INTRODUCING FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL | www.ascl.org.uk/discovering language
DISCOVERING LANGUAGE
What to do next…
If you are interested in introducing
the Discovering Language approach
into your school, take these steps:
1 Discuss the idea with your
colleagues and the headteacher.
2 Ask the headteacher to share the idea with
the Governors’ curriculum sub-committee.
3 If you are working in a Local
Authority maintained school and if
there is still an advisory service, discuss
the idea with the relevant adviser.
4 Raise the topic with MFL coordinators in
neighbouring primary schools and if you are
part of a cluster with a particular secondary
school, talk over the idea with the Head of
Languages in the secondary school too.
5 If you can set up a training session with
colleagues from a cluster of schools, you can
ask ASCL (see address below) to provide a
trainer who will come and talk about the
approach and demonstrate the materials
available. This service will be provided
free of charge for the foreseeable future,
until the project funds are exhausted.
6 If you then decide to go ahead,
make sure that parents are informed
about your new approach.
Key ideas:
● We must equip pupils for the multi-lingual
world of the 21st century not the 20th or 19th
● An interest in languages is not just for
the gifted minority. An understanding
of other languages and cultures
is relevant to everybody.
● Learning how to learn languages is essential.
No English native speaker can know for
sure what other languages he or she will
need in future. With a good grounding
in language awareness, learning other
languages later in life will be much easier.
● Don’t get over-anxious about having to be
a fluent speaker. Being able to understand
some of another language, when it is
spoken or written, is a useful skill.
● Enjoy the opportunity to broaden
your own knowledge of languages.
It’s good for your brain!
Introducing foreign
languages in the
primary school
Implementing
the national
curriculum
Laying a good
foundation for
future language
learning
Making
substantial
learning
progress
For further information, please visit:
www.ascl.org.uk/discoveringlanguage
email: discoveringlanguage@
ascl.org.uk or call: 01162 991122
INSIuDseEthe
g
n
i
r
e
v
Discoguage
Lan ork for the
How to
The ‘Discovering Language’ project is
funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
and administered by the Association of
School and College Leaders (ASCL).
www.ascl.org.uk/discoveringlanguage
of w
schemeoutcomes for
best ry pupils
prima
INTRODUCING FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL | www.ascl.org.uk/discovering language
Foreign Languages
in the primary school
Implementing the national
curriculum from September 2014
Key points:
● No restriction on languages that can be taught
● Pupils should be taught to . . . ‘listen attentively, explore
the patterns and sounds of languages, engage in
conversations, develop accurate pronunciation, read carefully,
broaden their vocabulary, understand basic grammar’
● Teaching ‘should lay the foundations for further
language teaching at Key Stage 3’
● Teaching ‘should focus on enabling pupils to
make substantial progress in one language’
This presents a challenge for all primary schools, especially
at a time of financial pressure. The outline scheme of
work and approach explained in this leaflet offer you a
way of meeting the government’s expectations that is
● practical and manageable
● enables pupils to progress in their understanding
● enables schools to demonstrate progression
● develops Inter-cultural Understanding
● develops Knowledge About Language
● motivates pupils
● is enjoyable for pupils and teachers
This outline scheme of work is based on the ‘Discovering
Language’ project, developed by the Association
of School and College Leaders over the last decade
and funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
2 Discovering Language
A letter from a teacher
to the Project Director
It must now be 5 years ago since
you came to St Margaret’s, talked
to parents and staff and helped
us get started on our own version
of ‘Discovering language’.
Last summer the first cohort finished
Yr 6, having tasted French, German,
Spanish, Latin & Mandarin Chinese
as well as some language awareness
lessons. During the final term of Yr 6
the teacher put together a booklet
which the girls use to reflect on their
experience of different languages.
When I observed one of their lessons
I was particularly impressed with
how perceptively the children were
able to identify and comment on
the similarities and differences
between these languages. They have
embraced the programme with much
enthusiasm and have become keen,
curious and fearless language learners
- what better preparation for MFL in
secondary school could we hope for?
