SPRING 2019

Notes from the Chair Even though several weeks have passed, I am still ‘buzzing’ from of the ISMLA conference and

feeling re-motivated for the classroom as a result! Since the event at Cheadle Hulme School, I have

thought more about how my Modern Language Department could work better with Classics and am

due to have a meeting with the Head of Classics to investigate possible ways we could collaborate. I

have also tried out some of the approaches that Dr Gianfranco Conti advocated in his talk. His 4-3-2

activity was particularly well received by my Year 11 German group who are currently preparing for

their CIE IGCSE speaking test. I have found myself referring to his methods in my teaching of the

NML SCITT trainees at our Day Schools too. I have booked Gianfranco to come and talk to my

department in June – I think there is potential for reinvigorating the way we teach by incorporating

some of his techniques into our lessons and I like the fact that his ideas are based on research.

Thank you for your positive feedback from the conference, for your suggestions and for being an

open-minded and active group of delegates on the day. It was wonderful to meet and chat to so

many of you and fantastic that so many of you interacted with the committee via the new ISMLA

exhibition stand. Thank you also to the ‘team’ – the ISMLA committee members are all volunteers

and worked incredibly hard to bring the conference together. John Wilson masterminded the whole

event and gave us a fitting swan song before he stepped down from the Vice-Chair role.

As far as ISMLA business is concerned there are a few things on the horizon. I will be attending the

next APPG for Modern Languages where the theme is ‘Save our School Exchanges’, Jenny Davey will

be representing ISMLA at the Ofqual Research into GCSE and CEFR this month and I hope that some

of our member schools will be represented at this important event too. Ofqual sent out invitations

to many schools at the start of term. I am also busy starting to organise the ISMLA German Day in

June with the help of conferences’ secretary Kevin Dunne, and our colleagues at KCL.

And now to my ‘thought’ for this term’s edition of the newsletter… Returning to Gianfranco Conti, a

recent tweet of his has really resonated with me and been playing on my mind for the last few days:

Language teaching is best when (1) we forget being the talented/passionate linguists we are and

wear the hat of the average adolescent millennial learner with his interests, motivation and finite

cognitive resources and (2) asks ourselves: why should he buy into this?

As language teachers, forgetting being a talented linguist is difficult as it is what we are and the

whole reason why we do our job. In fact, we have always been talented linguists, even back in the

very early days when we started to learn our first language at school and have not struggled with

language learning. It is our prized skill. I think that Gianfranco has a point though. It is a skilled

language teacher that can do this, and we should all try. It helped me to see things from a pupil’s

perspective when I attempted to learn Arabic with our Year 10 group a couple of years ago. I

suddenly found that I was not as ‘talented’ at Arabic as I expected I would be. At the start of the

National Modern Languages SCITT course all new trainees spend three days learning Serbo-Croat.

The reasons for this are two-fold: to introduce them to some key teaching techniques (e.g. effective

use of target language), but also to put them in the position of the beginning language learner again.

We should all remind each other of how this feels and how it feels when others are better than you.

We should also try to be more empathetic and listen to what interests and motivates our pupils. This

is not to say that we should only teach what the pupils want to learn, but I certainly found it quite

eye-opening a few years ago when I dramatically tore up the Year 9 scheme of work in front of a

particularly difficult class and asked them what they wanted to learn. We developed a new scheme

of work together and I had the biggest uptake into the Lower 6 German group from that year group

than we’d had before (and ever had since).

As for why the pupil should buy into it, this question is becoming more a more relevant in the current

climate. Why should they, especially when everything around him or her is reinforcing these

messages: STEM is the answer to future success, keep your GCSE and Sixth Form options broad and

don’t do too many languages, it’s difficult to get a top grade in languages…

I think it is important to keep each of these factors at the forefront of our minds as we start to plan

for the next academic year. It’s a good discussion topic for a departmental meeting, I believe.

Sara Davidson

Chair of ISMLA

Notes from the Editor

When February comes, things get busy in the ISMLA headquarters. When you are planning a

conference for about a hundred linguists from around the country and recently with delegates from

as far as the Arab Emirates, you want interesting ideas to linger over. At this time of the year, when

hot holidays destinations and last minute city breaks will certainly get more hits online than PD

courses, the annual ISMLA conference in Manchester may not be the obvious contender, but a great

selection of stimulating topics and the promise of a group of like-minded people to debate them

with will soon win you over – new enthusiasm, that you are left with at the end of the day only

confirming the wisdom of your choice.

Conferences such as ours are crucial to the MFL cause today. Linguists and professionals with an interest in the future of languages in this country need open platforms to address and debate issues and have the right to be better informed about ‘what is really going on’ in the field. One of the most plausible messages of the conference was finding ways to ‘reconnect’ with a new generation of learners who have needs and aspirations different to our own. I would argue that therefore it is also in our interest to better understand and better support a new generation of linguists who dare entering a profession that is finding it tricky to keep up with and accurately interpret the post-millennial mindset. With this notion in mind and as editor of the Newsletter, I would like to open the ISMLA Newsletter for aspiring colleagues. I would like to invite you and those in your department and in your professional environment who have something to say about teaching and learning languages today, to email me expressing interest in contributing to our autumn issue; in the form of an article, a write-up, an interview or else. To get you thinking, the motto of the publication will be ‘innovation’ and this may include any aspect of MFL teaching and learning; from using innovative technology in the classroom to recruiting in new ways. Why should you be considering writing for us? There are countless reasons. To have your voice heard, to be part of a community, to think for yourself, to make an impact, to inspire fellow linguists, to get your name out there, to impress your line-manager, to build your CV, to find a new way to engage with MFL and most importantly, to take a break from classroom teaching! If you are uncertain as to what we are looking for, please browse through some of the previous issues on our website or email me directly with any questions, (b.gannon@brockmarl.org) and I will be happy to provide you with more information. The present issue of the ISMLA Newsletter is a detailed review of the programme of our annual conference. It features the main events of the day as well as provides an insight into the choice of break-up sessions which take place simultaneously during the day and which are very popular amongst our delegates. These as well as reviews of our key speakers will, I am sure, provide you with many different ideas to debate and to implement in your departments. Finally, a huge thank you to all my fellow committee members at ISMLA who have volunteered their precious time to make both the conference and the Spring issue of our Newsletter happen! Borbála Gannon Brockhurst and Marlston House Schools

