www.myfrenchresources.com

The site’s Welcome page, also has some useful display and assembly resources for teachers to use. Take a look!

Sport Relief’s free to order resources range from lesson and assembly plans to photos, videos and real stories about children and young people supported by Sport Relief funded projects.

Sportacus, from BBC’s LazyTown is back to excite and inspire early years groups with a host of learning ideas. Early years kits will also include a full colour story book, helping children to understand the differences between their lives and those of other children around the world.

For primary and secondary schools, Sport Relief offers English, PE and citizenship lesson ideas and resources for key stages one to four, including lesson plans and activities that will get students thinking like journalists, with a dedicated area on www.sportrelief.com/schools for them to upload their reports on the issues affecting them in their communities, for all to see.

Get Your Socks on for Sport Relief with the Sport Relief Sock Deposit Scheme for schools. An easy way for schools to fundraise, simply pay a deposit for an order of Sport Relief stripy socks from the website and sell the socks in your school. For every pair of Sport Relief socks ordered through the Sock Deposit Scheme, Sainsbury’s is kindly giving one Active Kids voucher to the school. The Sport Relief sock will also be available to buy in UK Sainsbury’s stores for £2.

The Sport Relief fundraising campaign kicks off in January, when schools will be able to find a wealth of ideas to inspire kids of all ages to rise to the challenge and raise money for Sport Relief.

Important date for your diary – 19^th March 2010: Sport Relief Friday across schools in the UK kicks off the Sport Relief weekend of fundraising fun!

Minister for Schools and Learners Jim Knight welcomed news that 84% of primary schools now teach children another language, up from 70% on the previous year and nearly double the 44% in 2002.

Research from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) published today shows that traditional languages dominate, with French being most popular (89% of schools which teach languages) followed by Spanish (23%) and German (9%). But a small number (under 3%) offer Italian, Chinese, Japanese or Urdu.

Lord Dearing in his major review of languages in 2007 recommended that languages become a statutory part of the primary curriculum, building on the existing entitlement for all primary pupils to learn a language in class time by 2010.

He wanted to make languages compulsory in primary schools so that all pupils learn languages for a minimum of seven years. He believed that learning languages earlier will inspire children with a love of languages and motivate them to continue learning languages post-14.

Therefore, realistically, I know I should be posting about ways in which learning French can be made easier, especially for non-linguists. Fortunately, modern technology can offer us a far more pleasurable and rewarding experience than we might have had at school in an intimidating chalk & talk environment.

I have been looking at several courses, and I think I have found one that can really help non-linguists learn French, or improve their existing knowledge the easiest way possible. The real benefit from this course is that it mkes use of multiple learning modalities allowing for many more learning opportunities than might otherwise be available in the traditional language classroom, or with text-book and tape courses. It is the best example of CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) in use that I have seen so far. You can find out more at the Rocket Languages website, which also offers similar courses in Spanish, German and Japanese.

The focus on primary schools is aimed at reversing the sharp decline in the numbers continuing to study languages to GCSE level, which is now optional.

When deciding which language to introduce, a primary school will consider these factors, among others:

1. Which language do the teachers in the primary school have some knowledge of?
2. Which language has the most teaching resources available?
3. Which language does the local secondary school teach?

And the likely answers?

1. French
2. French
3. French

Around 70% of primary schools are teaching a language now, and of that number perhaps 90% are teaching French.

Schools are just starting out with language teaching and it is understandable that they choose a ’safe’ option (French) at this stage.

I maintain that teaching French at primary schools (and at secondary schools for that matte) is a bad move, and in this post I’m going to explain why.

First of all, if those teaching it are not really good at pronouncing it, they are going to pass on mistakes, and with French that’s easy to do! How well do they pronounce the ‘u’ sound in French in ‘tu’ and ‘au dessus’? Can they distinguish between ‘au dessus’ and ‘au dessous’? One minute sound change, in this case, results in opposite meanings. Can they distinguish between ‘un’ and ‘une’ sufficiently, or are they pronouncing something in between – one size fits all? The differences between the article in French is as important as adding that extra ‘-n’ before a vowel sound in English.