Despite recent developments in
government policy we shall continue
with this programme and its benefits
and success are recognised by the
headmistress as well as staff and parents.
Anette Corbach
Head of MFL, St Margaret’s School,
Hertfordshire
Fitting languages into the
primary school curriculum
Does ‘making
substantial
progress in
one language’
mean that you
must teach just
ONE language
from Year 3
to Year 6?
Teaching just one language is
NOT the best solution because
● It requires more specialist language
teachers than are available in
primary schools or are likely to be
available for the foreseeable future
● It is too narrow and fails to give
pupils a wider view of languages
in the 21st century world
● It makes the transition from primary to
secondary very difficult (NB secondary
schools take in pupils from many
different primary schools, at least 5
and usually many more. Ensuring
language-specific continuity would
be impossible unless every primary
school were to teach the same
language. Because most primary
teachers can remember some French
from their time at school, this would
probably mean that French would
become the dominant foreign
language learnt in schools, just at a
time when we need more speakers
of Spanish, German, Mandarin,
Russian and Japanese, for example.)
● Linear language teaching (i.e.
moving forward steadily in just
one language) requires staffing
stability and is impractical in
schools with mixed-age classes
● Teaching just one language in a
school disadvantages pupils who
move schools during KS2 (unless
every school in the country does
the same language, see above)
A better solution:
In Years 3, 4 and 5, teach pupils the
basics of several languages (probably
up to 5 or 6), and focusing on:
● the discovery of ‘how languages work’
● listening carefully to a range
of different sounds
● arousing the pupils’ interest in a wider
variety of languages and the place
of languages in the modern world
● drawing out how languages
belong to ‘families’
● how languages borrow words from
each other and change over time
See page 6
of this leaflet
for sample
patterns of how
this could be
implemented
in a primary
school.
In Year 6, concentrate on ONE
language, making substantial progress
by building on the foundations of
learning in Years 3 – 5. In Year 6 it
may be possible for primary schools
who do not have a specialist linguist
to employ an external specialist.
For the latest Discovering Language developments visit
www.ascl.org.uk/discoveringlanguage
Discovering Language 3
INTRODUCING FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL | www.ascl.org.uk/discovering language
Recommended teaching materials
for a multi-lingual programme
Short courses available in several languages
In preparation
‘Discovering Language’
Powerpoint and interactive
activities for teaching
language awareness through
topics such as: How we communicate, how the
English language has changed over time, how
languages borrow words from each other, how
babies learn to talk, how language is structured.
To be published by Imaginative Minds, tel: 0121
224 7599. Go to www.teachingtimes.com or
e-mail [email protected]
Japan 21 has produced a short course
in basic Japanese (Ready Steady
NihonGO) and has adapted it for
use in this project. The Powerpoint
version has all the notes and sound
links can be downloaded free from
www.japansociety.org.uk
A version is also available on CD with
the cost, including postage and packing
in the UK, being £5.46 (VAT incl). To
receive a copy please send a cheque
for this amount, made payable to Japan
Society, together with your name and
address, to: Japan Society, Swire House,
59 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6AJ.
There are many French courses
available with the two most
recent courses aimed at Year 3
beginners but could be adapted
for older pupils. Usually only the
first modules are needed:
● Tout le Monde (published by Heinemann)
www.tout-le-monde.co.uk
● Rigolo (published by Nelson Thorne)
www.nelsonthornes.com/rigolo
Another useful source of French
teaching materials (also in Spanish
and Mandarin) is: www.bbc.co.uk/
schools/primarylanguages
The Punjabi material was specially
written for the Discovering Language
project by Baljit Bahra of Tile Hill Wood
School, Nutbrook Avenue, Coventry,
CV4 9PW and comprises a booklet and
a CD with powerpoint and sound links.
● Tel: 01203 466726
Latin offers an excellent way into
language awareness. This course is based
on text-books but they are very readable
for Year 4 and above and there are full
teacher’s Notes and an audio cassette.
Minimus (Starting out in Latin) is
published by Cambridge University
Press, The Pitt Building, Trumpington
Street, Cambridge, CB2 2RU.
