Mastering Primary Languages

✍ Scribed by Paula Ambrossi; Darnelle Constant-Shepherd

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Year: 2017
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 233
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Title Description: Mastering Primary Languages introduces the primary languages curriculum and helps trainees and teachers learn how to plan and teach inspiring lessons that make language learning irresistible.
Topics covered include: � current developments in languages
languages as an irresistible activity
languages as a practical activity
skills to develop in languages
promoting curiosity
assessing children in languages
practical issues
This guide includes examples of children's work, case studies, readings to reflect upon and reflective questions that all help to exemplify what is considered to be best and most innovative practice. The book draws on the experience of two leading professionals in primary languages, Paula Ambrossi and Darnelle Constant-Shepherd, to provide the essential guide to teaching languages for all trainee and qualified primary teachers.

✦ Table of Contents

Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
List of Figures
Series Editors’ Foreword
How to Use This Book
Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations
Introduction
Chapter 1 An Introduction to Primary Languages
The class teacher as the ‘expert’
Why bother with theory?
Thinking outside the box; thinking outside the textbook
Are you a social constructivist practitioner or is your practice entirely based on memorization, games, rewards and sanctions?
Summary
Recommended reading
Chapter 2 Current Developments in Primary Languages
What primary schools are doing?
What language?
What challenges are primary schools facing?
Time
Professional training
Assessment, progression and transition
Delivering FLs and the danger of seeking experts
Who should learn a FL?
Summary
Recommended reading
Chapter 3 Languages as an Irresistible Activity
Motivating the teachers
Children’s right to explore new worlds and new visions
Summary
Recommended reading
Chapter 4 Languages as a Practical Activity
Chapter objectives
Intercultural understanding and the art of being
The taste of words: Knowledge about language
Oracy
Target Language
Paralinguistic features of language learning
Language learning strategies
Literacy
Summary
Recommended reading
Chapter 5 Skills to Develop in Languages
Understanding cross-curricular
Making a start
The different levels of teaching languages across the curriculum
Surface-curricular linking
Maths and Spanish example
Integrating language from semi-familiar to new content
History through French example
Content Language Integrated Learning
The language lesson
French and Art example
Summary
Recommended reading
Chapter 6 Children’s Ideas – Promoting Curiosity
Chapter objectives
Role-modelling creativity
The most beautiful experience
A thought experiment: Turning information into play, and play into knowledge
‘What have the Romans ever done for us?’
Summary
Recommended reading
Chapter 7 Assessing Children in Languages
Chapter objectives
Who’s afraid of assessment?
Everything you ever wanted to know about assessment in primary languages, but were afraid to ask
Dan, in your experience, how do primary schools feel about assessment and learners’ progression in languages?
Who do we assess for and why do we assess?
How do you see the relationship between the way we approach languages, and our own, personal experiences of language learning?
What is the role of planning and schemes of work in assessment?
What about bilingual children?
Assessment tools
The European Language Portfolio
Working with ‘Can Do’ Statements
Assessment and transition to secondary school
Summary
Recommended reading
Chapter 8 Practical Issues
Realia: Authentic resources
Stories as a resource for teaching and learning primary languages
Human resources
Modern language assistants in primary schools
Online resources
Resources that support oracy and literacy
Resources around the use of drama, games and PE
Resources around history, geography and society
Schemes of work
Coordinator for foreign language learning
A coordinator’s activities check list may consist of the following:
Further support
Continuing professional development (CPD)
London Schools Excellence Fund (LSEF)
Summary
Recommended reading
Appendix I
Appendix II
Bibliography
Index