Time to think Languages

Wow - it's been a while!  So I have had my head down and hardly looked up for several years (!) So the spark seems to be back and I'm deep in MFL-based reading and research before it can wear off again! AND IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SPEAKING AT THE MOMENT!!! Speaking in the MFL classroom is something that is close to our heart in our department and something that we're pulling out all the stops to increase and improve.  We're initially going for quantity and we'll worry about the quality along the way. All my classes are busy preparing and using questions and answers for their current topics.  They have all been supplied with super-exciting card (folded and cut into 8 cards) and have got 8 questions and answers. The game that they play with their partners involves putting the cards together, shuffling them and then asking each other the questions.  If their partner needs to read the answer from their book, they can do that and the card goes to the bottom of the pile. 

The idea of a new and wonderful initiative in teaching is a very beguiling one.  We would love to think that there may be an incredible, innovative way to share our knowledge with others that requires less time, effort and energy on the part of both the learner and the teacher.  But let's be honest, those of us who have been at this for a while realise that sadly, this is just not the case.  However, this doesn't mean that there aren't particular methods that work well for particular groups or for particular subjects. Some subjects lend themselves to more active, hands-on approaches, whereas others, in order to make serious progress really need the kind of academic study which doesn't often involve kinesthetic or visual learning.  Whilst VAK was officially debunked a few years ago, I think that it's important to recognise that we all have different learning preferences.  Where these preferences come from may be debatable, but the fact that they exist is not.  Thin

Praise be! I read a really interesting article recently, about the type of praise we should be giving pupils for maximum benefit.  The article quoted studies that have been done that show the best type of praise and feedback is that which praises the pupil's effort and resilience.   Unlike praise given for achievement, which may feel like something very fragile, something you can mess up with the next piece of work, which isn't as good, the time and effort that you put into a piece of work is something well within your control.   Indeed, it was shown that this form of praise and feedback is instrumental in improving engagement within the classroom and creating a positive work environment. So next time, remember to praise the endeavour first and the outcome second! "You've worked really hard on this and I can clearly see how much effort you've put in - that's fantastic!"

Worksheet to accompany the video: I've got a PowerPoint presentation that takes you through this lesson with practice from week 1 and extra activities.  There is also an accompanying worksheet.  Just give me a shout if you'd like me to email it to you - or if you know how I could upload it onto Blogger!!!

I've just started teaching an Adult Spanish Evening Class and I've realised there really isn't a lot of resources aimed at us evening tutors! So, as I've  been putting together some activities, I thought I'd share. We practised these questions to start, together and in pairs. We looked over the numbers and filled in our ages (not necessarily honestly - I'm 22 again...) We filled in the gap where we're from. Once we were all ready, we used the fold-up speaking prompt to move around the classroom to practise our speaking. It went really well.  Lots of participation and happy faces at the end! ¡Hola! ¡Hola! ¡Buenos días! ¡Buenos días! ¿Cómo te llamas? Me llamo … ¿De dónde eres? Soy de País de Gales. ¿Cuántos años tienes? Tengo _____ años. ¿Tienes hermanos? No tengo hermanos Si, tengo una(dos) hermana(s) Si, tengo un(dos) hermano(s) ¿Dónde

A lovely journal that I made with my year 9 class in preparation for the start of their GCSE course.  The pupils had to complete a treasure hunt to find the grammar posters and then we worked through each element of grammar, adding our own annotations to remind ourselves of the most important points.  The girls loved this as they got to decorate them themselves and we made them with six pieces of card stuck together with grey duct tape. Of course the icing on the cake was tying it all together with a pretty ribbon - but there are plenty of more "manly" alternatives for the boys! The girls now have these at home to use for their homework and controlled assessment preparation.  And they actually like them!