Kent Early Language Learning

There are 474 Primary schools  (of which 58 are Infant, 7 are First and 54 are junior schools) and 107 Secondary schools (including 3 middle schools) in Kent. The primary modern languages project communicates with all of them. It also supports the 31 special schools in the county.

In 1990, when the project was first piloted, only 21 primary schools and 6 secondary schools were involved. It has been the task of the project officer to develop the Kent primary MFL project to make it accessible to all schools.

The most important resource is the teacher in the classroom. Having experimented with peripatetic staff  it became clear that this was not the long-term answer to the implementation of mfl in all primary schools in Kent. There are insufficient specialist staff who can be made available on this scale. The only logical response was to use the available personnel i.e. the generalist classroom teacher.

Clearly, it was not possible to expect that a generalist could behave like a specialist linguist. The rationale, which developed,  was based on the strengths of the generalist. The project evolved to capitalise on those strengths.

The programme advises that the primary situation gives ample opportunity to develop linguistic skills by using extremely limited content, which is practised in normal, everyday contexts. It can be summed up as follows

• Meeting and taking leave
  
  
• Number work
  
  
• Routines such as the register and the date
  
  
• Songs and games and sentence structure

 Originally, video support materials were developed but these have been superseded  by the finding that making L2 a normal part of the life of the classroom  is more effective. Pilote Plus, which has been given to all KCC primary, secondary and special schools, outlines strategies to help teachers to do this. Progression is through building up number, internalising routine structures and by acquiring vocabulary through songs and games. Pilote Plus reflects the training Kent teachers have. It also lists a specific core vocabulary.

INSET for staff consists of afternoon training sessions with the project officer. KCC meets the costs of the courses which are held in venues in Gravesend,  Thanet, Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells and  Canterbury. KCC also meets the teachers' supply costs. Course participants are then supported in situ by the project officer who comes to teach in their classes. The project officer also provides whole staff INSET sessions either as staff meetings or as part of staff development days.

Secondary schools have been kept informed of the project by letter. Many of these schools were Grant Maintained until recently and it was not possible to co-operate with them directly. However, each year for the past decade they have been sent information about the project such as lists of schools as they joined in each area, specific objectives as Can do statements and the evolving rationale. Some schools became more involved and sent Year 12 pupils or teachers  into nearby primary schools. Given that there are so many schools there have been a number of secondary initiatives over the years. This year there is a questionnaire being sent to all secondary schools about their experience of primary MFL. Results will be available in the Summer.

The following schools are all in the final year of their Comenius project. For further details about any of the projects, please contact Glynis Rumley through the ELL forum. Joining details can be found at http://www.nacell.org.uk/networking/ell_forum.htm

Boughton Monchelsea, Maidstone
French is taught in Years 5/6. They have a French national who was originally provided by the project but who is now employed by the school. Their Comenius link is with Venice and Finland. Communication is by e-mail and fax. They are seeking funding for a further 3 years.

Guston Dover
There is French in the Juniors. They have active links with France but have been working with several countries. Communication is by e-mail and fax.

Upton Broadstairs
The school will be presenting the outcomes of their links in May. French is taught in Years 5 and 6. They too employ a French national who was originally provided by the project.

Diocesan and Payne Smith, Canterbury 
The school teaches French but its links are with other European countries.

Other  initiatives

Herne Infants, Herne 
They have researched the teaching of handwriting in French schools and introduced aspects of it into their practice. French is used from Reception.

Christchurch Folkestone
Alison Wright is employed by the school to support staff in their classrooms. She is organising the Folkestone Festival of Languages. This will be part of a county wide initiative  to celebrate a decade of PMFL in Kent. It  is also in preparation for the European Year of Languages in 2001.

Holy Trinity Ramsgate
French has been taught in this school since 1991. There are active links with France.

Sandling Maidstone 
French has been taught in this school since 1991. The school is labelled in French. They arrange special "French" events. There are links with France.

Platts Heath Lenham
French and German are taught. The teacher has attended the Goethe Institut Staufen course.

St Stephen's Canterbury
French is taught. A Year 4 teacher co-ordinates the work of other non-specialists throughout the school. This school is hosting the Canterbury Festival of Languages.

St Mark's Maidstone
This non-specialist has been teaching since September 1999. She has no formal language qualification but is happy to use French in the ways outlined above.

Danley Middle school
This school teaches French in Years 5 and 6 for one hour per week. This is done by the class teacher. They will be hosting the Sittingbourne Festival of Languages.

Brenchley and Matfield
Class teachers are responsible for German in Years 3/4 and French in Years 5/6. E-mail links with France.

Temple Ewell
French and Spanish.

Children in Kent accept that there are other languages in the world and that they are able to use elements of those other languages to communicate in real situations. They leave primary school prepared for the specialist linguists available in the secondary school.  

What's Happening | Kent Festival of Languages