Pushing the Language Agenda in Schools – “We

mean business too, STEM.” – The Strategic Approach

I was delighted to introduce our first speakers at the conference and very excited to hear what they had to say about how Classics and MFL departments can work together as this is something I have attempted to get going for years, but never quite managed to pull off myself. Both Classicists and both highly successful Headmasters, John Claughton, former Chief Master of King Edward’s Birmingham, and Steffan Griffiths, the current Head of Norwich School, spoke to us about how we can raise the profile of languages within schools by working together as linguists, whether classical or modern. Theirs was a lively and engaging presentation and the emphasis was on collaboration between Classics, Modern Languages and English Departments, since we all want children to develop a deep love of words and language. The point was made that modern linguists are often better at teaching the technical side of the English language than English teachers are. The main area for debate is the matter of the traditional teaching methods versus simply learning phrases as lexical items and unexplained conjugations. There have been moves towards the latter method in both Classics and MFL within the last 30 years, but the more traditional method now seems to be making a reappearance. John and Steffan told us of the review of Classics, MFL and English which they undertook in Norwich School and are about to undertake in a group of schools and the interdisciplinary possibilities that came out of this. Norwich, for example, appointed a Literacy Coordinator as part of the review. They advocate the Heads of these departments sitting down together and discussing what they want pupils to know by the end of Year 7, 8 and 9 and made some other proposals of things we could all do in our schools.

The audience was left with some useful and practical ways to collaborate and approach literacy in a more joined-up way. ISMLA members were invited to get in touch with John or Steffan if they wish to get involved: Johnclaughton1204@gmail.com sgriffiths@Norwich-school.org.uk Sara Davidson Oundle School

The teaching of languages: an amicabilis concordia? – John Claughton, Steffan Griffiths

1. The context

In late 2016, Steffan Griffiths, Head of Norwich School, asked me to take a look at the teaching of Classics in his school. This soon developed into a wider enquiry into the teaching of all languages at Norwich and then more widely. In the last two years, we have talked to heads and teachers at a wide range of schools, independent and state, junior and secondary, and to those involved in the teaching of languages at university. Our serendipitous wanderings have led us to some conclusions about the state of language teaching and prompted us to some modest proposals. And when we say ‘language teaching’ we mean the teaching of English, as well as the teaching of foreign languages, modern or classical.

2. The way we live now

Presently, there is a deep and widespread concern about the teaching of languages in schools – and beyond. Here are some of those concerns: • There is a lack of time available for the teaching of languages, classical or modern in Years 7 to 9 in secondary schools. • This, and the demands of other subjects, particularly STEM, mean that there is limited take-up of languages beyond Year 9. This leads to small class sizes, a decline in the number of subjects on offer, which, in turn, leads to a shortage of good A-Level candidates and candidates for university. If Oxford University is considering taking students to study ab initio French, and Cambridge University is taking in students to study Classics with only GCSE Latin, or even less, then the writing is on the wall, or the wolf is at the door or the geese should be honking on the Capitol. • This has two very serious impacts in two different places. Language departments are under the threat of reduction or even extinction, especially in a world where schools, both state and independent, have suffered funding cuts and are under severe financial pressure from TPS etc. • The teaching of Classical languages, in particular, has been eroded gradually over recent decades so that it has become increasingly the preserve of independent schools, or even a declining number of independent schools. • Although the teaching of a foreign language – or languages – is compulsory in junior schools, it is flawed in a variety of ways: there is a shortage of time, willing teachers and commitment when Ofsted’s concentration is on numeracy and literacy. So, the final product tends to be limited and uninspiring. • There is no coherent transition from the teaching of languages in junior schools to secondary schools. In the state sector, schools arrive in secondary schools from a range if junior schools which have done different languages to different levels, so that secondary schools have to go back to the beginning. In independent schools, junior schools often teach something different from their secondary partners precisely so that their own pupils do not have an advantage over their entrants from elsewhere. • The teaching of languages has become topsy-turvy. English in Key Stages 2 and 3 has become heavily, if not unbearably, grammatical - ‘fronted adverbials in KS2 – even though this is not what English teachers are good at or want to do. On the other hand, the teaching of Latin, through the Cambridge Latin Course, and modern languages has become relatively grammar-lite, aiming at fluency and confidence through immersion rather than through grammatical ad structured learning. This means that pupils are not learning about the grammar of all languages, including their own, through the study of foreign and classical languages. Put simply, Latin used to be the hand-maiden of

other subjects, teaching structures, ways of thinking about language, etymology, spelling etc. It even used to help medics to remember and understand the parts of the body, diseases and the name of their departments. • The result of all this is that there is a lack of thinking about the nature, the machinery, the models of language. • Our schools are operating in an increasingly multi-lingual world where many, sometimes the majority, of our students are bilingual, or more, or are categorised as EAL. We tend to treat this as a vice, rather than a virtue, rarely, if ever, making use of the rich linguistic experience which our pupils bring to school but leave at the classroom door. • All of this is happening at a time when the world beyond education is living its global life and stressing the value of communication, problem-solving critical thinking and global awareness, all of which come from the study of languages. Scientists, engineers, doctors are all emphasising these skills as critical to future success.

3. Linguae in tres partes divisae sunt

Whereas science departments have operated in alliance, if not always in harmony, it is very rare, I’d suggest, that the English and MFL and Classics Department saw themselves as a single force, trying to achieve the best education in languages for all their pupils. In my experience, it has often been either ‘You in your small corner and I in mine’ – and an increasingly small ‘small corner - or rivalry and fighting for the same patch of the timetable territory and the same pupils. And yet, I reckon that, if the members of the English Department and the MFL Department and the Classics Department were to sit down separately and specify their objectives, many of them would come up with something like this: ‘We all want children to have a deep love of words, language and languages. We want them to understand how their own language and those of others work structurally so that they can express themselves fluently, both on paper and in person, and to open their horizons through access to literature.’

