Monday 20 December 2010

ICT Links into Languages Conference 12-13th February

Fancy some professional development using ICT in MFL teaching and learning?

The ICT Links into Languages 12-13th February 2011 is being held at Southampton University, Avenue Campus. With a range of speakers across the two days, plenaries by Joe Dale and Rachel Hawkes, plus a chance to contribute to Show and Tell events there is a lot to gain by attending!

For more information or to book follow this link. Scholarships are available.

Wednesday 17 November 2010

Bringing the world to your school

There is now a world of reasons why you should deploy video conferencing as part of your international development. Central AV in association with the British Council, LGfL and ja.net are promoting the benefits of introducing an international aspect to your curriculum.
The International School Award, managed by the British Council, provides a framework for links between UK and overseas schools to promote an inter-cultural dialogue and understanding. The framework starts with ‘foundation’ level and progresses through five levels to ‘full accreditation’.
JANET (ja.net) offers a whole new world of live real-time content through video conferencing aimed at all key stages within the curriculum. Central AV has a limited number of video conferencing systems available for loan should you wish to see video conferencing in action.LGfL have developed the Matrix, a guide to help schools identify and develop a structured approach to implementing an international dimension to teaching and learning.
Our Schools Co-ordinator is available to support your school through the process of achieving accreditation.There are many funding options available to those schools that have achieved this. Book a meeting with our schools co-ordinator who will help get your school started on your international journey.

Schools Co-ordinator
Nathan Charlery
Central AV

Thursday 11 November 2010

Free Mandarin Chinese resources

The organisation called Dragons in Europe specialises in teaching Mandarin Chinese to primary schoolchildren has an exciting new product and which is now ready - Primary School Chinese Online www.primaryschoolchinese.com

Over the last few years, Heads at cash-strapped schools have old us how much they want to teach the language but either they can't afford a teacher or quite simply they don't have access to teaching staff because of their location. In addition to this, some Heads had mentioned that they wanted access to really simple and effective interactive whiteboard teaching material that their MFL teachers could teach the children on a weekly basis - Chinese language and culture is very cross-curricular and would tie in with history and geography for example. Primary School Chinese Online ticks all these boxes.

I am therefore happy to offer the product free of charge with a view to expanding this country-wide.

Marcus Reoch
Dragons In Europe
13a Port House
Square Rigger Row
Plantation Wharf
London SW11 3TY

Tuesday 9 November 2010

PRIMARY LANGUAGES CPD

As you may know, there will be no more Local Authority funding to develop primary languages after March 2011.
...So be sure to take advantage of the remaining CPD opportunities coming up! This will be your last chance to attend these free courses:

· Monday 15th November 2010
ASSESSMENT & TRANSITION
Acacia Hall, Dartford, 9.30—16.00

· Tuesday 30th November 2010 or Tuesday 29th March 2011
FUN WAYS TO DEVELOP LITERACY SKILLS
Ramada Hotel, Maidstone, 9.30—16.00

· Thursday 2nd December 2010
ASSET LANGUAGES BREAKTHROUGH CLINIC
Hadlow Manor Hotel, Hadlow, 9.30—16.00

· Wednesday 9th February 2011
EMBEDDING LANGUAGES ACROSS THE CURRICULUM
Ramada Hotel, Maidstone, 9.30—16.00

· Thursday 24th March 2011
PRIMARY LANGUAGES SUBJECT LEADERSHIP
Ramada Hotel, Maidstone, 9.30—16.00

Free attendance to all KCC delegates

BOOK NOW TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT!!
http://cpdonline.kenttrustweb.org.uk/cpd/

Contact Maureen Smith:
maureen.smith2@kent.gov.uk

Thursday 4 November 2010

Language College CPD on offer

The following training is currently available for primary teachers of French from Malling, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Cranbrook and Sevenoaks schools:

Beginners' Training- a 3 day course for teachers with little or no previous knowledge of French
Thursday 18 November, Friday 26 November & Thursday 2 December

It is hoped that we will be able to offer a further two days' training in the spring covering areas of language not previously covered in the winter session. Dates tbc.

