Last week, I took part in this year’s Languages Subject Conference held at Warwick University by The School’s Network (formerly The Specialist School’s and Academies Trust). With keynote speeches by Dr Anthony Seldon, Master of Wellington College, and more notably ALL’s Steven Fawkes, the conference was both informative and thought provoking.
Vocabulary Learning in the 21st Century
Lead by Rachel Hawkes from Comberton Village College, this session introduced some excellent ideas for teaching vocabulary in MFL. Her main points are summarised below. More information can be found on Rachel’s website at www.rachelhawkes.com.
- Use of contextualised gap-fill worksheets, to teach vocabulary in a real context,
- Use of a ‘core language’ sheet of around 100 words, along with the VocabMan,
- Letting students choose their own vocabulary, relevant to them,
- Using music to enable students to better remember words and phrases,
- Using online programmes, including Quizlet and Vocab Express,
Sticky Grammar: making grammar teaching really work for all pupils
James Stubbs’ presentation on teaching grammar in sequences through the medium of the target language was slightly more controversial among the attendees. His method relied on working backwards from a model sentence or text and leading students to notice grammar rules themselves. His teaching was very energetic and enthusiastic, but questions remained as to whether a low-abilty group would have been able to keep up and remain engaged. From a teacher’s point-of view, I also think this session would have been more useful if James had presented a range of strategies that can be used in the classroom, rather than presenting just one lesson sequence. More details on his work can be found at www.jamesstubbslanguages.co.uk.
Ashfield ICE, bucking the trend in languages
Language College Coordinator at Ashfield School in Notts, Kim Brown, delivered a very interesting presentation on how she has been able to ‘buck the trend’ in low uptake figures for KS4 MFL and increase the profile of language study in a comprehensive school with a very broad catchment. She should be commended for her work in tying in Language NVQs with vocational study, her excellent links with international schools and her inspired cross-curricular work, most notably the LinguaVision competition. The school’s language college website is www.ashfield.notts.sch.uk/languagecollege.htm.
Bob McKay 