Making the New National
Curriculum Work: Good Teaching
meets Brain Research.
John Bald, Technical Adviser,
Hackney Learning Trust.
johnbald@talktalk.net
An old problem
(from Chaucer, G, Prologue, late C14 )
And frenssh she spak ful faire and fetisly,
After the scole of stratford atte bowe,
For frenssh of parys was to hire unknowe.
...but getting worse.
GCSE
2001
2012
2013
French
321,207
153,436
177,288
German
130,627
57,547
62,932
Spanish
45,629
72,606
9,131
CILT Language Trends Analysis, 17.3.3013; Joint Council for Qualifications, June 2013
A Level
1997
2012
2013
French
25,881
12,511
11,272
German
10,440
4,478
4,242
Spanish
5,606
7,351
7,651
ALL member update, 22.8.2012; Joint Council for Qualifications, June 2013.
University language courses 2000-2011
French
- 42%
German
- 55%
Spanish
- 34%
The Linguist, Vol. 51.2, 2013
HMI - Modern Languages Achievement and
Challenge (2011), and...
From HMI presentation, Westminster Forum, March 2013
Part 1. Brain science.
(from The Learning
Brain, Blakemore and
Frith, 2005)
As we learn, brain cells form connections with
each other that build into networks. These
connections are strengthened with practice.
Brain cell
(from Neuroscience and Education, Teaching and Learning Research Project, 2007)
Brain cell connections
(from Neuroscience and Education, Teaching and Learning Research Project, 2007)
Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 2012
Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 2012
Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 2012: Six months
Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 2012: Three years
The brain adapts itself to
different languages
Reading Aloud in English and Italian, evidence from brain scans (active areas in black)
•
•
•
Left: reading system of English and Italian combined
Centre: sound processing more active in Italian
Right: word form area more active in English
(fromThe Learning Brain, Blakemore and Frith, 2005)
The areas of the brain used for written and spoken language
are interlinked and overlap
(Dr. Matt Davis, MRC, Languages Today, Spring 2013)
•
•
•
Hearing
Reading
Both
As we learn a new language…
• We add to and adapt the structures formed in
our brain as we learned our first language.
• These structures influence the way we learn the
new language, both the parts we find easy, and
the errors we make (Swan and Smith, Learner English.)
English speakers need to adapt to:
• New relationships between written and spoken
language, including spelling and pronunciation.
• Gender in nouns that have no physical gender, and
in associated pronouns and adjectives.
• Greater variation in verb forms than in English
(except for Mandarin!)
The New National Curriculum...
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education/series/national-curriculum
• has been slimmed down, to allow schools and
teachers scope to develop their own approach
• uses all channels of communication to contribute
to learning
• combines progression with communication
• prepares pupils for further study
Anne Swarbrick, President, Association for
Language Learning , 2012-13
Dr Rachel Hawkes, ALL President,
2013-2014
Part 2. Building Neural Networks
As teachers, we build networks by
• Understanding the adjustments children need to
make to their thinking. (Vygotsky, Thought and Language Children 6)
• Explaining these clearly in terms they
understand (Bruner, “courteous translation”).
• Teaching spoken and written language together,
so that children can see the links between them.
• Encouraging and answering questions
• Encouraging children to practise, with songs,
actions, enjoyable activities and websites.
We hinder the formation of networks
by
• Copying, which requires children to switch their
attention continually between the master version
and their own. These jerky movements thinking
and the formation of connections.
• Overloading, by presenting too much new written
material at a time, or presenting spoken language
that is too fast for children to understand.
Copying, c1700 BC
(From The History of Writing, S.R Fischer)
Copying errors from a Year 7 mixed-ability class
•
•
•
•
•
•
Quel as âge tu.
O habite tu
Ou j’habites-tu
Où habite a Londres.
Common t’appelle tú_
Je onzo age
Ja un douze
Quel âge as-tu?
Où habites-tu?
J’habite à Londres.
Comment t’appelles-tu?
J’ai onze ans
J’ai douze ans
(experienced teacher, pupils had models of the sentences
they were trying to write, from which they could copy.)
The alternative: Sentence Building.
1. We begin with colours, in written as well as spoken form.
2. We discuss differences between English spelling and spelling in the new
language – eg in Spanish, rojo, in French, vert.
3. Children look away from the board, trace the word with their finger on their
sleeve, and check. Praise for getting it nearly right, then completely right.
4. We repeat with other colours. Children begin to look and see repeating
patterns, eg rojo, naranja, vert, blanc.