Upskilling- a 3 day refreshers' course for teachers with previous French experience to GCSE
Thursday 3 February, Tuesday 8 February, Thursday 17 February

Asset training
Date to be confirmed

The courses are free but schools are expected to pay any cover costs out of their MFL funding, which will have come directly to the school this year.

Please e-mail Mia Stockwell to find out more about the courses and to book yourself or a member of your team on to a course: mia.stockwell@wealdofkent.kent.sch.uk

Thursday 2 September 2010

Statement on Primary Languages

The DfE states that:

The Government is considering its plans for the National Curriculum in schools. They believe that the current National Curriculum has moved far away from the concept of core knowledge and from its original purpose – to set out what all children should be taught in each subject. They therefore want to return it to its intended purpose as a core national entitlement organised around subject disciplines. In doing so, they aim to slim the National Curriculum to give schools greater freedom to build on that core entitlement to provide a rich educational experience for all their pupils, and to allow teachers to use their professional judgement to decide how to teach and to organise the curriculum. They plan to consult a wide range of academics, teachers and other interested parties to ensure that the core curriculum can compare with those of the highest performing countries in the world. They will be announcing details of that review in the autumn. The position of languages in both the primary and secondary National Curriculum will be considered as part of that Review.

The Government believes that language skills are important to the social and economic future of the country. Learning a language also helps children and young people understand the world in which they live and the different cultures of people around the world. We know that over 90% of primary schools are already offering some language teaching to their 7-11 year olds. Ministers appreciate the efforts that teachers are putting into making sure that children in primary schools are taught languages. It is thanks to their work that pupils can not only learn a language but also come to appreciate other cultures. Given its importance, primary schools that are teaching languages should continue to do so. Funding has been given to local authorities to support primary languages until March 2011. Any future funding will depend on the spending review which will report in the autumn, as well as on decisions about the status of languages within the National Curriculum.

Wednesday 30 June 2010

International Partnerships and Community Cohesion

Dear Anglo-French colleagues,
We thought you might be interested in the two programmes which our Connecting Classrooms team have produced in collaboration with Teachers TV. Although focussing on partnerships with rather different parts of the globe to France - namely Sub-Saharan Africa and Central South Asia - the central theme is the way in which international school partnerships can contribute positively to community cohesion. The experiences of school clusters in an urban authority (Bradford) and a rural one (Hampshire) are used as case studies.
Both programmes are now available to stream and download from the Teachers TV website at
http://www.teachers.tv/connecting-classrooms and will be broadcast for the first time on 29 June, and then repeated on various dates in early July (see below).
Each programme is 15 minutes long and the broadcast dates are as follows:
Community Cohesion through School Partnerships: Rural Challenges
29 June - 08:00, 16:00, 20:00
2 July – 21:00
3 July – 11:00, 20:00
4 July - 08:00, 21:00
9 July – 09:00, 17:00
10 July – 15:00
Community Cohesion through School Partnerships: City Challenges
29 June - 08:20, 16:20, 20:20
2 July – 21:20
3 July – 11:20, 20:20
4 July - 08:20, 21:20
Should you have any queries, please contact Vicki Miles
Vicki.miles@britishcouncil.org
Best wishes,
The Anglo-French team

Tuesday 22 June 2010

Grow Story Grow

A number of teachers have approached Val Thornber about running workshops to help them make the most of the free resources available on GrowStoryGrow (the stories available are permanently available so the teachers do not need to pay a subscription fee in order to use them).

The main benefit of the workshops is that the teachers have the confidence and materials to go straight back into the classroom and try the stories out themselves.

If you are running a conference or an LSG and would like me to run a workshop, please get in touch (contact details below). June, July and September are best.

