Thursday 26 November 2009

Intensive Beginners' Upskilling Course in France

A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND PRACTICE REAL FRENCH AT THE KENT COUNTY COUNCIL RESIDENTIAL CENTRE IN FRANCE!
Maureen Smith has arranged an exciting, week long beginners' French language/culture course at the Hardelot Centre in northern France from 15th - 19th March 2010 in collaboration with Sara Meaker, who will run the course.
The aim of the course is to provide an ideal opportunity for beginners in the language to learn the basics of French “on the ground”, with classroom training, natural conversations and the opportunity to practise the learnt language in real-life situations.
The course is aimed at primary teachers/TA's who are beginner language learners but wish to teach/support French in the classroom. Supply cover at £175 per day is payable to schools to enable them to release teachers from the classroom and return travel to France will be funded/reimbursed by the Local Authority.
Applications should be made as soon as possible, but by no later than 1st February 2010. There are 12 places and they will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.


NB: Delegates should be complete beginners and should not have previously attended any of the other upskilling courses funded by the Local Authority. The course is open to Kent KS1 and KS2 teachers and TA's.

Please e-mail Maureen Smith to book a place as soon as possible. Delegates will need a current passport and a EHIC (European Health Insurance card) at the time of travel (available from the post office). In addition, KCC travel insurance will be organised by the local authority but successful applicants may wish to organise additional insurance as they feel appropriate.

Objectives, outcomes and benefits:
The course aims to motivate and train those primary teachers who are required to teach French in the classroom and whose level of French is “beginner”.

The outcomes of the course will be an improved level of comfort in the language for the participants. They will have gained a stock of basic language elements which they will be able to use with their pupils, and they will themselves have taken part in activities, both in the classroom and in the local area, which will serve as a source of materials for their own lessons.

The benefits of this training include: intensive language work, contact with French people, experience of intercultural understanding and an increased knowledge of “real” France.

Course Content:
20 hours of intensive classroom tuition, including a 30 minute 1:1 session with the trainer to study individual needs
Training in beginner-level French, including greetings, everyday language such as numbers, days etc, pronunciation techniques, basic language structures, questions, vocabulary banks, games to use in the classroom, role-play

Training in intercultural understanding, using maps, visits to the local area, study of differences and similarities, tourist information, study of daily life and customs, money, food, French schools
30 hours of activities on- and off-site, accompanied by French speakers
Initial assessment, final evaluation and recommendations for further study
Evening activities including games and/or TV in French
Opportunities for conversation with Centre staff and local people

The trainer is Sara Meaker, Manager of the Hardelot Centre. She is English, but has lived in France for over 20 years and speaks the language fluently. She is a qualified and experienced secondary French teacher and adult trainer.

Location and accommodation
· The Hardelot Centre (
www.hardelotcentre.co.uk) is a KCC residential educational centre just south of Boulogne sur Mer, about 50 minutes from Calais
· Accommodation is in comfortable, single occupancy bunk bedded rooms (shared shower and toilet facilities), each with washbasin, hanging space and table/chair
· Delicious French meals, including the renowned Hardelot 4-course evening dinner, as well as
continental breakfast and a light lunch, are prepared on site by the Centre’s own French staff
· Training takes place in the classrooms and conference room
· Facilities include a cosy lounge area with log fire and TV/DVD, extensive wooded grounds, games room, reading room (with French and English resources) and bicycles

Travel arrangements
Return ferry from Dover to Calais
French minibus from Calais to the Centre and return to Calais
French minibus for off-site visits
Further details of the journey (times, meeting points) will be sent out to all participants with confirmation of the place on this course

Cost
The cost of the above (accommodation, training and travel) will be met by the Advisory Service
The return journey from school/home to Dover will be reimbursed – further details will be given on confirmation of place on course
Personal expenses, telephone calls and the cost of refreshments other than those provided are not included

For further information, please contact:
Maureen Smith, Primary Teacher Adviser for MFL, tel: 01622 203800
maureen.smith2@kent.gov.uk

OR Sara Meaker, Manager Hardelot Centre, tel: 00 33 321 321 671
sara.meaker@kent.gov.uk

Tuesday 10 November 2009

TDA Upskilling Course - Feedback

The TDA Upskilling course ended today with the ICT in MFL training. What better therefore than to share our attendees thoughts on the course as a whole than an ICT gadget that we experimented with - www.wallwisher.com:

Wednesday 4 November 2009

Open University Beginners' Course in French

Do you need to learn French or improve your knowledge of
French for the classroom?


This course is designed to provide basic knowledge of French for the primary context and supports you as a teacher by developing speaking and listening skills and teaching basic grammar enjoyably! You will be able to try out diffferent classroom ideas during the course and develop a set of resources you can draw on for interesting and diverse lessons.

For further information, please see the dedicated OU site for this.

The course costs £275 and will be fully funded by the Kent Local Authority provided you complete it. Please contact Maureen Smith if you are interested in doing this 30 hour course. It can be completed at times convenient to you (provided it is completed within 12 weeks) in the comfort of your own home.

NB: This course is a complete beginners' course, so if you already hold a GCSE or equivalent, the upskilling courses run by your local Specialist Language Colleges will currently be more suitable to your needs.