[Steffan Griffiths, ISMLA Conference, February 2019] And, if we got down to a bit of detail, we might agree on many of these desiderata: • The ability to write coherent, grammatical and increasingly complex English. • The ability to understand increasingly complex written English. • The ability to speak and communicate in English and other languages. • The knowledge of the structure of both a modern and a classical language and the capacity to use that knowledge to understand the workings of English and, in the future, other languages. • The enjoyment of thinking about how language works and thinking across languages. • The capacity to learn vocabulary and grammatical forms. • Attention to detail and accuracy in learning, reading and writing. • The use of other languages, and the history of languages, to develop an understanding of the meanings of words and their derivations – which helps with spellings and breadth of vocabulary, too. • The knowledge, understanding and application of correct punctuation. • The enjoyment of reading and the capacity to cope with increasingly complex and challenging texts. • An interest in literature and wider culture in English and other languages. • An experience of the theatre, whether as a spectator or participant. • A love of libraries. • If possible, some outings to cultural sites, whether overseas or to sites in Britain.

4. Some modest proposals

Since this is so, we believe that there is an urgent, and we mean urgent, need to bring the three language departments together in a school and to bring language departments from different schools together, to consider and enact some of the following. We are aware that there must be schools doing this kind of thing and schools and organisation generating resources for this purpose, but we haven’t found much on our travels. • There should be greater collaboration between English, MFL and Classics departments in curriculum, schemes of work, teaching of grammar and the presentation of a coherent language strategy to those in power. If there is, very often, a Head of Science or a Year 7 science syllabus, why not a Head of Languages and a Year 7-9 languages syllabus? • This new Concordia could ensure that pupils were being taught the fundamentals of grammar, syntax, spelling in a coherent way, understood by all of those who teach languages. • Work should be done collaboratively to produce resources for KS2 and KS3 which encourage linguistic interest and thinking inside and between languages. It’s not hard to generate such resources – just think about the days of the week in different languages, or medical technical terms. This will also encourage pupils to think creatively about the different languages that they know and speak. • Secondary schools, perhaps particularly independent secondary schools, still have strong expertise in languages, so that this is a perfect area for such schools to work to great effect with junior schools, where knowledge and confidence are often lacking. This would be a particularly productive are for students to work as part of an Outreach programme. • Schools are very good, as far as I can see, at entering their students for science Olympiads and Maths Challenges. Perhaps our language departments should be more active in events like the Linguistics Olympiads, to raise the profile of languages, to give pupils the kind of intellectual challenge that will lead them on to further language study.

5. So what?

We think that this is not just a matter of saving language departments or getting more pupils to study languages at A level and beyond. In this dark world and in our increasingly multi-lingual communities, this is going to be vital. As Steffan said at ISMLA: ‘The successful teaching of all languages in a way which encourages enjoyment and curiosity could be critical in engendering greater social and cultural integration in our multi-racial communities. Multi-lingualism could be a strength of our communities, not a force for concern and separation. Who knows what positives might be possible if we now take responsibility to instil the next generation’s love of words?’ John Claughton and Steffan Griffiths Birmingham Norwich School

Stephen Spender Trust – Dr Charlotte Ryland It was with great pleasure that we welcomed Dr Charlotte Ryland, lecturer in German at Queen’s College, Oxford, and, since April 2018, director of the Stephen Spender Trust. The annual prize competition, beloved by many, is going strong and the work of Trust clearly has its next passionate curator. A quick scan down the list of commendations and winners for 2018 reveals, once more, an exciting breadth of literary experience in our classes and, pleasingly, a healthy appetite for translation. Classical writers – Homer, Ovid and Catullus – continue to provide fertile ground for young translators to train their art and remain very popular, but it was on some sensitive renditions of two 20th century works - Jacques Prévert's Le Sultan, and a translation of Warkoczyk by Tadeusz Różewicz (under 14 and under 18 categories respectively) - that the judges were most convincingly sold. Worthy winners, indeed. Dr Ryland is clearly hugely excited by her new role – ‘a dream job!’ she tells us – and speaks with great enthusiasm for the projects she has in mind. She is convinced of the benefits of literary translation at all ages in schools. This year’s ‘Polish Spotlight’, a new initiative, lit up a whole new area of talent and clearly drew out some very creative work. By tapping in to a whole generation of bilingual speakers of Polish and English that have been growing up in the UK, especially since 2004, the Trust appears once more to have inspired some new and exciting voices. Encouraging pupils of all ages, including some of our very youngest, to take their first steps in literary translation is an aspect of the role in which Dr Ryland feels very passionately invested. Workshops, run in schools and led by professional translators and students, are helping spread the good word. They are designed to give teachers the confidence and ideas to lead on literary translation and have inspired to date a good number of students too. Details of how to host one of these events in your own school can be found on the Trust’s website, (http://www.stephen-spender.org/). Of course, Stephen Spender, himself a most generous champion of young writers owed his own early recognition as a poet, and a good deal of gratitude besides, to T. S. Eliot. For the man who once raised a fund for a struggling 19-year-old Dylan Thomas and who gave a lifelong commitment to helping promote the publication of new talent, it is wonderful to see that that legacy lives on through the work of the Trust that bears his name. Giving a platform to more marginalised voices remains a key imperative, and a precious aspect of Dr Ryland’s work. So, what of the value of literary translation? Well, it demands that students become critical readers of texts as well as careful writers. From, first, ‘perception’ – close reading, analysis, parsing – and efforts to tease out meaning from the original to ‘expression’, the intellectual journey is one that encourages considerable creativity. The approach can be a playful one – readers become language ‘detectives’, ‘decoders’ –, but with it learn important skills of rigour and respect for the original, an appreciation of register, style, mood, and a greater awareness of perspective and cultural reference. As a ‘Trojan Horse’ of critical reading, it allows students to explore texts in deep and revealing ways, but also to take risks when composing themselves: no mark schemes (hooray!) and no right or wrong answer (within reason, of course). Then, the process of revision, of becoming a stylist: finding le mot juste, polishing the work to ensure a translation reads as naturally and pleasingly as it does in the target language. As a condensation of linguistic elements, not neglecting oral, aural and performance considerations too, who could ignore the opportunities presented by such a civilising act?