You may also be interested to hear that GrowStoryGrow is launching on the 8th of June. A yearly subscription before this date is £40, which is very good value indeed. (Over 100 stories, lesson plans, interactive games, downloadable big books, mini books, audio books, puppets, masks, scripts...)

Kind Regards
Val Thornber

val@growstorygrow.com

KS2 Training Abroad Opportunity

CILT is working with the British Council to develop and deliver the 2 week Primary Teachers’ Project.
This exciting project gives teachers working in KS2 the opportunity to spend two weeks in France, Germany or Spain. The first week of the project provides intensive language and methodology support in preparation for the job shadowing in a primary school in the second week.
The projects offer excellent opportunities for teachers to develop language skills, deepen their cultural understanding and gain practical ideas for teaching and learning languages at KS2. Applicants are eligible for EU Comenius funding of up to €2,500 to pay for travel and subsistence. There is also a supply cover contribution of £525 to support schools in the week of term when teachers will be abroad. The deadline for applications is 15 September 2010.

Project dates are as follows:
Germany and France: 21 February -4 March 2011
France and Spain: 17-29 April 2011

Secondary teachers involved in outreach work in primary schools are eligible to apply if they are working in KS2 so please share this information with colleagues. Applications from those teaching or hoping to introduce German in primary schools would be particularly welcome.

Further information, including support and guidance with the application process is available at:
http://www.primarylanguages.org.uk/professional_development/cilt_events/primary_teachers_project.aspx

For enquiries relating to the project please email:
ptp@cilt.org.uk

Best wishes,
Lucy Adamson
Language Teaching Adviser

CILT, The National Centre for Languages
3rd floor, 111 Westminster Bridge Road
London SE1 7Hr

Thursday 10 June 2010

Teaching French to Young Learners

Smalltalk’s schedule of nationwide courses for session 2010 - 2011 is now available for booking at www.smalltalk-languages.co.uk.
Book now and receive 20% off!

Course Information
With language entitlement required to be implemented in schools by the end of 2010, more and more staff are beginning to recognise the importance of introducing a language at an early age. We can help you become the expert! This course is aimed at nursery/primary staff who are currently introducing French into their early years/primary curriculum or intend to do so. Suitable for both complete beginners and people with prior knowledge of the language, the main focus of the course will be on language learning and practical methodology. At the end of the course participants will be able to return to their learning environment confident, enthusiastic and ready to promote basic French.
Normally £110.00, only £88.00 per person with early booking discount (including refreshments, lunch and a comprehensive learning pack)

Other dates and venues available:
Autumn Term
Fri 1 Oct 2010 Southampton
Thu 25 Nov 2010 Cambridge

Spring Term
Thu 24 Mar 2011 Cambridge

Courses can be booked on-line or by telephone on 0141 642 9330.

In Service Courses
We can run tailor-made In Service courses at special discounted rates in your own centre. Please call 0141 642 9330 for more information.
Regards
William McEvoy
SmallTalk

Wednesday 24 March 2010

Spring Day for Europe 22 March - 30 June 2010

Spring Day for Europe was set up to promote learning and debate about the European Union in schools. This year the aim is to engage school communities in discussion, debates and activities related to European citizenship and fundamental rights, both pertinent to the European Year of Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. Students' attention will also be drawn to important European issues such as social and economic cohesion, environmental issues and cultural diversity.

The Spring Day for Europe website includes a large and flexible programme of events, activities and games for primary and secondary schools.

If you would like to participate, further information and electronic registration can be found at the following website:
http://www.springday2010.net

You can also find teaching resources on the EU and citizenship produced by the European Parliament for UK schools at:
www.euroacademyonline.eu

Thursday 11 March 2010

Teaching of French to Nursery / Primary Children

With language entitlement required to be implemented in schools by 2010 more and more staff are beginning to recognise the importance of introducing a language at an early age. We can help you become the expert!

