Barriers and Strategies to Ensuring a Cohesive MFL Team

Andrew Adamski Languages Specialism Presentation February 2014

Overview
Barriers
Lack of a school-wide vision for MFLs Lack of competence and confidence of staff Alternative means often become short-sighted solutions

Strategies
Show clear interest at the top Have a clear long term plan when training staff Provide resources to enable effective teaching

Barriers

Barrier: Lack of school-wide vision for MFL

A school-wide vision for the learning and teaching of languages was important for successful provision.
Longitudinal study done by Open University (January, 2010)

Schools have yet to be scrutinized on language teaching Fear of staff focus being shifted away from core subjects Fear too much stress on extra subjects might exhaust students

Barrier: Lack of Competence and Confidence in Staff

Why do staff find teaching MFLs difficult? Lack of subject knowledge makes it difficult to prepare
23% of schools have no staff members higher than GCSE level (The Guardian, 2013) Staff often have inadequate support in schools

Lack of confidence in pronunciation

Most common shortcoming in teachers subject knowledge was pronunciation and intonation (Ofsted, 2011) Justified worries: If primary teachers have poor command of the sound system, then some damage may occur in students speaking (Johnstone, 1994)

Barrier: Alternative means often become shortsighted solutions

What are some problems associated with hiring outside? Dont know the pupils well differentiation less likely Lack of liaison with staff makes language period an add on Lack of integration of languages into the wider curriculum Assessment for learning and progression becomes unlikely
(Cynthia Martin, 2005)

Strategy: Show clear interest at the top

Head teachers endorsement is key to motivation Specialist can then begin devise a plan Class teachers can get help to develop subject knowledge and pedagogy over time

Strategy: Having a clear long term plan when training staff

Establish a regular scheme of work
Provides a base for planning Gives teachers a better understanding of where their subject knowledge needs to be Provides a clear framework for progression

Train up the levels

Strategy: Having a clear long term plan when training staff

st year of training Training up the levels 1 Year 3 Year 5 Year 6 Year 4
MFL Specialist teachers class using year 3 of scheme of work while year 3 teacher observes and assists
Year 4 teacher teaches MFL while enhancing subject knowledge with support of MFL Specialist Year 5 teacher teaches MFL while enhancing subject knowledge with support of MFL Specialist Year 6 teacher teaches MFL while enhancing subject knowledge with support of MFL Specialist

Adapted form Ofsted Report, 2011

Strategy: Having a clear long term plan when training staff

Training up the levels 2nd year of training
Year 3 trained year 3 teacher teaches MFL using year 3 of scheme of work Year 4 MFL Specialist teachers class using year 4 of scheme of work while year 4 teacher observes and assists Year 5 Year 5 teacher teaches MFL while enhancing subject knowledge with support of MFL Specialist Year 6 Year 6 teacher teaches MFL while enhancing subject knowledge with support of MFL Specialist

Adapted form Ofsted Report, 2011

Strategy: Having a clear long term plan when training staff

rd year of training Training up the levels 3 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6
trained year 3 teacher teaches MFL using year 3 of scheme of work

trained year 4 teacher teaches MFL using year 4 of scheme of work

MFL Specialist teachers class using year 5 of scheme of work while year 5 teacher observes and assists

Year 6 teacher teaches MFL while enhancing subject knowledge with support of MFL Specialist

Adapted form Ofsted Report, 2011

Strategy: Having a clear long term plan when training staff

Training up the levels 4th year of training
Year 3 trained year 3 teacher teaches MFL using year 3 of scheme of work Year 4 trained year 4 teacher teaches MFL using year 4 of scheme of work Year 5 trained year 5 teacher teaches MFL using year 5 of scheme of work Year 6

MFL Specialist teachers class using year 6 scheme of work while year 3 teacher observes and assists

Adapted form Ofsted Report, 2011

Strategy: Provide resources to enable effective teaching

Create a bank of resources for the teachers to access and to add to
Some non-specialist teachers preferred interactive whiteboard resources, which provided structured support in the form of ready-made lessons. A Longitudinal Study by Open University
(January, 2010)

Ensure that resources include audio of native speakers

Better schools provided access to native speakers through technology to help with pronunciation shortcomings (Ofsted, 2011)

References

Guardian (2013), Available: http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2013/may/15/ languagesprimary-schools-2014 [12 Feb 2014] Johnstone, R. M. (1994) Teaching modern languages at primary school: Approaches and implications. Edinburgh: Scottish Council for Research in Education Martin, C. (2005), Evaluation of the Key Stage 2 Language Learning Pathfinders, pp 17-21 Martin, C. (2001), An analysis of national and international research on the provision of modern foreign languages in primary schools Report, pp 26-55 Ofsted (2011), Modern Languages: Achievements and Challenges 2007 2010, pp 4 17 Open University (2010), Language Learning at Key Stage 2: A longitudinal study final report, pp 1-149

Questions?