Submissions in forty-six languages were received in 2018, a great celebration of multilingualism. The launch date for this year’s competition is 29 March and, remember, you are never too young to enter: The Trust did launch an under 10s category as part of the Polish Spotlight competition, with the winning entry composed and submitted by a five-year-old! By Justin A. Watts Highgate School, London

The Forty-Six Twi, Kiswahili, French. Tamil, Hausa, German. isiNdebele, Punjabi, Spanish. What do all these languages have in common? Well, they all featured amongst the poems submitted to last year’s Stephen Spender Prize for poetry in translation. Open to entrants aged 0 to 110, the prize attracts entries from hundreds of young linguists every year. Last year we received translations out of 46 languages and are hoping to break that record this year! The prize is beautifully simple: translate any poem out of any language (ancient or modern), write a 300-word commentary about it, and submit it to us by 12 July this year. The winners receive cash prizes and publication in a booklet, and both winning and commended entries are published on the Stephen Spender Trust website. Our website features tips for budding translators, suggestions of poems to translate, resources for teachers and more. Poetry translation is an exercise that works just as well in a group as individually, so translations can be worked on during class or in the pupils’ own time. Many schools run lunchtime or after-school workshops for pupils to hone their translation skills – take a look at teacher Gabi Reigh’s blog about how she introduced the prize to her students. Gabi’s report highlights the range of the prize: it may appeal to a pupil who has just started learning Spanish, a young person who speaks Urdu at home, somebody whose grandfather grew up speaking Turkish, and everybody in between. Gabi’s experience also reflects how inclusive the prize is – as well as encouraging her students to take part, she enters the prize in the Open category, and in 2017 won first prize and £1000. Her translations from Romanian have since been published. Poetry translation is a hugely creative endeavor that is accessible to all (our youngest 2018 winner was aged 5!), and that can support both MFL learners and EAL pupils. This year we also have a special prize for poetry translation from Polish. The prize opens for entries on 29 March 2019. We look forward to receiving your and your pupils’ entries! Dr Charlotte Ryland Director of the Stephen Spender Trust

Keeping culture at the heart of your teaching – Dr Gillian Peiser As a former secondary school modern languages teacher and now Senior Lecturer in Teacher Education at Liverpool John Moores University, Dr Peiser is in an ideal position to bridge the gap between pedagogical theory and practice in incorporating culture into modern languages. Her talk was very well attended, a sign of the genuine interest among MFL teachers to keep culture at the heart of our teaching. Dr Peiser gave us a rare moment to consider the history and concepts behind past attempts to incorporate culture in language teaching, before introducing us to some contemporary, technology-based ideas for the classroom. We also heard about her current research into how teachers’ own subjective experiences and backgrounds can influence their imparting of intercultural understanding. Dr Peiser’s brief pedagogical survey from as early as Victorian times, highlighted the drastic changes that the cultural side of language teaching has undergone thanks to mass migration and multicultural societies, as well as the immense scope for linguistic and cultural pedagogical symbiosis. We moved from literature as the primary way of exploring high Culture in the late 19th century to a tendency by the 1980s to celebrate homogeneous everyday cultural stereotypes, which has been criticised for its over-simplification of otherness as ‘Saris, Samosas and Steel Bands’ (Troyna, 1987) and ‘Food, Fashion, Festivals and Folklores’ (Banks, 2002, cited in Diaz-Greenberg & Nevin, 2003). Ironically enough given where we are now, it was the advent of the EU that showed up the inadequacies of being a ‘fluent fool’ and the need for language learners to develop a “critical understanding of others” and, therefore, of one’s own culture (Byram, 1997). Dr Peiser introduced us to Byram’s six-pronged savoirs model as one methodological path to achieve ‘intercultural communicative competence’. In the second half of her talk, Dr Peiser outlined three examples of virtual or online exchanges between English-speaking schools and schools in Argentina, Peru and Germany, with the third case study drawn from her own research. Through critical thinking cards on various topics, sharing of videos and actual live online exchanges, students on each side were encouraged to compare and contrast other cultural practices with their own traditions and routines, thereby reflecting critically on both the self and the other. As Dr Peiser demonstrated, there is a plethora of activities using all four skills, such as constructing and delivering spoken questions, comprehending answers, writing questionnaires, letters and reports, or shooting videos, that can be developed out of even minimal virtual interactions. I was struck by the efficiency with which students can practise language skills while exploring the similarities and differences between their own lifestyle and those of virtual friends abroad. Unlike a real-life exchange, when much is left to the individual students’ (and families’) personalities, confidence and linguistic aptitude, with potential for wasted opportunities for communication or even stress and upset, these structured exchanges run from the safety of the classroom can be geared towards certain cultural or linguistic topics as stipulated by the teachers on both sides. There is more scope for the teachers to guide sophisticated reflection, ensure quieter students are involved, and decide when to permit the use of English (Dr Peiser mentioned that a successful model for the online exchange was both sides speaking in their native language but developing their listening comprehension skills). It was fascinating that the growing similarities between young people’s ways of life around the world, particularly in urban areas, allowed for high levels of empathy but left less room for development of the target language. I would argue that developing linguistic fluency is probably the least important aspect of these activities, anyway, bearing in mind

mention of the ‘fluent fool’ earlier. As student feedback gathered by Dr Peiser has showed (“It would be good if they like us as friends”; “It is enjoyable the way we try to understand them and the way they try to understand us”; “We have seen another side of learning German, instead of just words and sentences”) and I have found from a virtual Moscow Skype exchange (https://www.ismla.co.uk/newsletter/spring-2018/), it is the immeasurable worth of authenticity and empathy, derived from even the most bitesize of exchanges, that in turn drives students’ desire to develop linguistic fluency through classroom and independent learning. Dr Peiser did not make light of the inevitable logistical issues of setting up and running real-time or recorded Cyber exchanges (as I have found with the Moscow Skype exchange, such as time and school schedule differences, wi-fi connectivity issues on both sides and inevitable shyness on the part of students). Nonetheless, increasingly reliable and accessible technology allows us real scope for intercultural dialogue without the safeguarding, financial and practical difficulties of running actual exchanges, particularly to more far-flung, less privileged or more bureaucratic destinations. Although, of course, no experience can replace spending time immersed in trying to communicate with actual walking, talking native speakers, a virtual exchange with a school in Latin America or North Africa might complement real-life exchanges with Spain and France. Use of email, social media, videos or Skype may also be the only practical way to transcend socio-economic and legal barriers to study trips abroad for many pupils and schools in the UK. A solution for the post-Brexit age, perhaps alongside bringing together native and learner speakers within our schools (see ‘St Paul’s Russian Speaking Circle’: https://www.ismla.co.uk/newsletter/autumn-2018/ ), to keep us connected and interacting? For more background and classroom ideas, Dr Peiser cited the following books: Teaching Intercultural Competence Across the Age Range From Theory to Practice, eds Manuela Wagner, Dorie Conlon Perugini and Michael Byram (Multilingual Matters, 2017) and Intercultural Language Activities (Chapter 1 is on online exchanges), John Corbett (Cambridge University Press, 2010). Jessica Tipton