● Contact: Matt Harvey on 01223 326 114
or visit www.cambridge.org
Springboard is a basic course in
Esperanto and is designed to raise
language awareness for all pupils at Key
Stage 2. Useful as a preparation for learning
other languages, the programme helps
ease transition to KS3, lends itself to crosscurricular activities and to KS2 Literacy
and Numeracy work. It is particularly
suitable for the non-specialist teacher of
foreign languages in primary schools.
● For more information, or to
order an information pack and
sample materials, go to: www.
springboard2languages.org
For Italian, the Catherine Cheater
Scheme of Work, Year 3, offers very
accessible material. Further details
from www.goldendaffodils.co.uk
Early Start Languages offer
video-based courses in German,
French, Spanish and (soon)
Russian. The materials comprise
videos, activity sheets, games,
dongs and powerpoint slides and
are particularly useful for teachers
who are not language specialists.
Details from: Early Start Languages,
11 Western Road, Deal, Kent, CT14 6RX
● Tel: 01304 362569
● www.earlystart.co.uk
Creating an interest in languages with the youngest pupils
For Years 1, 2 and 3
The following Language Awareness
materials from the local authority
in Coventry, can be used alongside
specific language teaching materials:
● Living Languages: DVD including
interviews with six multi-lingual
4 Discovering Language
primary children who talk about their
countries and teach a few words
of their mother tongue. (Punjabi,
Polish, French and Lingala, British
Sign Language, German and
Tamil, Mandarin and Cantonese)
● World Wide Wanderers: Book,
DVD and CD about an imaginary
journey by Coventry children to
London, France, Spain. Poland
and the Punjab, with a theme
song in each language.
● Investigating Languages 1 and 2:
A pack covering several language
activities developing listening
skills and word recognition.
Looking at words, family language
patterns, arousing interest
and creating awareness.
For further information, contact:
Coventry Language Awareness
Project, Coventry City Council,
Mile Lane, Coventry, CV1 2LQ
● Tel: 024 7622 8258
● Email: SianDark, Learning and
Achievement Consultant,
[email protected]
Language of the Month
Newbury Park School in Redbridge
has developed useful online
materials offering a very limited
number of words and phrases
in over 50 languages. They also
have material linked to this that
teachers can use for free.
● For more information see: www.
newburypark.redbridge.sch.uk
Ambassadors
learn Languages
A multimedia learning resource with
beginners’ units in: Chinese, French,
German, Hindi, Italian, Latin, Polish
and Spanish. Each unit contains a
rich mix of reading, writing, listening,
speaking (and singing) activities
based on audio recordings, visual
input and interactive games.
Each unit contains two hours of
classroom material. It is suitable for
primary schools looking to provide
pupils with the chance to
experience learning opportunities
in a range of languages,
drawn from different
language families such as
Romance, Germanic,
Eastern European,
Eastern and Indian.
● For further information
visit: www.routesinto
languages.ac.uk/
eastmidlands/
resources
The resources listed here are not an exhaustive list of all the materials
available. New products are appearing, some of which may well be suitable
for inclusion in a Discovering Language programme. Consult the teaching
materials page of the Discovering Language website for the latest news.
Discovering Language 5
INTRODUCING FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL | www.ascl.org.uk/discovering language
How the multi-lingual approach
could be implemented in KS2
Evaluating the impact of the
multi-lingual foundation course
Year 3 Use ‘Investigating Languages’
(see page 4) to introduce pupils to
the range of languages and stimulate
interest, then move on to one of the
easier languages for the rest of Year
3 e.g. French, Spanish or Italian.
Year 4 To make a contrast of
sounds and structures, do 6 months
of German; then 6 months of
Latin to develop understanding
of grammar and syntax.
Year 5 Choose any two or possibly
three from the harder languages:
Japanese, Russian, Mandarin, Punjabi.
