this designer. 3. Presented their design in French to a panel of GCSE students (Using the support sections of the design sheet)

10. Feedback from pupils

11. Comments from feedback We tried lots of different things and I was surprised how much of the PE session I understood. I even learned how to call M. Illingworth a cheat in French! I enjoyed the fashion session because we learned how to talk about clothes in more detail. It was a bit like doing Textiles but in French. Although I quite liked the music session it is frustrating that you can’t understand the songs. Some of the music was very funny.

12. Impact Following the success of this day: 24 students said this day made them more likely to choose and language. 43 students chose to do a language at GCSE (which means 20/24 were converted in options choices) 4 students have chosen both French and German This is approaching three times the uptake from previous years.