St Paul’s Girls’ School

Bridging research and classroom practice for successful grammar and vocabulary learning – Dr Gianfranco Conti

Our final speaker of the day was Dr Gianfranco Conti who is a hugely popular and influential voice in the world of Modern Languages teaching. He explores pedagogy from the perspective of both an academic who continues to research areas such as lexicogrammar acquisition, metacognition and error correction, and a classroom practitioner who has taught until recently both in England and in international schools. He is therefore full of practical ideas that are nonetheless rooted in academic principles, which makes them all the more compelling. Gianfranco’s talk reminded me of the final talk last year from the Head of Languages at the Michaela School, which also set out to take us out of our comfort zone as teachers. Guy Askew of Aysgrath School wrote about his experience of hearing Gianfranco speak in the last Newsletter, and I am going to repeat some of what he found there as Gianfranco’s message is very clear and consistent! He believes that there are fundamental flaws to the way that many of us teach, partly due to the textbooks that we use. However, he did have ‘the science’ to back up his arguments and he also had workable solutions and replacement activities, so I think that the audience was prepared not only to forgive him but also to take his advice on board. These were some of the key messages that I took away from the talk:

1. The separation of vocabulary and grammar in the way that we teach is unhelpful and misleading. For instance, learning the word ‘beau’ in a list of adjectives does not really help our students to use this word correctly. We would need to teach them all of the different versions (beau / belle / beaux / belles / bel), as well as where it should go in a sentence, before we can really say that we have taught this word effectively. Gianfranco advocates teaching ‘lexicogrammar’ as a way of solving this problem.

2. ‘Lexicogrammar’ is only effectively learnt when it has been mastered in the context of all four key skills (listening, reading, writing and listening). Gianfranco reminded us of how we all acquired language as children. Words and phrases were repeated to us incessantly and in different contexts so that we knew how they worked in different situations. For instance, French children know how to say ‘Je n’aime pas ça’ before they learn that ‘ne’ and ‘pas’ sandwich the verb in a sentence. We should mimic this ‘routinisation’ of phrases in our teaching.

3. Academic research also backs up this idea: “L2 research has shown that making use of formulaic expressions and memorizing long chunks of text (and making substitutions within them) is far more efficient and effective than learning to assemble new linguistic strings in the process of language production” (Nation, 2013; Ellis, 2015). Gianfranco suggested a myriad of activities to model chunks of text in the target language including narrow listening and reading texts, repetitive poems and vocabulary mats to support pupils to create whole sentences rather than lists of single words.

4. Gianfranco criticised our textbooks which try too hard to provide variety in listening and reading texts which simply confuse our learners and distract them from what we actually want to teach them. Research has shown that no comprehension takes place when learners understand only 80% of a text (Hinkel, 2015). Whilst we may have to prepare our students for a GCSE paper in which they may understand even less than that, this is actually not helping them to get better at learning a language. Preparing repetitive texts for our students that they can then reuse themselves is much more beneficial long-term as they will actually

learn from them. We need to ‘flood’ the lessons with repeated words or phrases until our pupils know how to use these rather than teaching a unit of content, such as clothes, and then moving on and forgetting it all. This echoed what the Michaela School are doing with their own unique method.

5. He explained this last point in the following useful way: BLOCKING involves practising one structure, vocabulary or micro-skill set at a time before the next, for example, “item A” before “item B” and so on, forming the pattern AAABBBCCC. In INTERLEAVING one mixes practice on several related skills together, forming for example the pattern ABCABCABC. One reason why interleaving is powerful because is because we learn best through ASSOCIATIVE learning, by hooking the new to the old. This made sense, although I know that many of us have struggled to find textbooks that fit this way of learning and it can be daunting or time-consuming to promote this on one’s own.

Gianfranco shared many useful resources and teaching strategies during the talk, but this was a whistle-stop tour. If you don’t already follow his blog, The Language Gym, then I would recommend having a look, (https://gianfrancoconti.wordpress.com/): he shares lots of his resources with interesting references to academic research here, (and the latest post with ideas for different dictation activities is brilliant). For those of you who already follow the blog or download Gianfranco’s resources on the TES, (one of over 100 000 teachers around the world who do!), this talk would have been a case of somebody preaching to the converted. For others of us, this was an eye-opening and inspiring new angle from which to approach our teaching. There is yet more to come: Gianfranco and Steve Smith are currently co-writing ‘Breaking the sound barrier: teaching listening bottom-up’ which will be a must-read follow-up, both to this talk and to the talk of the same name that Steve gave at last year’s French Day. I am sure I am not the only one who is looking forward to this. Davina Marie Queen’s College London

