Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Teaching and learning Mfl in the United Kingdom - An analysis of original Versus contemporary Resources

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Teaching and learning Mfl in the United Kingdom - An analysis of original Versus contemporary Resources

Iii- Resources

Teaching and learning Mfl in the United Kingdom - An analysis of original Versus contemporary Resources

Science and technologies is a topic that I investigated personally, in order to furnish general knowledge about these issues to an A-level group. It soon became more inescapable to me that there has been a huge evolution and progress in these fields in the last century. Resources for teachers and for pupils have changed tremendously, tantalizing along the general rapid technological evolution. We have progressed from the discovery of the cinema, to private televisions with two or three channels in the 1950s, to interactive whiteboards and the internet in schools since the beginning of the 21st century. This phenomenon is particularly tantalizing and implies a revolution in classrooms.

In order to consequent this trend, the government has adapted its policies, to try and furnish the best opportunities to develop learning. Information and transportation Technology became statutory in the National Curriculum for contemporary Languages in 1999.

Since the turn of the century, classrooms have evolved and developed a great deal. Teaching resources are a complex set of features which can be divided in three major groups: human resources, traditional resources and contemporary resources.

Iii.1. Human resources

Iii.1.a Teachers and students

The first but often disregarded reserved supply available in any teaching and studying situation is the teacher. The classroom situation is a reserved supply for both teacher and trainee to develop their skills. Indeed, students are the second main reserved supply within a classroom. Teachers heighten their teaching by interacting with their students whilst students procure new knowledge and skills thanks to the lessons delivered by their teachers.

Modern Foreign Languages classrooms though are very exact setting. The synthetic studying situation can be improved by the use of a foreign language assistant. Even if the context is still not authentic, it is the closest that can be achieved within the educational system. Students are given the possibility to heighten their listening skills and convention the language with a native speaker. This enables students to have a clear idea of the potential outcome of their studying process. It is motivating and challenging. Throughout my experiences in school X, Y and Z, I noticed that each of these schools had a French native speaker on its roll. They had all acquired the distinguished teacher status on the United Kingdom. This can only be useful to students as they furnish ability teaching but are also able to furnish a proper cultural knowledge about France, Germany or Spain.

School trips are another type of real life reserved supply which, are extremely indispensable but are less frequently accessible. For assorted reasons such as the huge responsibility that it represents, but also due to the estimate of paper work required, teachers organise less school trips than they used to. Exchanges which are the most useful perceive that contemporary Foreign Languages students can perceive are not carried out any longer by many British schools. As Hawkins explains "two weeks of total immersion in a country where the target language is spoken is equivalent to six months of formal school teaching".(Hawkins, 1988: 68). This is detrimental to students' progression but it does not appear to evolve into any more inescapable direction. Senior supervision in School X even tries to cut the estimate of school trips. To procure a principle business agreement from the headmaster, the trip has to have studying outcomes. I am complex in organising a trip linking the contemporary Foreign Languages branch and the physical schooling Department. The objective is to enable year 13 students to visit a French widespread school sport's facilities, as these students have to compare the sport structures in schools of assorted countries. The tantalizing aspect of this trip is that it will enable some students from France to convention their languages skills in a very exact context while presenting their schools to native speakers of English.

Iii.1.b Resources for extra Educational Needs

Learning support assistants are also part of the teaching team in the United Kingdom. They are a very indispensable asset for teachers as they report an extra reserved supply in the classroom. Generally, they are allocated to one exact trainee who has studying difficulties. They help this trainee to passage the content of the lessons. Inclusion is statutory in the British Educational system. This implies that widespread schools are opened to all students and that school have to cater for their private needs. Schools furnish their staff with a extra Educational Needs handbook stating the school procedure and the needs of every private child concerned. It is specified whether the trainee is under school concern, school action, school action + or statutory assessment.

This staged arrival implies each time a close partnership in the middle of the teaching staff and the extra Educational Needs staff, but also with the studying support Assistants. In means also, in some of the situations, that not only the pastoral and teaching staff have to share Information but that they work alongside parents and external agencies. In the extra Educational Needs handbook, strategies to deal with the disabilities and/ or needs are offered to teachers. For instance, ways of supporting a dyspraxic pupil or a sensory impaired pupil are recommended. Some explanations concerning semantic-pragmatic disorder, or Adhd and Ritalin, and Asperger's Syndrome are provided. A list of useful web sites is also suggested to heighten the teacher's knowledge of his pupils' needs.

