A New Literacy: English & MFL in the Primary School

Wednesday 9th December 2009Katie Szeless, CILT Teaching Advisor

Penny Bowman, Asst Head SHSG and SET PMFL Team Co-ordinatorNicole Valencia, PMFL Co-ordinator SHSG & SET

SOUTHEND EDUCATION TRUST

The context: ‘Entitlement’“Every child should have the opportunity throughout Key Stage 2 to study a foreign language and develop their interest in the culture of other nations. They should have access to high quality teaching and learning opportunities making use of native speakers and e-learning. By age 11 they should have the opportunity to reach a recognised level of competence on the Common European Framework and for that achievement to be recognised through a national scheme.”(National Languages Strategy)

Objectives

• To build on the skills set of the primary class teacher and highlight common points between early language pedagogy and the delivery of primary languages.

• To demonstrate how literacy and MFL co-ordinators can support each other by showing what links can be made to enhance both curriculums and motivate learners.

So why now?

• Key recommendations in Primary Languages in past year :

• Dearing’s review of MFL : aim to embed MFL in primary curriculum.

• Jim Rose’s review of the Primary Curriculum : Primary Languages to be statutory by 2011, aim for a new literacy where English, Communications and MFL are encompassed under one area of learning and key primary documents are to be aligned.

Teaching skills & the Literacy objectives

• Objectives from the KS2 MFL Framework are often similar to those from the Primary Framework for Literacy.

KS2 MFL Framework: 5 Strands

• 3 core strands of teaching & learning• ORACY (speaking & listening)• LITERACY (reading & writing)• INTERCULTURAL UNDERSTANDING (insight

into the people, culture, & traditions of other countries)

• 2 cross-cutting strands• KAL :knowledge about the language• LLS : language learning strategies.

Primary Framework for Literacy1.Speaking2.Listening & responding3.Group discussion & interaction4.Drama5.Word recognition6.Word structure & spelling7.Understanding & interpreting texts8.Engaging with and responding to texts9.Creating & shaping texts10.Text structure & organisation11.Sentences structure & punctuation12.presentation

MFL Framework or Literacy Framework?•Look at the face of the person speaking and listen attentively

•Use gestures to show they understand

•Speak clearly & audibly with confidence & control

•Show awareness of the listener

•Speak with clarity & use appropriate intonation

•Recognise the main word classes

•Ask & answer questions, make relevant contributions, offer suggestions & take turns

•Discuss why they like a performance

•Read fiction and non-fiction texts

•Act out their own and well-known stories

•Use drama techniques to explore stories or issues

•Identify specific sounds, phonemes and words

•Use the context of what they see/read to determine some meaning

MFL Framework or Literacy Framework?•Look at the face of the person speaking and listen attentively (Yr 3& 4)

•Use gestures to show they understand (Yr 3& 4)

•Speak clearly & audibly with confidence & control

•Show awareness of the listener

•Speak with clarity & use appropriate intonation

•Recognise the main word classes (Yr 4)

•Ask & answer questions, make relevant contributions, offer suggestions & take turns

•Discuss why they like a performance

•Read fiction and non-fiction texts (Yr 5)

•Act out their own and well-known stories

•Use drama techniques to explore stories or issues

•Identify specific sounds, phonemes and words (Yr 4)

•Use the context of what they see/read to determine some meaning (yr5 & 6)

Pause for thought

• Primary school teachers already have a great number of skills which can be transferred to teaching MFL.