Contemporary French films in the classroom:

developing student critical thinking for A-Level

examination – Isabelle Vanderschelden

The talk was given in the context of work that Isabelle has received funding to undertake around the use of film in the classroom and concentrated particularly on developing critical thinking skills required in addressing questions about film at A Level and that will be required later at university and in the wider world where visual literacy, digital competence as well as critical thinking will be vital. At A Level, questions are often about character, motivation, relationships, plot and narrative, as well as asking about cultural themes. Occasionally there are questions on technique and artistical value. There is equally a need to train students to write personally and individually while avoiding being overly narrative and finding a suitable balance between argumentation and questioning. Isabelle drew out attention to a BFI statement about film literacy as ‘the competence to critically watch a film and to analyse its content, cinematography and technical aspects’. There is evidently a certain type of discourse required when writing about film which needs to be practised and appropriate cinematic terminology learned, not least verbs associated with critical discourse. In that context she argued that the terminology should first be learned in English and then transferred to French. Students, she argued should think of conventions and whether a film subverts or conforms to them. The byword is ‘informed criticism’. She went on to point out how multimodality can be a tool to structure critical analysis, by which she meant combining analysis of written, visual, spatial, gestural, auditory and oral meanings to be found in a film. She then talked about combining macro elements such as genre, narrative and production processes with micro elements such as mise-en-scène, sound editing, shot composition, colours and lighting, facial expressions, costumes, décor, set and accessoires. She illustrated macro analysis with Entre les murs, and how it was made, and micro analysis with examples from Le Grand Voyage, Au revoir les enfants and Chocolat (2016) focussing on the mise-en-scène, and especially the significance of shot composition and camera angles. This she did through analysis of stills, stressing in some cases the subjectivity implicit in what is on screen. She concluded with a brief look at La haine and its use of music and expectations at the end of the film. Isabelle, in the course of her talk, drew our attention to several initiatives she is involved with and which are worth checking out. These include FLAME (Film, language and media in education - www2.mmu.ac.uk/languages/flame) and FILTA (Film in Language Teaching Association - www.filta.org.uk) which was founded to make resources available for use in the classroom or for independent study. See also recommended www.transmediaineducation.com for materials and resources. Peter Langdale North London Collegiate School

‘Ciné de Choque’ – Amit Thakkar In his fascinating lecture, Amit Thakkar analysed ‘cine de choque’, a term he himself has coined and that he describes as ‘a specifically Hispanophone category of film in which the word choque – translatable as “crash”, “shock” or “clash” in English – informs both theme and aesthetics’. Through the analysis and comparison of both Alejandro Iñárritu’s ‘Amores Perros’ and Alejandro Amenábar's ‘Abre los Ojos’ we were better able to understand this genre and appreciate not only the messages contained in any violent scenes but also the rationale for any lulls in the action. Thakkar argues that ‘an aesthetic is created based on a structure in which lulls are almost as important as the film's crash, shocks and clashes. Through quieter moments that reflect César’s boredom and sueño in ‘Abre Los Ojos’, Thakkar reasons that we as the audience, are ourselves lulled into a false sense of security, aided in part by the diegetic sounds and the dream element that permeates the film. The constant oscillation between this calm and the element ‘choque’ in both films is makes them visually engaging and, in the case of César, highlights the protagonist’s ‘false expectations’ in life. Thakkar also notes that C. Metz believes we watch films without defences, which means that, as the viewer, we might face reality tests that force us to confront what we see. This certainly appears to be the case in both films discussed as, in ‘Amores Perros’ in particular, we are inundated with moments of ‘choque’, whether it be the intense aural assault via the sheer number of ‘palabrotas’ heard or the clear Cain and Abel motif when the two brothers and both dogs look horns; the panned camera is patent in its connection of the two and, Thakkar offers, allows us to conclude that we are all reduced to mere violent beasts. Daniella Mardell North London Collegiate School

Raising the profile of Languages in your school – Anna Hemsworth Anna Hemsworth led the break out session on raising the profile of the Modern Languages Department and this session was, unsurprisingly, extremely popular with standing room only. Anna is Head of Languages at Manchester Grammar School and is one of the most respected Heads of Department in the country. Manchester Grammar is inspirational for us all in that half of the boys take a language in Y12, which

is truly enviable in the current climate where languages feel increasingly squeezed in a world where

many schools are opting for a 3+ Enrichment model. Anna started by suggesting that we raise the

profile of our departments through everyday activities rather than big showcases, setting goals for

the year across all languages. Anna highlighted that this needed to target the full range of

responsibilities: teaching and learning, what happens outside the classroom as well as the building

and the space itself. Many of us have struggled with juggling the need to get through a series of

administrative tasks in valuable meeting times, knowing that we would rather be discussing how to

develop and improve our teaching and Anna suggested holding a ‘pedagogy party’ - an informal and

relaxed meeting once a fortnight for sharing good practice. As her talk went on, it became

increasingly clear that Anna had really harnessed the persuasive power of older students to pass on

information and enthusiasm for example holding breakfasts for a particular year group in the dining

hall with older students talking to them about their language experiences. Another idea that

resulted in frantic note taking from delegates was the idea that language clubs and activities did not

necessarily have to be language specific but could be based around a theme. Anna also highlighted

the value of regular contact with parents about all aspects of learning languages such as when are

the dates of upcoming oral exams. MGS also had a Senior school language society, run by Y12

committee (they have to apply for the responsibility) and Anna had gone to great pains to invite in

speakers from all walks of life (from news readers to footballers), as well as talks by students and

teachers to continually promote languages across the school. Former MGS pupils often came back

to share their experiences and foster the idea that languages were worth pursuing. Anna had also

made use of the recent Book Club offering from Oxford, as well as pioneering an imaginative work

experience exchange.

It is fair to say that in many ways Anna’s talk summed up the best about ISMLA Conferences;

Teachers talking to teachers, grounded in the realities that we face on a day to day basis but

showing that, with the determination, vision and support of a dedicated team, it is possible for

Languages not simply to hold its own but also to thrive. This is particularly significant and

encouraging for all those who feel that we are losing the battle to show parents and management

that, for our pupils, STEM and nothing but STEM is not the answer.