During my training as a teacher in school X, I shadowed a pupil who had been purposefully chosen by the school. I spent my day with pupil A, "statemented for his language difficulties related to semantic pragmatic disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. He has great difficulties inferring what people really mean by what they say... He relies heavily on routine... His attentiveness is miniature and he has poor literacy and organisation skills". (Sen handbook, 2003: section 3) This is the way pupil A is described in the Sen Handbook. His private schooling Plan shows that the areas of concern are learning, and the areas of need are defined as being the improvement of Numeracy and literacy skills and the revision of his transportation skills. The targets are as follows: to work independently with staff reinforcement as needed; to join a range of activities at break and lunch time; to start working without private prompts.

I spent one day with pupil A and his form, going from English to Dt, then to French and History. After having read about him, I was worried that breaking his routine, by having to show me round the school, might destabilise him. Nevertheless, he did not seem to be affected by my presence. In every lesson, he was sitting at the front. He was not accompanied by a studying support Assistant. However, I noticed teachers spending a miniature longer explaining him some of the tasks given. They were providing him with exact worksheets and had differentiated the activities for him.

In School X I taught Year 7S1, where 11 pupils out of 27 required extra educational needs. No studying support Assistant was available, even if two children had been statemented. Pupil B has "a range of curative (restricted growth) and studying difficulties. He is working at level two over the curriculum and finds it hard to consolidate for any distance of time... " (Sen handbook, 2003: section 1). The other students who perceive extra educational needs are under School Concern or School action +, mainly for weak Numeracy and/ or literacy skills, and/ or over the curriculum. Obviously, lessons have to be planned to meet the needs of all the students. "Taking the literal definition, differentiation is the process by which we recognise and retort to differences... To cater for differences in studying styles and to combat stereotyping classroom, should furnish collection and equilibrium in the distinct types of perceive offered" (Swarbryck, 1994: 72).

Challenge, pace, collection and fun became my motto to try and be as productive as potential with this form. All the extra Educational Needs students have really studying difficulties, as I explained earlier, but seemed to enjoy this new perceive of being taught a contemporary Foreign Language. Indeed, as Deane (1992: 43-47) states: "Learning a foreign language can be particularly useful for students with studying difficulties, in that they have an extra chance to heighten their comprehension of language in general".

School X though is innovative as far as providing support is concerned. They recently hired studying support Assistants skilled in exact subject areas, and rather than allocating them to trainee they assign them to a department. These people are therefore distinguished to care for pupils with studying difficulties but are also knowledgeable in a subject area, which benefits students as well as subject teachers. They are an outstanding reserved supply that teachers must consolidate in their planning in order to enable the whole class to profit from it.

Human resources are all the people complex in a teaching and studying setting. However, all the training gained by teachers can also be thought about as a reserved supply as it informs their planning. In that concern, meetings with colleagues and senior management, in house training sessions or pro improvement provided by external agencies are an invaluable reserved supply for teachers to heighten their skills as professionals.

Iii.2. traditional resources

Among traditional resources, there are obviously textbooks, which vary in quality, accessibility, and originality. The estimate of books available for French is preponderant over any other language. As part of a package, a procedure contains generally a teacher's book, specialist copies of worksheets, overhead transparencies and an estimate folder. Most languages departments have also a vast quantity of visuals, like flash cards, worksheets, and overhead transparencies that they created themselves. Also, you will find dictionaries, books and articles, and board games. Additionally, schools are qualified with cassette and Cd players. Regularly they have passage to televisions and video or Dvd players.

In School Y, "Avantage 2", a French textbook, was used with Year 8 pupils. This procedure was published in 1993, that is to say that it was printed when pupils were about 2 years old. Needless to say that it looks and is out of date, as well in its develop as in its content. It is not structured in a way that allows teachers to consequent the activities, and still be in line with the Key Stage 3 strategy requirements. Other components of the procedure are still relevant, as for instance overhead head transparencies which can really be used for starters or plenaries. Also some audio resources are of great ability and the activities related to them can be revisited.

However, some courses are modern and correspond to what pupils of the 21st century need, as for example the latest version of "Tricolore 4" (published in 2002) which is used in School X with Year 10. Some Information and transportation Technology activities are suggested within the course. Also, the teacher's book provides a basis for a project of work giving the whole link to the Programme of Study.

