a language is for life not just for gcse

Flying High ConferenceLoughborough, February 2008

A language is for life not just for GCSE

Rachel Hawkes February 2008

If not GCSE, then what?

• Asset Languages

• Language Leaders Award

• ASDAN

• CULP (Cambridge University Language Project)


Asset Languages

• Pupils with additional (home) languages

• End of KS3?

• Instead of GCSE (with ASDAN/CULP/ Language Leaders/new language)

• Accrediting extra-curricular programmes


Language Leaders Award


Interim Report: Mike Tomlinson February 2004

“An extended piece of personal work is one of the ways in which our proposed system of programmes and diplomas would increase significantly the challenge and variety of 14-19 learning. The project would be a substantial piece of work appropriate to the level of individual learners’ wider programmes and diplomas. Activities such as community, school or college service, experience of work and personal interests such as sports or arts can provide both opportunities for informal learning and personal development, and enrich young people’s lives and their engagement as active citizens within their local communities.”


What does it do for young people?

• reward their language learning

• give them a purpose and context for their language skills

• develop their generic communication and leadership skills

• give them a better understanding of themselves as learners

• give a better understanding of the role of the teacher

• enhance their self-esteem and confidence

• improve their evaluative and analytical skills

• increase their personal attainment in a foreign language


What does it involve?

• suggested 25-30 hours delivery of course• MFL teacher who can be explicit about aspects

of pedagogy (ITT mentor)• 5 ‘taught’ units to prepare leaders for language

leading activity• Continuous assessment by teacher• Minimum of 1 hour (4 x 15 mins) language

activity planned, delivered and evaluated by the language leader (assessed by teacher)


Units of the Award

Unit 1 Planning, preparing and assisting a simple language activity

Unit 2Communicating and motivating participants in a simple language activity

Unit 3Cultural understanding of the chosen country

Unit 4Compendium of language games and activities

Unit 5Organise and run a language festival for younger participants

Unit 6Demonstration of leadership skills in foreign languages


Issues to consider

• Who to deliver it to

• When to deliver it

• Primary school links for unit 6 experience

• External validation

• Costs (£40 Teacher pack, £12 per pupil)

There is currently no wider recognition against a framework (e.g. GCSE points) and if QCA were to be approached to do this, further levels of verification would be introduced.



Overview of the course


Autumn Term: Developing teaching skills

Spring Term: Planning own lessons

Summer Term: Teaching in Primary


Preparing to teach: Autumn Term – developing skills• Language of the classroom • Getting pupils’ attention • Basic progression in language learning

activities• Plan one activity to teach to the group• Culture of the TL country – think of two things

you can do to bring a cultural dimension to your lesson

• Games for language learning• How can you use music, rhythm, song,

movement or drama to help your pupils learn


Planning 3 lessons: Spring Term

• Get into groups of 2 or 3 • Know which school/which language/which year

to plan for• Choose topics and language to teach• Plan 3 x 1 hour teaching (each student to

deliver independently 20 minutes each time over 3 successive lessons to the same pupils)

• Prepare resources and materials• Practise with peers and receive feedback


Teaching in primary schools: Summer Term

• Go out to primary schools to deliver lessons

• LM or RHA to accompany and evalutate

Successful completion of your one hour’s independent teaching

= Language Leaders Award


ASDAN

• To embed the language learning in a more general qualification

• To allow for a completely different approach to language learning

• To allow for choice and diversity of experience


International Award (1/2 of full COPE Award)


COPE International - Level 1 (12 units) E GCSE - Level 2 (12 units with 6 ‘B/Cs’ B GCSE

COPE International3 lessons per fortnight 6 units

3 lessons per fortnight 6 units

Key SkillsWorking with OthersResearchProblem SolvingImproving own LearningDiscussionOral Presentation

How? What does this learning look like?Pupil-centred learning in adult working environmentSelf-motivated/self-directiongChoice within curriculumUse of ICTOutside classroom experienceEvidence collectionPlan/Do/Review process


Module ChallengeTime & credits

When?

Module 1(Section B1)

Develop your skills in a foreign language

20 hours = 2 credits

Autumn Term

Module 2(Section B1)

Take part in an overseas visit

30 hours = 3 credits

Spring/Summer term

Module 3 TBC10 hours = 1 credit

Summer term or year 11

Overview


Plan, do, review

Evidence

Learning experiences

Making a plan


What do you want to achieve?What is your goal?

• To be able to have a short conversation in Spanish about…..

• To make myself understood in Spanish when I talk about….

• To know how to say……………/talk about…………..in Spanish

• To be able to ask and answer some questions in Spanish about……..

• To be able to write an email to someone in Spanish telling the person about………


SMART targets 1 and 2

• To try different learning methods and strategies and find out how I learn best

• To use my preferred method to learn ……(quantify what language you want to learn)

Key SkillsImproving own LearningDiscussion


“I think like there’s like more self motivation when you work at your own pace because when you’re working with the class and if there are the people that are really good at German and French and whatever and they’re like well in front of you you’re like not very motivated because they’re like well in front of you because you start getting behind and you just kind of give up but it motivates you more when you work at your own pace.”

What CVC students doing CoPE International say about this course:


“ The teacher like comes and sits down and goes through the whole thing with you if you don’t understand so it’s like one on one because maybe because there’s less people in the class and we’re working on different things it’s like one on one so if you don’t get it you do understand it because you have one on one time with the teacher to understand it.”


“I think we’re learning the stuff that you’re actually going to use coz I think it helps that we’re going to Spain for the 6 days because we’re like kind of focusing on stuff to learn.”


“I think that with the international bit going to Spain like makes us like we want to learn more and makes us want to get on with the work quicker.”


“I’ve actually found out a way how I work and learn and so it’s quite good because I’ve learnt myself and found that if I have a sheet of paper and like read it and kind of turn it over and try and memorise it and I’ve found that I can learn really easily and I like never knew that about myself.”


“I like the fact that we can choose if we do it in pair work,sheet work or on the computers.”


“We have all the resources to do anything we want to do so there’s stuff like you can either learn off the computers or like how I learn them just looking off the sheet or just talking in your pairs so the exercises aren’t set and things, there’s like there’s the exercise and choose your way of learning it.”


“I like the fact that if we go there and we get it wrong we’ll have you there so that if you can’t think of a word you can help us.”


“I think it’s quite respectful like showing some respect for other people coz they’re all taking their time to learn our language it just shows that we have respect for the other countries and the other languages and we will learn their languages too.”“ …so that we’re not saying ours is the most important, learn ours.”

Why is it important to learn another language?


“So I know how to say hello in 5

languages now”

CULP (Cambridge University Language Programme)

• To deliver additional languages (e.g. Mandarin)

• To deliver languages where no curriculum time (e.g. Spanish)

• To deliver at KS4 as additional extra-curricular option (e.g. French)


If not GCSE, then… Awarding Body Contact details

Asset Languages OCRJohn [email protected]

Language Leaders Award Sports Leaders UK

Sports Leaders UK

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.sportsleaders.org

Tel: 01908 689180

ASDAN ASDANBarbara Benson

Tel: 0117 954 3986 [email protected]

CULP N/ANebojsa [email protected]

Rachel Hawkes

Director of Language College, Comberton Village College

[email protected]


mailto:[email protected]


http://www.sportsleaders.org/



a language is for life not just for gcse

Documents

language festival

language learninggive

course rachel hawkes

primary rachel hawkes

language leaders awardoverview

simple language activityunit

compendium of language

mins language activity