I’m only saying this because no-one taught me at school, or at 6th form college how to pronounce French properly. I only really learned the correct pronunciation of French through the traditional phonetics classes we were given throughout the first year at university. I can’t understand why this isn’t taught sooner, but it isn’t!

Now, I’m not suggesting that you expose your Y4s to French phonetics lessons – far from it, but if people are going to persist with this fetish for teaching French, they should at least know how to pronounce the language properly, if they are going to act as the language model for their students. That is far more easily achieved in Spanish, German, and even Italian without the phonetics course. For French, though, you really need background on how to pronounce the language, because the sounds can be very different from those of English.

A good rule of thumb to follow in determining how difficult a foreign language will be to pronounce, is to listen to the way many people who speak the language you want to learn as a native language, speaking English, if you see what I mean. Listen to a Chinese person and you’ll hear the difficulties that person has with English straight away. That’s a good indicator that their language will be a challenge in the pronunciation department for you! Yes, I know that Maurice Chevalier made a fortune playing on the ‘Frenchness’ of his accent, as did Antoine De Caunnes, but I wouldn’t want either of them teaching me English with accents as pronounced as that. To be fair, though, Antoine De Caunnes does speak really good English when he wants to.

At one school where I used to teach years ago, I taught French to one class of Y7s and Spanish to the other. Spanish was easier to learn and easier to teach. Students could pronounce Spanish far more easily and some of them managed fantastic pronunciation. I was really blown away by it at times! In Y8, they were introduced to the other language. I noticed that learning French takes far more effort, an uncommon interest in the language and a good ear to discern those subtle differences and reproduce them convincingly.

In fact I put it to you that the answers to the questions in the quote at the beginning of this post i.e. those that are answered by ‘French’, in every case – are flawed by false logic. Let’s go through them one by one.

Which language do the teachers in the primary school have some knowledge of? French

This is a double-edged sword if ever I saw one! Yes, it can work in the favour of the teacher electing to teach French, if he or she was good at the language and enjoyed it, and may even possess an A level or higher in the language. For many others, however, the prospect of teaching French strikes them with dread, as they recall the misery of those language classes at school they couldn’t wait to drop. 

This means that some teachers who are expected to teach French now, and who have been through school hating and avoiding it, are burdened with the bad ‘vibes’ and memories of trying to relearn French now, because again, they are required to do so. Now that’s got to be working against their making progress. Psychologically, these people would be far better off starting a new language with a new approach and a fresh, new perspective. It would take a lot to overcome a negative attitude borne out of the negative learning experiences that so many students have had to endure, so I think it would be far better to start with a clean slate and an easier language…dare I say Spanish?

I’m not blaming secondary school teachers here – I have a foot in both camps. For one thing, learning a language in a school environment is frought with complications. It takes a burning passion for a language to learn it, and frankly, most secondary school students don’t want to. I don’t blame them for that. It just is as it is. Teachers are doing their best, but in the end, the students’ own interests will dictate how well they do in a subject. Languages are the hardest subjects for most students, I believe.

Which language has the most teaching resources available? French

Well, it follows that as French is so popular, publishing houses will create resources for French – supply and demand. If stones ever became popular as pets (They did in the USA!) you can bet someone would start selling them for an inflated price, and ‘producing’ more pets to satisfy the marketplace.

You can teach a language extremely effectively with limited, but particular, resources and a methodology that works. (Please tell me you’re not using text books at primary school! Especially for French!)      

That’s the way I teach and it works like a charm! Resources are only useful when you know how to use them effectively, otherwise they’re just there for show. I’m serious. OK, a CD of a native speaker pronouncing words is essential if you don’t know the language well enough, and certainly posters can make very pretty wall displays, but will you actually use them to teach children the language? How? How will you use them, or will you just slap them up on the walls and hope the children learn the words on them? Will they learn the vocabulary only or will they be taught in a context? Well, they look awfully pretty and…

The truth is, you don’t need all that glossy, overpriced junk to teach children a language. Here’s a trade secret for you – The only resources you need are: yourself, and a good enough ability in the language you aim to teach to be consistently accurate, and a set of large picture cards. I teach that way, my classes rock, and the students learn because I’m treating the resources as a means to an end, not and end in themselves.