School Z, has been allocated a budget to purchase new books and the whole teacher's container for all the students doing French at Key Stage 3. This represents a huge speculation for the school. Although it is a stupendous achievement for the contemporary Foreign Languages branch in school Z, there are still not enough books to be able to lend the books out to students. They need to remain in classrooms so that they can be used with other groups. This new reserved supply is up to date and complies with government requirements. School Z also now respects the Ofsted description published in 1996, which states that "Schools should give priority to providing pupils with enough support for their learning; Regularly this will mean providing each pupil with a personal copy of a textbook". (Hmso, 1996: 124). This was not the case in school Z up to September 2005.

This kind of situation is extremely base in the United Kingdom. It is a constraint on both teachers and students as they are not able to make the best use of the reserved supply available. Setting homework, related to this lack of resources, is a tantalizing for teachers, who have to resort to worksheets or studying homework. Yet, the books recently published (2004), such as "Expo1, 2 et 3" are built following exactly all the requirements of the National Strategy and the National Curriculum. The activities developed in the Teacher's Guide are referenced over the Programme of Study. Starters and Plenaries are suggested. Every episode has studying objectives clearly stated at the top of the page. The estimate file that is produced within the container offers end of unit assessments. The marking schemes have in-built levels of achievements as required by the National Curriculum that can be awarded agreeing to the student's performance. The estimate is divided in 4 parts which correspond to the four skills students need to develop; reading, writing, speaking and listening. Expo 1, 2 and 3 have a workbook that can be purchased by students to further develop their independent learning. The procedure comes in two levels, red for the high achievers and green for the average or lower achievers.

Other traditional resources such as tape players or overhead projector tend to be problematical in many aspects. Often, it is very old material that can break down at any time. Teachers who are not lucky enough to have their own classroom, struggle to have passage to all the equipment needed for an productive language lesson. Although the ability of teaching and studying does not only rely on ability material and resources, it is largely improved if the latter is adequate.

There has been an evolution in the traditional resources produced, but the latest technological developments offer some benefit that textbooks cannot compete with.

Iii.3 contemporary resources: new and adapted tools.

Modern resources consist of all the resources related to Information and transportation Technology. To understand what this includes, it is imperative to construe what we mean by Information and transportation Technology. Many people tend to restrict this to computers, interactive whiteboards and the Internet, and forget about cam recorder, video conferencing, Cd players, Dvd players, digital cameras or computer software. These technologies are all rather recent, but are already very present in classrooms.

Iii. 3. A. Focus on 21st century pupils

I chose this focus, as I hypothesize that scientific and technological discoveries have a stupendous impact on community and cultures. Children in Year 13 were born in the late 1980s. At that time, schools started having a few computers. Pupils who are in Year 7 during this scholastic year were born nearby 1994. The internet was already becoming accessible. These teenagers have been brought up surrounded by all sorts of new technologies. They are a "visual generation", watching Tv or playing computer games during their free time. They like colours and sound effects. Therefore, it becomes rather inescapable that teaching tools had to be adapted consequently. Indeed, when studying becomes entertaining, and less fastidious, pupils not only heighten their knowledge but also have fun. However, this does not mean, that old resources have lost all their usefulness and attractiveness, as alongside new technology they heighten pupils' studying as it provides challenge and variety.

Iii.3.b Government requirements

Since 1999, it has been stated in the contemporary Languages National Curriculum (1999: 30) that "Pupils should be given opportunities to apply and develop their Information and transportation Technology ability through the use of Information and transportation Technology tools to support their studying in all subjects".

Within the Programme of Study, there are also references to Information and transportation Technology in the assorted sections. It should help to develop languages skills (2h and 2j); it can be used to develop cultural awareness (4a). It develops breadth of study (5d and 5e, 5h).

These features have to be incorporated in the new schemes of work built by school to be in accordance with the Key Stage 3 Framework for Teaching contemporary Foreign Languages: Years 7, 8 and 9. It seems that Information and transportation Technology plays a key role in this strategy agreeing to Graham Davies (www.camsoftpartners.co.uk) as for example it is "enabling private learners to compare and description their own achievement through Information and transportation Technology, raising the ability and widening the range of online teaching and studying material... Setting up virtual languages communities". The branch for schooling and Skills has also an e studying Strategy Unit which tries to furnish advice to teachers as how to use Information and transportation Technology efficiently in class.

Indeed, the aim of the teacher when he uses Information and transportation Technology is to heighten studying objectives and not simply to act as a motivating tool. This is also strongly emphasised in the assorted pamphlets that have been produced about Information and transportation Technology. However, we might want to quote the Nuffield description in which it is clearly said that at the end of the 1990s, it had become inescapable that "where Information and transportation Technology had been used, this had been motivating, particularly for boys." (Nuffield Foundation, 2000: 46). Considering the disaffection for languages, we can not but think that Information and transportation Technology, if it used as an productive studying tool, also helps in motivating pupils, should be the trend that all teachers would follow.