The ‘Discovering Language’ project was
externally evaluated by the University
of Manchester. Teachers and pupils
were surveyed by questionnaire and
face-to-face interviews when the
pilot cohort ended Year 6, then in
their secondary school in Year 7 and
again in Year 10. Main findings:
Year 6 Teachers agreed that pupils
had gained a great deal from the
project. Lower ability pupils and
boys were singled out as benefiting
most. Pupils were convinced of the
need to learn languages. Parents
were largely positive after they had
understood the purpose of the project.
Teachers and Heads said the teaching
resources were accessible and said the
programme offered advantages over
conventional monolingual teaching.
Year 7 The researchers surveyed the
performance and attitudes of the pupils
who had followed the Discovering
Language (DL) programme and all
the other pupils, some of whom had
come from primary schools where they
had been taught one language while
some had no previous FL experience.
The DL pupils were less nervous about
learning foreign languages and more
enthusiastic. The secondary school
teachers were very positive about
receiving pupils who had done the DL
programme and were keen on primary
schools continuing and extending it.
Year 10 More DL pupils had opted
for languages in KS4 than non-DL
pupils but differences in school
policies make it impossible to claim
incontrovertible significance in this
finding. However, DL pupils were
enjoying languages more. Secondary
teachers said that the DL approach
seemed to have excited curiosity about
culture as well as language. They saw
it as a realistic and practical solution
to the multiple problems surrounding
the primary-secondary transition.
links well into historical studies but
illustrates many important features
of language structure. Esperanto, an
artificial language devised in the 19th
century, can help to increase language
awareness and grammatical patterns.
easier languages can be applied to the
more challenging ones. This is progression.
3 You can demonstrate progression
in the pupils’ capacity to grasp the
way languages function. This can be
closely linked to the literacy strategy.
More advice on the web-site.
9 ‘What about transfer to
the secondary school?’
Year 6 Choose one language for the
year and make ‘substantial progress’ by
building on the foundations acquired in
Years 3, 4 and 5. Whichever of French or
Spanish was not chosen in year 3 might
be appropriate here. Throughout Years 3
to 5 the teacher, being the class teacher
rather than an imported specialist,
will be making links across the
curriculum to literacy and
communication. Guidance
on how to do this will
be on the Discovering
Language web-site.
Many schools introduce languages
very gently into KS1 and on page 4
you will find recommended materials.
The full evaluations, with
questionnaires and statistical
tables, can be found at:
www.manchester.ac.uk/
research
Frequently-asked questions
1 ‘Won’t it be too difficult
for a non-MFL specialist?’
4 ‘Does it matter which
languages we choose?’
Initial worries disappear very quickly and
teachers enjoy broadening their own
experience of languages. The materials
available do not require teachers to have
specific MFL qualifications. There are
opportunities available for teachers to
learn how to teach using this approach.
No. This model is designed to give
schools maximum flexibility. Your choice
will depend on the languages already
spoken in the school, the availability of
teaching materials suitable for non- or
semi-specialist teachers, the expertise
of the teachers on the staff and the
geographical and social context of
the school. However, choose a range
of languages taken from different
language families or types e.g.
● French and/or Spanish and/or Italian
from the ‘Romance’ languages
● German, or perhaps Dutch, from
the Germanic languages
● An Indian language such as
Punjabi, Urdu, Hindi or Gujerati
● Welsh as an example of
a Celtic language
● Russian or Polish from Eastern Europe
● Japanese or Chinese from the
Asian language families
2 ‘The pupils may ask me
questions I can’t answer.’
The classroom style encouraged by this
approach is one of co-learning rather than
knowledge transmission. Experienced
DL teachers find that there are excellent
internet links to help them research
most of the queries that may arise.
3 ‘Parents expect them to
be learning one language,
probably French.’
Once the purpose of this model is explained
to them, they accept and welcome this
wider approach. Many pupils live in
bilingual households. So learning other
languages is not as strange as it used to be.
6 Discovering Language
Latin should be included in the
programme because it not only
This is perhaps the main benefit of the
‘Discovering Language’ approach.
