South Gloucestershire LEA

This term a cluster of primary schools in South Gloucestershire are piloting a new framework for early language learning. They are being supported in this work by two foreign language assistants who have recently completed primary teacher training in Tours.

The schools are closely linked to the Sir Bernard Lovell School Language College and the secondary specialists colleagues provide a tailor-made professional development programme for the primary staff.

Our teaching and learning strategies for primary foreign language learning have always been based on the principles of language acquisition and language development used in mother tongue teaching. It was a natural next step for us to look at the strengths emerging from primary literacy practice as a result of the introduction of the National Literacy Strategy.

We were keen to explore the links within the language domain and welcomed the opportunity for our Literacy Consultant, Angela Cooper, to work with Catherine Cheater to develop a teaching and learning framework which sets out language progression through word, sentence and text work.

Catherine and Angela have prepared this framework for young learners of French and it is being trialled in the primary schools this term - if it proves successful it will be an excellent model for other languages. Learning objectives from the literacy framework have been selected to match foreign language learning objectives - word and counting games, music, song and story are essential components of the planned learning experiences.

Our primary children have displayed great enthusiasm for their foreign language lessons - the framework will support teachers' ability to plan more effectively for linguistic progression. We hope that this resource will enable our young apprentice linguists to become more competent and even more confident!

What's Happening | Spring 2000 Update