the comenius project 2013

The Comenius Project2013

Prades near Perpignan, in the Languedoc, France

Learn and Practise the Language

Common Vocabulary

Common Verbs and Endings

Prompter Booklet of Common Sayings

Group Discussion

Examples of School Activities to Teach a Language.

Shops, Restaurants and Visits

Explore the CulturePrades and Prades Market

Villefranche de Conflent

St Michel-De-Cuxa

Wine Tasting

The Catalan Culture

The Mountains, the Fruit, the Cafés and Food

Prades

Orgues D’Illes

VilleFranche de Conflent

Le Petit Train Jaune and the Mountains

The Food

The Orchards and the Mountains

The Food

The Coast-Collioure

French-Catalan Cooking Demonstration

The Market at Prades

The Market Café

St Michel de Cuxa

ShadowingObserving lessons

Talking to teachers

Talking to pupils

Reflecting on educational issues

Making links for future exchange possibilities.

Lessons Learned The region is rural, agricultural and “small” compared to London.

Particularly in a private Catholic school, everyone knows everyone else. Parents are close to the school particularly for the younger children.

Older children are bussed in from outlying areas.

There is a large consensus between pupils and teachers. Pupils do not challenge authority and are compliant.

French teachers complain about behaviour, standards of literacy, the influence of modern culture and the media, as much as English teachers.

There is a strong emphasis upon grammar.

Learning is broadly formal and didactic, with a few exceptions for group work and peer mentoring.

There is extensive use of teaching assistants for behaviour and literacy.

Children, Teachers, Curriculum and Schools

Lessons Learned In addition to French, Catalan and English are taught. English is

taught from the first year at age 2-3.

Children’s games in the playground include skipping, chase, and ballgames including rugby.

The school had an extensive garden for flowers and vegetables.

Class size is about standard for the UK at around 30 children.

Rooms are decorated in the primary school and less so in the secondary, broadly similar to the UK. Decorations include many posters concerned with the curriculum and some children’s work.

Room seating layouts are the same as the UK with rows becoming more usual in secondary, but groups and squares being the norm at a younger age.

Teachers teach according to detailed plans, in PE directed from a central agency.

Future PlansContinued Links

Exchanges

Further Visits

Joint Projects

Contacts and FundingBernadette Clinton

North London Schools International Network