The burden of trying to prepare your
pupils for specific languages in specific
secondary schools is removed. Your Year
5 What will Ofsted say?
6 pupils will go to a range of secondary
We understand that Ofsted have a positive 7 ‘How can I assess pupils’
schools according to parental preference.
view of this approach provided it is well
knowledge and skills?’
These secondary schools may well offer
structured, resourced and delivered. The
There will be no requirement for formal
French, Spanish, German and, increasingly,
Head and Governors must demonstrate
assessment of language proficiency,
Mandarin or Japanese as first languages
the positive contribution to inter-cultural
unlike numeracy, literacy and science. An
in Year 7. Whichever secondary school
understanding and communication skills.
assessment framework (Asset Languages) your pupils transfer to, you will have
As for ‘judging’ a school, Ofsted are more
is available and enables teachers to assess given them a strong foundation in
concerned with literacy and numeracy
progress at low levels and in separate skills. language learning. You will have:
than with the rest of the curriculum.
Materials to assess progress in
● trained them to listen carefully
‘Knowledge About Language’ will be
to a variety of languages
6 How can I demonstrate
published on the ASCL web-site.
● given them techniques in how
‘progression’?
to learn a range of languages
1 :If you are teaching a new language
8 Can pupils make ‘substantial
● given them an introduction to
for 4 to 6 months, even on the low
progress in one language’, as
the structures of languages
provision of one hour per week,
required by the national curriculum? ● given them a clearer idea of
there will be progression within
If you devote the whole of Year 6 to
the range of languages in the
the learning of that language.
one language, the previous three
multi-lingual and multi-cultural
2 Over the course of four years, the
years’ experience should enable good
world in which they will be living
languages you teach will get progressively
progress to be achieved. The exact nature
● inspired in them an interest
more difficult for the native English speaker. of ‘substantial progress’ is not defined
in language learning
The skills and techniques applied to the
in the national curriculum anyway.
● developed communication skills
Discovering Language 7
INTRODUCING FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL | www.ascl.org.uk/discovering language
DISCOVERING LANGUAGE
What to do next…
If you are interested in introducing
the Discovering Language approach
into your school, take these steps:
1 Discuss the idea with your
colleagues and the headteacher.
2 Ask the headteacher to share the idea with
the Governors’ curriculum sub-committee.
3 If you are working in a Local
Authority maintained school and if
there is still an advisory service, discuss
the idea with the relevant adviser.
4 Raise the topic with MFL coordinators in
neighbouring primary schools and if you are
part of a cluster with a particular secondary
school, talk over the idea with the Head of
Languages in the secondary school too.
5 If you can set up a training session with
colleagues from a cluster of schools, you can
ask ASCL (see address below) to provide a
trainer who will come and talk about the
approach and demonstrate the materials
available. This service will be provided
free of charge for the foreseeable future,
until the project funds are exhausted.
6 If you then decide to go ahead,
make sure that parents are informed
about your new approach.
Key ideas:
● We must equip pupils for the multi-lingual
world of the 21st century not the 20th or 19th
● An interest in languages is not just for
the gifted minority. An understanding
of other languages and cultures
is relevant to everybody.
● Learning how to learn languages is essential.
No English native speaker can know for
sure what other languages he or she will
need in future. With a good grounding
in language awareness, learning other
languages later in life will be much easier.
● Don’t get over-anxious about having to be
a fluent speaker. Being able to understand
some of another language, when it is
spoken or written, is a useful skill.
● Enjoy the opportunity to broaden
your own knowledge of languages.
It’s good for your brain!
Introducing foreign
languages in the
primary school
Implementing
the national
curriculum
Laying a good
foundation for
future language
learning
Making
substantial
learning
progress
For further information, please visit:
www.ascl.org.uk/discoveringlanguage
email: discoveringlanguage@
ascl.org.uk or call: 01162 991122
INSIuDseEthe
g
n
i
r
e
v
Discoguage
Lan ork for the
How to
The ‘Discovering Language’ project is
funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
and administered by the Association of
School and College Leaders (ASCL).
www.ascl.org.uk/discoveringlanguage
of w
schemeoutcomes for
best ry pupils
prima