This course is aimed at nursery/primary staff who are currently introducing French into their early years/primary curriculum or intend to do so. Suitable for both complete beginners and people with prior knowledge of the language, the main focus of the course will be on language learning and practical methodology. At the end of the course participants will be able to return to their learning environment confident, enthusiastic and ready to promote basic French.

£110.00 per person (including refreshments, lunch and a comprehensive learning pack)

For further information please visit our website at
www.smalltalk-languages.co.uk. Bookings for the above courses can be made on-line or by telephone on 0141 642 9330.

We can run tailor-made In Service courses at special discounted rates in your own centre. Please call 0141 642 9330 for more information.


University of Cambridge - Thursday 25 March 2010.
University of Newcastle - Friday 23 April 2010
University of Birmingham - Thursday 29 April 2010
University of Manchester - Friday 14 May 2010
University of Hull - Thursday 17 June 2010
University of Exeter - Friday 24 September 2010
Southampton Solent University - Friday 1 October 2010

Thursday 4 March 2010

Making & Marking Progress

Please be aware that new support material should shortly be arriving at your school: Asset Languages and CILT have been asked by the DCSF to develop assessment support materials for primary languages: Making and marking progress. Publishing phase 1 of Making and Marking Progress is now underway. The document has been written in light of the very valuable feedback received from teachers and advisors following the publication of the taster pack in spring 2009. Phase 1 is intended for children learning languages in Years 3 & 4 and includes opportunities for progress checks at grades 1 and 2 of the DCSF Languages Ladder in listening, speaking, reading and writing, incorporating the learning objectives from the Key Stage 2 Framework for Languages. The materials will be published and distributed free of charge to all primary schools at the end of March. For any further information or if you do not receive your copy, please e-mail your details to: primaryprogress@ocr.org.uk

Big Wheel Theatre Company

Big Wheel Theatre Company is offering to showcase Voulez-Vous for FREE! Don’t miss out on this opportunity to see a fantastic interactive French language show.The dates on offer are the 17th, 18th and 19th March. If you are interested in having a show please get in touch with the company as soon as possible. The show will be given away on a first come first served basis or contact them for more information.

Wednesday 24 February 2010

British Council & CiLT Primary Teachers' Project

2-Week Primary Teachers' Project
Would you like to improve your language skills as well as benefit from spending a week in a primary school abroad? If so, then the new Primary Teachers’ Project is for you.
This exciting project involves spending two consecutive weeks in France, Germany or Spain. The first week of the project is devoted to intensive language and methodology training, while the second is spent work shadowing in a primary school.
The first of these projects will be running in Germany and Spain in October 2010. The first week will take place during the October half term break between the 25th and 29th of October, followed by the second week job shadowing placement in a primary school between the 1st and 5th of November. The deadline for the application for these October visits is 30th April 2010.
Projects will also be taking place in France, Germany and Spain in February and at Easter 2011. The first week will take place during the spring half term break between the 21st and 25th of February, followed by the second week job shadowing placement in a primary school, between the 28th of February and the 4th of March.
The deadline for application for these 2011 projects is 15th September 2010.

• The German visits will take place in Nordrhein-Westfalen
• The Spanish visits will take place in Castilla y León
• The venue for the French visits will be confirmed soon
A contribution of £525 towards supply cover for the week of term time involved is available.
To apply, please visit the British Council website
http://www.britishcouncil.org/comenius-applications-forms-and-guidance.htm to download and complete the 'In-Service Training' application form. For any queries, please contact: ptp@cilt.org.uk

Tuesday 19 January 2010

Primary Spanish workshop

Following the success of previous years’ workshops, the Consejería de Educación is pleased to announce the programme of Workshops for teachers of Spanish in primary schools that will take place on Friday February 26th at the Instituto Cervantes (102 Eaton Square, London SW1W 9AN).Join us for a day full of fun and ideas that can be used in your classroom: workshops, school showcases, flamenco dancing and storytelling.
Check full programme and download application forms on our website: www.educacion.es/exterior/uk