Iii. 4 Traditionalism versus modernism

In 2005 students read less than they used to, and also tend to write less. contemporary resources can help them to overcome the apprehension they have of written supports. For instance, a paragraph projected on an interactive white board becomes a whole class activity. The teacher can model the deconstruction of the paragraph, which will help them to understand it, by highlighting in distinct colours, annotating and pupils can actively conduce in the process.
At this point in time, resources have considerably evolved. However, the study I carried out at School X shows trends that are not quite in accordance with this evolution. To their credit, I have to say that they only acquired two interactive white boards for the branch in December 2003. The school is qualified with assorted computer suites, laptops and sim pads. Most of the teachers admitted that they had barely tried the new Information and transportation Technology gadget by the end of February 2004, as 6 out of 9 of them had used it less than 10 times or even not at all, in the two months period that had elapsed in the middle of their acquisition and my survey.

As for the pattern of use of Information and transportation Technology in general, 5 of them, quite frankly wrote that they use Information and transportation Technology less than once a month with their pupils, when it is not less than once a term. It also appeared in the survey, that the major use of Information and transportation Technology gadget they make is computers, and for a few of them the interactive white board. another element that has to be taken into inventory is the fact that the teachers who really benefit from the white board are obviously the two teachers, who had them installed in their classroom. They all believe though that it has a inescapable impact on motivation, some of them doubt about the actual impact on learning, but seem to think that perceive will tell. They fear, at the moment that it has merely a novelty value for the students. They regret that they are not trained enough to heighten their performances in using these contemporary devices. Additionally, they agree on the lack of time they have to heighten their skills, as a personal pro development. Indeed, even if teachers are provided with training, it is only if they practise Regularly that they will be able to use these tools adequately. One teacher commented: "Some year 7's are streets ahead of me".

A New Opportunities Fund has been made available to furnish staff with training sessions all over the United Kingdom. However, it has been admitted in the Ofsted Report, in April 2002, "Information and transportation Technology in schools: consequent of government initiatives" that the project had failed to furnish the right training. "The training focused on construction on previously acquired Information and transportation Technology skills, which many teachers at that point did not have" (The Teacher, 2004: 17). Nevertheless, it is encouraging to see that the government is aware of the difficulties and tries to work towards improvement.

"Information and transportation Technology is more than just another teaching tool; Becta'S Impact Ct2 study indicates that it has the potential to heighten the ability and standards of pupils' education. Equally its potential is indispensable for supporting teachers, both in their everyday classroom role, for example by reducing the time busy by the supervision related with it and in their continuous training and development". (canteach.co.uk). agreeing to the survey, most of School X's contemporary Foreign Languages staff says that they use Information and transportation Technology to put in order their lessons, and have to use it for administrative tasks.

If Information and transportation Technology proves to be attractive, tantalizing and fun for students, it has also to demonstrate its reliability as far as productive studying is concerned. Are the following 4 main skills, which are used in assessment, still covered? Attainment target 1: listening and responding, Attainment target 2: speaking, Attainment target 3: reading and responding, and Attainment target 4: writing. If attainment target 3 and 4 can be seen as being dwelt with simply by using computers, whether by getting pupils to passage web sites in the target language, or organising a "mail a friend" ideas with a school in a foreign country, or word process a page of a journal or a letter for instance, it seems less inescapable to reach any targets of Attainment Target 1 and 2. As far as listening and responding is implicated some software like "dix jeux" provides interactive studying games accompanied by instructions and music. Attainment Target 2 can consist in the presentation of a Power point.

Most of these activities, though, enable teachers to compare to a inescapable extent the pupils' studying process. They are often met in Ks3 lessons, but what about Ks4 and 5 when the targets are Gcse, As and A level? Do the constraints related to the curriculum allow teachers to do "entertaining learning" or do they revert to traditional methods still often seen as more appropriate?