5. After explaining verbs and practising them with songs, we begin to make simple
sentences, again, looking away, tracing and checking.
6. Once children are confident in tracing a word or sentence, they write it on a
whiteboard or scrap paper.
7. We then incorporate things children would like to say, and build them nto a
personal repertoire of things pupils would like to say or write.
8. As none of the work is ever copied, this personal record allows continuous
assessment without extra work.
rojo
Year 3 and 4 pupils using gender in writing.
Key Features of French…
• The French like their spoken language to
flow, and their written language to be
precise.
• All nouns have a gender. (Very
occasionally, two – le or la professeur)
• The form of verbs varies more than in
English, and the negative is tricky.
26
... a suggested first order...
• Colours have key features – vert, bleu, rouge,
blanc, jaune, orange, noir, violet, marron. Say
together, study, look away, write on sleeve.
• Bonjour! (G’day). Drop the tongue to pronounce.
• Sing and point (to self and people) pronouns
• Sing and point être. I usually do negative first.
• Sentence building with family and pets introduces
gender and avoir, positive and negative.
27
Years 1 and 2, grammar and reading
28
With Clicker…
29
Extensions suggested by Y4
30
Year 7, girl, assessed as dyslexic, before
sentence building work
31
Year 7, girl, assessed as dyslexic, after six
weeks’ sentence building work
32
Year 4, higher-attaining girl
33
Year 7, boy assessed as dyslexic
34
Part 3: Building Language into the School’s Fabric
An approach that is shared and understood
•
If at all possible, the cluster agrees a shared approach.
•
Governors’ understand and approve the school’s programme.
•
The head leads by example, learning the new language, taking part in CPD
and using the language where possible, eg in assemblies.
•
Staff take part in a course in a country speaking the new language,
possibly using British Council funding.
•
Language is made part of performance management, with targets – eg
GCSE, AS. Courses may be run in co-operation with partners.
•
A partner school is found in a country that speaks the new language.
•
The school is labelled in the new language, with notices translated.
•
Every class has a display.
•
The library has a language section, to include recordings and parallel
texts.
•
There is a languages club, to which parents and governors are invited.
35
Resources for Staff Learning Languages
•
Michel Thomas Language Courses (+ Learning Chinese Characters)
•
SpanishDict/Fluencia
•
Ulearn Chinese
•
BBC websites, including Bitesize and “Talk” series
•
Collins Language Revolution (de Bono); Easy Learning Dictionaries and
Grammar; Visual Dictionaries
•
www.linguee.com
•
Rosetta Stone
•
Ashcombe School Website
•
http://upskilling.primarylanguages.org.uk
•
Rough Guides Phrasebooks
•
Parallel Texts
•
Teachers Talking French/Spanish
36
Teaching and Learning Resources.
Open content
Clicker 6 + Acapela voices. www.cricksoft.com
Recordable pen, notice board, scrapbook. Mantralingua/TTS
Concept Keyboard Mantralingua
Ipad
Youtube
37
Teaching and Learning Resources.
Schemes of Work
French/Spanish toolkits. www.johnbald.typepad.com
Catherine Cheater Schemes of Work. Spanish/French
La Jolie Ronde schemes of work.
38
Teaching and Learning Resources.
Resources with language content.
Zim Zam Zoum 1&2, Fr. Vale, Venga Vamos. Spn.
www.tbs.com
www.take 10.org.uk
Little Tails of Unexpected/Growstorygrow. www.beelingua.com
Early Start Spanish/French. Big Storybooks. www.earlystart.co.uk
www.speekee.com
www.languagefactory.co.uk
Le Petit Pont/Kleine Brucke.
Mon Ane.
Being Spanish (BBC)
39
Teaching and Learning Resources.
Websites (others are available...)
Zut! ¡Oye! Gut!
www.agreenmouse.com
www.languagesonline.vic.gov.au
www.languagesonline.org.uk
www.sunderlandschools.org/mfl-sunderland
Vocabexpress.com
BBC.co.uk.schools/primary languages
Education City.com
Espresso.com
Languagenut
Babblezone
40
Support groups, information sites and
networks (among many...)
http://www.all-languages.org.uk/
http://lisibo.com/
(Lisa Stevens)
Talkabout Primary Languages
www.linguanet.org.uk
(Association for Language Learning)
(Jo Rhys Jones)
primary languages forum
http://www.janetlloyd.net/ (based in Warrington)
www.johnbald.typepad.com
www.joedale.typepad.com
www.rachelhawkes.com
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