Kent DELL Project

Teacher-led research and development in primary MFL in Kent

A thriving community of seventeen practitioners in Kent are currently engaged in researching and developing their practice in modern foreign languages in the primary school. They have been awarded a DfES Best Practice Research Scholarship to enable them to investigate an aspect of their practice. The teachers are bringing together a wealth of experience of teaching MFL and some of the very best ideas from a wide range of effective classroom practices. This is an exciting development for primary MFL as there has been little classroom-based evidence to inform the debate about how MFL can be incorporated into the primary school. Such research will enable us to make sound judgements about what can be achieved given the time constraints of the primary curriculum and the range of the expertise of primary teachers.

The teachers involved have a variety of professional roles, experience and expertise and they work in very different contexts ranging from small rural schools of less than 100 pupils to urban schools of more than 350 pupils. Some of the teachers aim to develop pupils' competence in the language; others offer a broader vision of the subject and aim to develop cultural or language awareness. Each teacher has a different research focus and the findings will provide a research evidence-base of what is viable in a range of different contexts and modes of delivery. Some teachers are looking specifically at a target group of children such as gifted children or children with special educational needs, whereas others are researching into ways of linking MFL with the Literacy strategy or finding ways of embedding MFL across the curriculum.

All the teachers are engaged in some form of accreditation, either at masters level or a postgraduate diploma at Canterbury Christ Church College, Kent

Below is listed the names of the teachers and schools together with their research interests:

• Alison Wright, Christ Church Primary school, Folkestone: Early years
  
• Tara Deevoy, Bredgar School, Sittingbourne:
  Planning, progression and assessment
  
• Francis Chiverton, St Stephens Junior school, Canterbury:
  Cultural awareness
  
• Cherrie Chadwick, The Downs, Deal:
  Benefits of residential visits
  
• Jackie Edwards Brenzett School, Nr Ashford:
  Managing the change process
  
• Gloria Van der Woude, Bodsham: Differentiated materials and learning strategies for teaching composite classes
  
• Denise Catt, St Mary's, Deal:
  Resources for teaching French and German
  
• Vikki Schulze, The Downs School, Deal:
  Teachers, pupils and parents' perspectives of learning a FL in the primary school
  
• Linda Cox, Walmer School, Deal:
  Transition
  
• Margaret Christianson, Barnsole Junior School, Medway:
  Special Educational Needs
  
• Valerie Ann Stevens, Deal Parochial CE Primary School:
  Developing writing skills in two languages and making links with the Literacy Strategy
  
• Sue Golby, Deal Parochial CE Primary School:
  Developing techniques for teaching MFL in KS1
  
• Sarah-Jane Garrett, Powell Primary School, Dover:
  KAL and language awareness
  
• Beth Lloyd, Roseacre Junior School:
  More able children
  
• Carol Wade - Wingham County Primary:
  Embedding MFL into the curriculum
  
• Sarah Norris, Victoria Road Primary School, Ashford:
  Special Educational Needs
  
• Jo Williams, Worth Primary School, (Nr Sandwich):
  Developing communication, language and listening skills through MFL

Patricia Driscoll
Canterbury Christ Church College, Kent

DELL Projects