Primary languages direct newsletter - Issue 1

Welcome

Welcome to the first edition of CILT's new Primary ezine!
We hope this short first edition will enable you to read and enjoy all the old features of the NACELL Bulletin but in a new format which is kinder to the environment. It will be published termly and will include up-to-date information on resources, new developments and teaching ideas. Above all, there will be news about languages activities you are doing at school or with key partners.

Wishing you a happy new year and a successful and enjoyable new school term.

The Primary Team

If you have any feedback on ideas for future articles, information you'd like to see included in the bulletin or indeed on our website, please let us know.

CILT Primary Languages Show

Friday 29 February and Saturday 1 March 2008
Manchester Conference Centre

The 12th annual CILT Primary Languages Show offers a full and varied programme to support languages in the primary school. The programme has been conceived to recognise the different challenges facing schools. There will be advice and suggestions for those offering languages for the first time as well as for those who wish to build on existing foundations.

Find out more

Primary languages news

Things continue to move apace in the world of primary languages with the announcement that there will be an increase of £5million on funding levels for this year. In total, £35million has been allocated for language teaching in primary schools in 2008/9, including investment in specialist teachers, training and teaching resources as well as joint working between schools to support transition between primary and secondary level. More

Part Three of the Framework is increasingly being used as a frame of reference for important issues such as mixed age classes and assessment; and more recently there are now QCA Schemes of Work for Spanish and German as well as French.

For teachers looking to improve their language skills and extend their cultural knowledge, there are still places available on the CILT German and Spanish primary courses abroad. A grant is available to cover most of the costs of the course and the deadline for applications is 31 January 2008. More information

Visit the CILT News Service to find:
• the latest developments in the world of languages
• detailed press information including the latest releases
• weekly news alert and RSS feed

Find out more about the CILT News Service

Travel with the bear

Alex the bear

The British German connection offers primary schools a unique resource for German – schools can request a visit by Alex the Bear!

Alex is from Berlin (he lives at the Alexanderplatz) and is currently travelling around the country introducing children to his country and culture (he has a friend, Ben the Bear who does the same over in Germany). Here Kay Goerner reports on Alex’s visit to her school in the Wirral.

Find out more

My work teaching Spanish as a Primary HLTA

There are many key partners who contribute significantly to the teaching of languages in the primary phase. Not all of them are teachers! Here, Josefina Alcolea Clover, a Higher Level Teaching Assistant from Henry Fawcett Primary in London describes her work in the school teaching Spanish.

Find out more

Ideas for the classroom: The interactive whiteboard

Using ICT in primary language lessons can be extremely motivating both for children and teachers, and the interactive whiteboard can be used very effectively to present and consolidate language, manipulate language, annotate text and pictures, tell stories and play games.

In our new Ideas for the classroom section of NACELL you can find out more about creative ways of using this resource to enhance teaching and learning. Find out more

There is also a Getting Started section on NACELL for those of you new to language teaching.

French week at St. Weonard’s, Herefordshire

Increasingly many primary schools are including language as part of activity weeks to promote language enjoyment and share cultural insights. Here, Elaine Crothers reports on her school’s enjoyable and motivating French week.

Find out more

The X factor

The acid tongue of Simon Cowell held no fear for the contestants in Oldham’s X Factor. They knew how good they were and that this was their first step to European wide fame and fortune! Alison McGregor reports.

Find out more

European Day of Languages

European Day of Languages on 26 September offers primary schools a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the diversity of languages spoken, to encounter the different cultures frequently represented in schools, to promote language learning and increasingly to launch their learning of a new language. Here, Heather Bailey of Wargrave C of E Primary School in St Helens reports on how their school celebrated the day.

Find out more

CILT's EDL resources are now available all year round, see the CILT website for more details

CILT primary publications

CILT books and videos for the primary sector provide inspiration and guidance to ensure that pupils’ first contact with a foreign language is a positive and enjoyable one, which lays an effective foundation for further progression in the secondary school.

Find out more

We welcome your contributions for future issues

Please send your submissions to:

Nigel Pearson at CILT, 3rd Floor, 111 Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7HR or nigel.pearson@cilt.org.uk

We reserve the right to edit items submitted. If you have any suggestions or comments, please contact Nigel Pearson. The views expressed in this ezine are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect any view or policy of CILT.

Primary Languages Direct may be copied or printed for non-commercial purposes provided the source is acknowledged.

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