Cornwall Regional Support Group

Coordinator: Geoff Grigg, County Adviser for Modern Languages, CCED, Penhaligon Building, Trevenson Lane, Pool, Redruth, Cornwall, TR15 3RG
Email: ggrigg@cornwall.gov.uk

The West Country Regional Consultative Group is a networking and discussion group hosted by Devon, Cornwall and Plymouth Regional Support Groups.

Regional Support Group sessions

Session 1: Wednesday 27 September 2006
Title: Starting Off in primary languages
Speaker(s): Alison Machin, Penrice Language College
Venue: Bodmin College

This session focused on the use of the ‘Penrice French Course' and also ‘Starting off in Year 3’ also from Penrice. Participants practised basic techniques of primary language teaching and were given detailed teaching plans and resources for three terms. There was also discussion of the planning of special events and opportunities such as French days and visits to the French Christmas market in local towns. Alison Machin is primary languages coordinator for Penrice Language College in St Austell and primary languages tutor for the College of St Mark and St John Plymouth.

Session 2: Thursday 5 October 2006
Title: Using Parachute Games in French
Speaker(s): Rosie Sleep AST Tywardreath School
Venue: Indian Queens Community Primary School

This session focused on practical activities linked to PE and to parachute games, exploiting the use of the target language and the kinaesthetic approach.

Session 3: Tuesday 17 October 2006
Title: Linking languages to topics in KS2
Speaker(s): Alison Machin, Penrice Language College
Venue: Berrycombe Primary School, Bodmin

This session showed how languages could contribute to cross-curricular topic work with practical examples taken from a range of PowerPoint presentations.

Session 4: Thursday 2 November 2006
Title: Using Stories and Songs
Speaker: Rosie Sleep, AST, Tywardreath School
Venue: Indian Queens Community Primary School

This session focused on a wide range of published stories and songs including several from the Catherine Cheater scheme of work for Year 3.

Session 5: Thursday 11 November 2006
Title:Christmas Fun with MFL
Speaker: Alison Machin, Penrice Language College
Venue: Berrycombe Primary School, Bodmin

This popular session looked at games and practical activities linked to Christmas and taking examples from French, German and Spanish.

Session 6: Thursday 15 February 2007
Title: Spanish in Primary Schools
Speaker(s): Deborah Grigg AST
Venue: Berlewen Building, Pool, Redruth
Time:  2-4 pm

This session focussed on various resources for teaching Spanish to young learners:

• Early Start Spanish 1 and 2
• Sonica
• Canciones populares infantiles (Spanish Embassy)
• numerous authentic songs and stories.

The speaker illustrated the resources with a variety of classroom activities.
Most attending were new to teaching Spanish and keen to start it in their schools. Most attending were from the west of the county and a follow-up session was held in Launceston on 29 March for those from the north.

Session 7: Thursday 1 March 2007
Title: Teaching Primary French
Speaker(s): Rosie Sleep AST
Venue: Newquay Tretherras School
Time:  3.45-5.30 pm

This meeting was held to support the area of Cornwall around the town of Newquay.
The session focussed on incorporating French into the primary curriculum to be taught and reinforced by primary classroom teachers.
It was well attended with more than 20 teachers from all the schools in the area. It was held in collaboration with the secondary school (Tretherras) which is providing specialist support for primary French in its area.

NACELL Regional Support Groups are funded by the DfES and co-ordinated by CILT, the National Centre for Languages in support of the National Languages Strategy.