Jenny Davey

Glenalmond College

‘Real Lives’ – Exciting, real world qualifications as engaging preparation for (I)GCSE and for linguists who do not choose A-level – Nick Mair Nick inspired us in his characteristic inimitable style with three new and innovative examinations. With the much-publicised fall in numbers taking GCSEs and A-levels, sitting still is not an option and new styles of assessment are needed to broaden the appeal of languages. The Chartered Institute of Linguists’ Real Lives Challenge inspired Year 10 linguists for the first time in 2018 and is set to impress pupils this June with what could be the UK’s first listening comprehension paper in which the source material is a video animation. Questions are multiple choice and unlike GCSE examinations, pupils are confronted with ‘life or death’ scenarios, some of which are quite hard-hitting. One of the truly innovative features of this assessment is that pupils are required to think on their feet. ISMLA delegates watched a sample exam consisting of a stylishly-produced animation of a ship in danger. The questions then tested lateral thinking, beyond simply understanding the language. The examination would appeal to able and less able pupils alike with two versions; one focusing on D of E-style scenarios and the cadet version. If a pupil can pass this test then they should achieve a grade 4 or above at the GCSE in Year 11, so it is well pitched for Year 10 and strong Year 9 students. Beyond revising numbers and points of the compass, it is impossible to prepare for this examination, which may be its greatest appeal! In addition to French, German and Spanish, CIOL will also offer the exam in the D of E format in ESOL, Arabic, Welsh and Mandarin. The cost of the examination remains at £18 per candidate and it is available at no charge for schools with a high percentage of Free School Meals if entering 100+ candidates. Equally intriguing is the Dulwich Experiment; an exciting Year 9 cross-curricular course developed by Nick and a colleague in Dulwich’s D+T department. Delegates tried questions which required knowledge of industrial processes, as well as French reading comprehension skills. The innovative feature of these tests is that pupils who enjoy D+T (but languages to a lesser extent) are likely to be motivated by the questions, thus broadening our subject’s appeal and relevance. The questions we tried were well-written and motivating and avoided the pitfalls which can arise with integrated content and language learning. The final new assessment is in development and would be an ideal examination for pupils applying for medicine. The Certificate of Bilingual Skills in health is intended to be sat in the summer term and will involve an oral and the learning of a medical lexicon. Pupils with an A* at GCSE / IGCSE who have solid oral skills and who are on top of the lexicon will pass. Thank you to Nick for continuing to inspire us with ideas that have teeth and which really broaden the range of students to which languages can appeal. Jonathan Marshall Headington School

National Modern Languages SCITT - Teacher Training At our annual conference this year we had the chance to hear about the SCITT, an exciting opportunity for both those who are thinking about joining the teaching profession and for schools who want to tackle the issue of teacher shortages in the world of MFL. We welcomed Gaynor Jones, Direction of the National Modern Languages SCITT; Katrin Sredzki-Seamer, Course Leader; Sara Davidson, Hub Leader at Oundle and Cristina Muñoz, one of the SCITT trainees this year. They all gave us an insight into how the SCITT works and the benefits it brings to schools and to the world of language teaching in general. There are different routes into teaching, and it is important that trainees make the right choice. SCITT (school centred initial teacher training) is linked to a school, which is at the heart of a Teaching School. In this case, it is Silverdale School as part of the Chorus Education Trust and linked to the Sheffield Teaching School Alliance. SCITT provides all the professional development training and it is subject specific, it concentrates on one subject (MFL) and works nationally through hubs across England. SCITT gives QTS and grants the PGCE from Sheffield Hallam University. All training from SCITT and university is subject specific and led by experienced University lecturers and Modern Languages experts. So what does the training involve? Academic studies – reading articles on language teaching pedagogy, general teaching pedagogy and educational research. Hands-on training with placements in two contrasting schools (independent and state)..The trainee is part of the school community from day 1. QTS and Induction. There is support through a network of schools to find employment. In addition, there is a whole module on applications and interviews in the course. A career – phase 3 training involves 60% teaching load, induction year 80%, most NQTs are tutors as well. Continued professional development will be school led but should also be more independent. So how does your school benefit? You get:

• A postgraduate student with a proven ability to research, meet deadlines and learn who

usually has prior experience of working within a school setting. You essentially get an extra

member of your teaching team with fresh ideas and approaches.

• Staff Development: You choose a member of your staff to be the trainee’s mentor. Mentors

will spend time explaining the ‘why’ of their actions both in and out of the classroom –

excellent continual reflection for their own practice.

• Home-grown succession management: In partnership with our alliance you will be able to

plan for future skills gaps within your team. You will have trained teachers of the future who

will be ready to take a position within your school or locality.

• Local Training: Professional Learning courses for trainees run locally. There will be

networking opportunities for your staff and the opportunity for them to join the STSA

Specialist Leaders in Education (SLE) team, including accreditation – with the prospect of

providing school to school support, gaining additional income for your school.

• Support: A named Hub Leader will support you and your trainee throughout the year with

induction, paperwork, deadlines and protocols.

And what will you give?

• A named and trained School Based Mentor (SBM), also called an ITT Mentor. Commitment

from the MFL Department to support an MFL trainee(s) with classes in both Key Stage 3 and

4, plus experience of Key Stage 5 (which can be arranged at another school).

• The trainee will need to have timetabled opportunities to be immersed in other classes to

learn from staff and about your school’s ethos.

What can trainees gain?

- PGCE with QTS

- 60 Master’s credits

- Support with applications and interviews for the first teaching job

- There are Bursaries available from the British Council (28000£) or the bursary for Modern

Language trainees via the Department for Education (26000£).

Cristina Muñoz is one of the SCITT trainees this year who shared her experiences with us. For her, the SCITT “gave me the opportunity to put theory into practice straight away. I also learned a lot of strategies to incorporate into my teaching, for example ideas when planning lessons. On top of this, I have had great support from the director and hub leaders to the mentors and PGCE teachers”. If you think your school is interested, you can start off taking a trainee just for the long or short placement first and then decide how much more you want to get involved. We thank Gaynor, Katrin, Sara and Cristina for the passion they showed during our conference in order to promote the teaching profession. Marta Viruete Navarro Oundle School

