What about langauges other than French? Come on enthusiasts!

[Lorraine]

So how do we raise the profile of other languages?

I admit I too am guilty as I didn't pursue my German (or in fact any languages) on my return to teaching after my children. I asumed my languages were too out-of-date and there were far more qualified people available who were more up to speed with changes.

However with the new initiative to introduce languagesin the Primary phase I find myself re-envigorated. However I am appalled at the low profile of languages and especially German. In my area even German teachers are being persuaded to do French in place of German, because colleagues will have 'some experience' with French.

German is highly valued within business communities, serves as an introduction to a non-Romance system and learning it can help to combat the idea 'Well Germans are our enemies' stereotype which I can assre you still exists.

Having said that I have recently begun learning Spanish and I think this might well provide a far better introduction as a first MFL as it is more phonetic- as of course is Italian.

I really do understand Heads reluctance to think outside the box and they will have genuine worries about staff recruitment & retention. But surely it is up to us linguists to raise the profile of 'Language' in all it's diversities! I know one of my colleagues is learning Mandarin ,as far as I/m concerned one at a time- I've my hands full with Spanish at the moment, but I do applaud her enterprize.

One of the problems is obviously lack of resources but hey here we are sharing our own and as we spread the word perhaps we can show Heads there are other alternatives.

Those interested might like to look at the thread on organising lessons in Primary. Or am I really a lone wolf? Come on prove me wrong
Lorraine

[Simone Haughey]

I am teaching Mandarin to Year 2 children. My head teacher requested that I learn and teach Mandarin as he wanted to make links with China and send some teachers over.

I find, finding resources rather difficult. I have been learning Mandarin in evening courses and then teaching some elements of what I have learnt to the children. I end up covering lots of Intercultural Understanding and very basic Mandarin as it not a language that I have found very easy.

For the past two years, I have enjoyed teaching French very much, the Year 5 children are going great guns and I have loved seeing the progress and igniting some little fires of inspiration in the children, for languages.

I would be willing to discuss this further with anyone interested in teaching Mandarin.

Hope that is relevent.

Simone Haughey
Robin Hood Primary School
[e-mail]

[Emma Dawson]

I have been teaching Spanish to year 5 and 6 for the past two years and the year 6's are now fab at it. We want to introduce languages across the whole school from September and head had been saying she wanted French although I think Spanish is better. Today she finally said we might do Spanish instead !!!!! Wooooooooooo!! I am now very happy!

[Lorraine]

Congratulations Emma on putting your views forward, you must have put your arguments very elloquently.

It really will be in the best interests of the school too, as you yourself have noted, that in the event of staff changes the staff will not be left without someone who is not familiar with MFL.

Now you just have to choose some resources and get the whole thing going!
There are a number of people on this forum who could tell you of possible further resources and of course you will have your own which you've been using already.

Jo's stickers & my 'medals & step forward' materials for Afl & APP could be used to help make staff secure in what they are expecting their pupils to achieve and soon they'll realise it's not so daunting, it's just more of what they do already and the level of actual knowledge needed is not that far a stretch especially initially.

[Emma Dawson]

I am definitely looking forward to the whole task a bit more now, no disrespect to French but I just don't get it and I love Spanish much more. Just hope HT doesn't change her mind!

I know there are some fab resources on here that people have made which will hopefully make implementation easier and I already have a fair amount from doing year 5 and 6. I'm hoping that the HT will let me have a day from the training budget to really spend time on organising stuff. Just got to convince all the staff now - that could be fun!

[Lorraine]

For anyone reading this, having read the previous post who's saying 'What have you got against French?. It's not that we have any objections to French, more that we query this historic obsession with only considering French as the main first MFL.

In today's global world I think we need to look at the bigger picture of 'language systems'. We need to concentrate on one first foreign MFL- which personally I believe should be phonically based, as this will help children who are familiar with this approach in their mother tongue. But after that I think they should be exposed to other systems & why not Mandarin, Arabic etc. if someone can help out

[Emma Dawson]

We have now decided on our strategy for languages next year but still not on the language. We have batted to and fro on this all afternoon and there are pros and cons for French, German and Spanish. So instead we have decided to throw it over to the parents and children so we are sending out surveys to find out what they want. Fingers crossed they provide an overall trend that may help us decide!

[Catherine Cresswell]

I agree. French strikes me as a poor choice for a first language. French children themselves have a horrendous time learning to write it, and don't really master writing it by the end of primary school.

I think it would be better to start with phonetically written languages such as Italian or Spanish, or possibly with a strongly inflected language such as German, Latin, Russian or Polish....because it would, presumably, facilitate learning other languages later.

Alternatively one could just teach oral French and ignore the writing as much as possible, but this isn't what's being proposed as far as I understand.

Spanish with an optional German club ? That's what I'd propose.