The textbook approach is unsuitable for all but the most lingusitically able primary school children. I know because years ago I tried it and fell flat on my face! Text books that are ’suitable’ for all, are probably a waste of money. Again, I suppose how the language is being taught, and by whom, and of course, how bright the students are and what background they come from, also play a role, but I’ve taught languages at the primary level for over 10 years now, so I know what works best for the group as a whole.

Which language does the local secondary school teach? French

OK, if I demolished this one, it would be gratuitous, because it is reasonable and logical to teach the language at primary school that is going to be continued at secondary. However (…turning the big, bad bulldozer’s ignition key…), how many schools actually liaise with the secondary school and draw up a plan that will ensure a certain level is attained at primary, that can be carried on smoothly at secondary level? I’m talking here about a complete plan of required learning drawn up between the two schools that will allow the secondary teachers to build upon what the primary schools have taught them, not just vague guidelines, because without the two-level plan, the argument that what is taught at primary should reflect what is being taught at the secondary school, holds no water.

If you do this, please post here. I’m always looking for the exception that proves the rule!

I have a foot in both camps here, so I can see the issue from a secondary school perspective too. Even there, I still recommend Spanish as the main foreign language that should be taught, but let’s stick with French at primary school, for the sake of this discussion.

It winds secondary teachers up when they have to start with classes of Y7s who claim to have ‘done’ French before, but have learned erroneous French and poor pronunciation from untrained primary school teachers. You only need to read the comments on threads about primary MFL in forums where secondary school language teachers hang out to know that there are problems.

This can be traced back, to a great extent, to a problem I mentioned earlier, that is to say, French is difficult to pronounce properly, and no, approximate pronunciation won’t cut it. French is a most unforgiving language, as unforgiving as the French are when it comes to people butchering their language. Trust me on this one!

The students also claim they have done such and such before in French, when they have barely touched upon it, and cannot reproduce it to any extent worthy of note. To be sure, primary school language education is a thorny topic amongst secondary school teachers. Might it not, therefore, be a better option to teach a language that won’t conflict with French, but that might support it?

So is French really the ’safe option’? Is it? Is it really?

I still maintain, for non-specialists Spanish is easier to teach because it just doesn’t come with all the ‘baggage’ that accompanies French.

Having said that, this argument is purely academic, because teachers will continue to choose French, in spite of anything I write here, and publishers will continue to create French resources, while there is a demand for them. So, as valid as I think my arguments for teaching Spanish are, the only way forward is to find more effective ways to teach French to the teachers who are going to teach the pupils.

When deciding which language to introduce, a primary school will consider these factors, among others:

1. Which language do the teachers in the primary school have some knowledge of?
2. Which language has the most teaching resources available?
3. Which language does the local secondary school teach?

And the likely answers?

1. French
2. French
3. French

Around 70% of primary schools are teaching a language now, and of that number perhaps 90% are teaching French.
I wholeheartedly agree with Chris’s piece.
Those of us who suggest that Spanish is a more important language than French on a global scale, and that it should be taught more at primary level, need to be patient.

Schools are just starting out with language teaching and it is understandable that they choose a ’safe’ option (French) at this stage.
A few years down the line, the situation may be very different. Perhaps then Spanish, which as a language to learn has many advantages over French, as Chris points out, will find its way into more primary schools than we could possibly imagine at this stage.

If not, I’ll be crying into my tapas.

For those that missed it yesterday the Sunday Mail is giving away 6 weeks of free language CDs over the next few weeks. They are produced by Linguaphone, which produces top-notch language courses. The courses will be part of their ‘All Talk’ series. If you want an introduction to a language, they might be well worth getting.

The first CD was sent out in yesterday’s paper, so you might still be able to get  a copy, if you’re quick and get to your newsagent before returns get sent back.

Before I begin my onslaught, I wish to point out that I have nothing whatsoever against France, the French, or the French language. I learned French at school, and continued to study it at university, ultimately becoming a language teacher.