Pupil E, a year 11 trainee in school Y, says he has had the chance of "doing a lot of revisions on computers; we found sites and things all in French and it becomes a living language; when you see sites entirely in French you feel related to the rest of the world". This commentary is particularly interesting, as this pupil mentions that a language is "living" and that really it exists outside the classroom. Information and transportation Technology and especially the internet or video conferencing give an authentic dimension to the subject. It opens pupils to the culture of a foreign country. Even if it is only to reach a end as straightforward as that, it is vital that pupils use Information and transportation Technology. Pupils will accomplish great if they are motivated, and as we have seen it earlier, the use of Information and transportation Technology is motivating, particularly for boys as found out in the Nuffield Report.
According to my personal experience, throughout my teaching, I have used Information and transportation Technology rather regularly, as an incentive, but also because it proved to be an excellent teaching tool. Recently, I taught a grammar point to a Year 9 German bottom set, using a PowerPoint presentation on an interactive white board. To compare their understanding, they had to create, the following lesson, a PowerPoint presentation themselves, dealing about the Environment, and as a focus, they had to use the new buildings they had learnt, once on each slide. The results were rather impressive. The following step was to present their output to the rest of the group. Students were so proud of the work they had done that they even enjoyed the oral presentation.

"In many schools, it is too early to value the consequent of Information and transportation Technology on pupil's achievement, as the growth in opportunities to use Information and transportation Technology in contemporary Foreign Languages is very modern and the ability to use a foreign language has to be built up over sustained period of time. Where evidence is available, there has been miniature or no consequent so far in about one school in four" (Ofsted, 2002: 7). Only 4 years have elapsed since Information and transportation Technology has become statutory over the curriculum, and it seems that what teachers particularly need is time to adapt their schemes of work, resources and teaching practice. studying a contemporary Foreign Languages is really a long and difficult process, but teachers themselves have to go through a steep studying curve by becoming more customary with a technology that is progressing fast.

Iii.5 Adapting: a key solution?

Adapting the resources to broaden the teaching possibilities seems to be the path that School Y is following. traditional resources are still used as the department, like many others, owns more of these than contemporary ones. However, they have been provided with two interactive white boards and software 3 years ago and had a chance to adapt to new technologies. In practice, it is again only two teachers who mainly benefit from this opportunity. The Head of branch is willing to develop the strength of the department, and providing funding is obtained, he would like more of his staff to use this tool. Nevertheless, in a modern departmental meeting, it appeared that they also would like to use text books, if they could afford more modern ones, to suit 21st century pupils' needs and also which would match governmental guidelines.

On another level, it is not only resources that have to be adapted, but also teachers who have to adapt to new resources as well as to students' interests. This is obviously not an easy challenge. To help them in that concern, some initiatives have been started up. The project Ict4Tl exists since 1999; it consists in a web based procedure for contemporary foreign languages teachers. There are also web sites which furnish lots of ready made resources, as for instance http://www.wildfrench.co.uk, which offers up to date material, compatible with courses like Avantage, Metro, or Voyage. It helps teachers integrating Information and transportation Technology in their lessons plans. Indeed, we have not stressed one of the dangers of this focus on Information and transportation Technology, which is the fact that some teachers are going to use computers, their objective being to comply with the National Curriculum requirements, rather than having a suitable studying objective.

"A study published at the end of 2003 found that the vast majority of schools fell that they are well qualified with desktop computers" (The Teacher, 2004:16). Because the funding varies from one school to another, there are still disparities.

The government set up the Excellence in the Cities programme in 1999. It is part of a wider strategy to heighten gifted and talented schooling within inner cities. agreeing to the DfEe web site "all together there are some 1000 secondary schools complex in Excellence in the Cities Programme. Results at Ks3 and 4 show that Excellence in the Cities is development a difference". The government plans to progress this programme by carrying on funding school until 2005 /2006. They plan to involve more schools. It has been reported by the Office of Standards in schooling that Excellence in the Cities has a inescapable impact on behaviour, attendance and attainment. This programme has first been aimed at inner city schools as it was felt that pupils were not provided the possibility to stretch their capacities. provided with funds by the Government, these schools have manages to procure new computer suites and Interactive white boards. This tool has the specificity of replacing many other more traditional resources: it can be used as a projector and as a Cd player. The software produced is in line with the government's requirements.

Teachers will no longer be able to avoid Information and transportation Technology in the arrival years as it is statutory, but it is also part of a trend now generally followed by schools. The resources will be more really stored, kept up to date, as it is easier to update parts of software programmes and might be economy than acquiring a whole new procedure and set of textbooks.

Pupils studying has to remain a priority, and if Information and transportation Technology proves to be productive in the arrival years, the next step should be as suggested in The Teacher, 2004: 18: "More will need to be done to convince the test boards that using Information and transportation Technology effectively throughout the curriculum means using it in the test room as well as in the classroom".

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