Developing Fluency in Your Sixth Form - Rachel Tattersall The word ‘frustration’ could pointedly sum up how we, as teachers of MFL, often feel when it comes to our desire to instantly unlock student potential in our subject. The same is felt by the students themselves, and it is exactly this mindset which prevents many of them from making tangible and swift progress in lessons where communicating ideas spontaneously is pivotal to success. At A-level especially, students’ anxiety stems from an initial struggle to express themselves effortlessly and confidently about complex social issues and increasingly abstract ideas. ‘The A-level syllabus requires more than a firm knowledge of vocabulary and grammar’. It requires a routine of expression on the speaker’s part, to elaborate, expand and explain with conviction. Listening to Rachel Tattersall talking about techniques which she uses to enhance spontaneous speech in her students lead me to realise that a carefully planned routine working out the language is fundamental to achieving an effective routine working in the language. Rachel, who has almost two decades of experience teaching languages in various educational settings, from comprehensive and independent to free schools and university, and who is now Assistant Head of Teaching and Learning at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, delivered a focused session on teaching techniques and methodology facilitating spontaneous speech on current issues at A-level. She reinforced the idea that learning a language at advanced level ‘requires a set of skills unique to MFL’. According to her, ‘besides having to develop a sound grasp of grammar and the ability to communicate using unscripted language, they also need to be pro-active and autonomous in their studies’. Her practical activities looked at different skills such as ensuring successful language manipulation, developing spontaneity and providing evidence-based opinions. She highlighted the need for, what I would call, routine in ensuring positive experiences of semi-spontaneous speech early on. Here is a breakdown of some of the techniques included in the session: Rachel’s techniques to tackle, what I would call, technical blocks: ‘I don’t know how to say…’ A technical block can be any hindrance to coherent speaking which stems from a lack of mastery of fundamental linguistic features, from vocabulary and idioms to various tenses and grammatical structures particular to the language. Rachel has talked about a range of techniques to help develop a better recall of these, some of which will be familiar to most of us and all of which could benefit any language classroom:

1. Ticking boxes: Students are prompted to speak about a topic such as The changing role of

family in our times. They have 60 seconds to talk and to include a maximum number of

success criteria, (using various vocabulary and structures such as connectives, comparisons,

pronouns, subordinate clause, topical vocabulary, subjunctives, etc.)

2. Verb/ Word of the day: a single word is in focus in this activity such as a verb or noun. This

activity allows an in-depth analysis of its form(s), meaning(s) and different uses in context,

leading to its more effective and fruitful future application in speaking tasks

3. Four in a row: is probably my favourite technique to encourage fluent and to develop

confident speech in student. The activity builds on teenagers’ competitiveness. It allows

them to use familiar language but gradually pushes them to explore ideas and expression

that they are less comfortable with whilst competing against one another

Techniques to deal with, what I would call, mental blocks: ‘I cannot think of anything to say…’ Confident speakers they may be, our students will struggle from time to time to come up with valid arguments or to form opinions built on factual evidence. Rachel has shown us several activities which allow students to familiarise themselves with broader themes and key vocabulary in various areas of study, a few of which I have listed here:

1. News - key words starter: In this starter activity, students are presented with a selection of

related expressions in the language. This kind of activity can reinforce, categorise and

organise knowledge or has the potential to introduce new ideas to student.

2. Word clouds: using a word cloud generator (i.e.: https://www.wordclouds.com/) can be a

great way to enhance pupils speaking by providing them with a range of expressions to

underpin the discussion. There are no rules here, according to the ability and confidence of

students, teachers can take the conversation to the next level as and when they deem

appropriate

3. Prompt cards: are probably the most tested and most popular strategy to get pupils

speaking. From single word prompts to presenting multiple expressions at one time, visual

and audio prompts, these have the potential to get even the quietest student to say

something with relative fluency and accuracy

4. Speaking mats are an excellent way to develop effective recall of expressions (topical or

else) with pupils of different linguistic ability. Mats can be tailored to the purpose of the

individual lesson or can support long-term goals over the coursework. They ensure that

students develop ideas along logical language structures

5. Filler phrases: have multiple purpose. On the one hand, they vary students’ expression. On

the other, they give candidates time to reflect on what to say. Either way, filler phrases can

be recycled and used to great effect in speaking exams even though they are often

overlooked by students

Rachel’s relaxed and poised approach to teaching speaking skills for her A-level students made me

reflect about my practice in the Prep classroom. Whilst I am only teaching to CE 13+ at present, I find

myself having to deal with the very same issues when it comes to encouraging my pupils to speak

the language well and with confidence. Her competitive ‘colouring in’ activity, (colouring a picture as

long as you speak), will surely be a favourite in my From 8 lessons!

Borbála Gannon Brockhurst and Marlston House Schools

The French debating National Final

The 2018 edition of the Joutes Oratoires’ national final last March was extremely well received. The

French debating competition for year 12 and 13 students was fortunate enough to be chosen as the

central event of the Semaine de la Francophonie, organised by the embassies of several

Francophone countries in London. Hosted by the French Institute, the debates took place publicly in

the impressive décor of the library and on the cinema stage. The young orators, who had all

previously come top of their regional competitions from South London to Yorkshire, were welcomed

with a buffet before being dispatched to debate with live streaming; on ‘mandatory voting’, ‘the

obsolescence of gallantry in modern society’ and ‘multilingual nations’. The jury comprised

personalities from the world of cinema, culture, academe and diplomacy. While they were

deliberating, the audience was kept entertained by comedian Emilie Perraudeau and cultural attaché

Benoit Le Dévédec in a double act and were shown the trailer of Speak up - A Voix Haute, the film

showing how debating changed the lives of young people in Parisian suburbs. The Joutes will

certainly remain as a most memorable experience for all participants. Adjudicators were unanimous

in praising their eloquence in defending a cause, their fluency in French and their ability to bounce

back on their opponents’ arguments and to convince. Any teacher in the room would have been

impressed and refreshed to witness the level of expression the debaters had achieved in and their

enthusiasm in speaking the language. The grand finalé saw a flamboyant quick fire between the

teams of Haberdashers’ Aske’s and Westminster on the quote by La Fontaine: “La raison du plus fort

est toujours la meilleure”. Prizes, generously sponsored by the embassies and ISMLA, were handed

out by the ambassadors and high commissioners, a great honour to the young Francophiles. The

winners and runners up were subsequently invited to the cocktail de la diplomatie at the French

ambassador’s official residence. Westminster took the Coupe de la Francophonie 2018. Schools

around the country are currently competing to win it. Next year it could be your school! To find out

more about the Joutes Oratoires, click here:

https://www.institut-francais.org.uk/events-calendar/whats-on/performances/joutes-oratoires-

lyceennes-final/

To view last year’s final debate, follow the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86McBI_9DtA (fast-forward to 57 minutes)

Hélène May

St Paul’s Girls’ School

OUR UPCOMING EVENTS:

ISMLA GERMAN DAY King’s College London

Sat, 8th June

INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS’ MODERN LANGUAGES ASSOCIATION

2019