First, the sheer global scope of Spanish completely over-shadows that of French. In a nutshell, you can use French in France, Quebec, parts of North and Central Africa and, if you’re lucky, in some parts of South-East Asia. On the table of languages spoken in the world, Spanish weighs is second to Mandarin Chinese; French is way down the list! Purely from a point of view based upon numbers of speakers, anyone can see that Spanish is far more important than French.

Although British people are choosing to set up second homes, and retire to France, Spain is visited far more as the ‘traditional’ tourist destination for Britons. Pupils are far more likely to have the opportunity to speak Spanish on holiday than they do French. You only need to leave a tourist destination, and you can find yourself in a place where you can use your knowledge of Spanish!

These are just the statistics, which are reasons enough to learn Spanish rather than French, but factor in the academic side of things too, and you’ve got a whitewash!

For the primary school teacher, too, Spanish is a far better language to train form teachers in, because it’s far more simple in the early stages, than French is. Admittedly, Spanish does tend to get harder at the more advanced stages, whereas French starts off being hard and stays hard, but for the non-specialist looking to train in a language to pass on to his or her class, Spanish is a breeze compared to French. It will take far less time away from other teaching commitments, and a better result, as far as accuracy of pronunciation goes, will be much easier to achieve.

French is a notoriously difficult language to pronounce correctly, for non-French speakers. It requires a good ear, and a high tolerance for making mistakes and working through them. Unless children are raised in a bilingual environment, or unless such an environment is artificially created in a school (bilingual schooling from an early age begun up to the age of 5) their ability to . Many trained and practising specialist language teachers fail to pronounce the ‘u’ in French properly, and stumble over the guttural ‘r’. That speaks for itself.

Without the bilingual, immersive environment, English remains the teaching/learning medium in the primary school classroom. An integral part of primary school education is the study of English, and the spelling of English, obviously. Now, while I won’t ever disagree that studying a foreign language is immeasurably helpful in improving knowledge of one’s native language, the spelling of French, although logical to French native speakers, goes right against the learned spelling of English on many occasions.

At secondary school, this leads to immense difficulties, with regard to accuracy, for both learners and teachers (which is just one reason I advocate teaching Spanish in favour of French, right across the board), but at primary school, it can only be a recipe for linguistic mayhem! Spelling combinations such as ‘-euil’ ‘-oir’ will play havoc with the English spelling you are trying to drum into your class. I won’t even go into the potential difficulties for less able students!

Spanish is what I like to call (as a corruption of a computer-geek term) a WYSIWYS language: what you see is what you say. Not so with French! ‘Il mange’ and ‘ils mangent sound exactly the same – where did all those letters go? – yet, ‘(El) come’ and ‘(Ellos) comen’ look different, sound different and are far more logical to grasp.

You could argue that the language could be taught without reference to the written language, which is possible if you use the right methodology. However, on average, 50% of your learners are visual, which means they will learn faster and more easily with a written cue, say, on a flashcard. A written cue in French looks like gobbledegook to someone, whose leaned language patterns are English. Most Spanish is readily pronounceable from the written word, with relatively few exceptions, so the interference would be kept to a minimum.

Spanish offers very few of these vast and confusing spelling variations, and even fewer if you accept that Latin American Spanish is also a viable form of the language. This means that it can be taught more effectively without detriment to learners who prefer either the visual or the auditory channels for learning.

So, given that, at best, the language taught at primary schools will be ‘introductory’ rather than that of an ongoing course, Spanish is a far easier language to adopt, all round.

Spanish is often taught at the few secondary schools that offer it, as a specialist subject for those opting to choose to do languages. Many students have already been put off language for life, by the difficulties of French, and are unlikely to choose to want to study another language. Given the difficulty of French, in relation to Spanish, and the sheer dedication required to learn it, it would be far more productive in my opinion, if Spanish were offered as the main language from Y7, and French as the specialist language for the keen linguists who are ready to step up to the challenge. The benefits of studying a foreign language will still be preserved, yet I feel far more pupils will benefit at every level.

This is unlikely to happen at secondary schools, however, because most language teachers are French speakers, having fought their way through the language that was imposed upon them from their first year at secondary school, but if you were to teach a language at primary school and you want to do it yourselves as non-specialists, I would recommend you look at Spanish for all its benefits, rather than the bemusingly popular choice of French.