West Lancs ALL Primary Languages Hub - 3rd meeting

The next West Lancashire ALL Primary Hub meeting will be on 14/01/2015. We will focus on the grammar part of the new PoS and discuss our favourite grammar activities.

Pupils should be taught to...

...understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied, including (where

relevant): feminine, masculine and neuter forms and the conjugation of high-frequency

verbs; key features and patterns of the language; how to apply these, for instance, to

build sentences; and how these differ from or are similar to English.

Languages programmes of study: key stage 2

National curriculum in England

Our hub offers peer to peer support to staff involved in primary languages, please come and share your ideas and thoughts with us! 

This will be our 3rd meeting, everybody is welcome, find out about what we have done before here.

For more information about the Association for Language Learning, go on the ALL website.

ALL West Lancs Hub 1st meeting- a few words

I am pleased to say that The West Lancs Primary ALL Hub (previous blog post ) had its first meeting last Wednesday in Burscough.The meeting took place in my primary school's staffroom, there were about 11 and half of us, a real variety of language professionals - the Head of MFL from Burscough Priory College,2 teaching assistants who  deliver French in KS1/KS2, teachers/ directors of language companies (LCF and Euroclub schools), a language adviser, a student teacher who will be an NQT from September with languages responsibility, a subject coordinator, a German teacher, the Spanish teacher from the primary school next door and we had a French teacher from the Wirral (her website: Barbara Gleave).

Here is what happened:

• I introduced myself, I talked about the ALL and recommended that everybody should join the UK's major subject association for teachers of foreign languages (http://www.all-languages.org.uk/). I explained what a hub was and that it could take a range of formats: ours would be about networking, discussing professional issues, sharing ideas and best practice. I emphasized that I was "only a teacher" not  a trainer or a consultant, and I could share classroom experience or help with Spanish upskilling.  More information here: ALL primary hubs.
• We all said a few words about ourselves and then...
• We got right in the middle of the discussion about the new PoS (for the document click here). We also talked about schemes of work (most use our own), how long our lessons were (from 15 minutes to 60 minutes), language policies and transition to high school.
• We decided that in our next meeting (in October), we will all share a resource we really like. Details to follow.

The meeting was very dynamic, there was not a moment of silence, we were all busy sharing our thoughts. I loved the dialogue, the conversation in an informal environment,  and just sitting at the same table with like minded people who all made an effort to travel to Burscough in their free time.

 

I made goodie bags for the participants, they all had an "I love languages" certificate attached to them:

Inside I put ALL flyers, stickers, resources for EDL : Passports and "Languages take you further" booklets (get them for free, read this blog.) Linguascope sent us a separate bag of flyers and freebies.Thank you The Language Stickers Company, Golden Daffodils, Linguascope, Little Linguist for offering prizes and freebies.

 

Janine, who was promoting German, gave us this book: Franzi und Felix by the Goethe Institut. Read more about this resource! 

Thank you Vicky Cooke, Sue Cave and Eleanor Cobbe for your helpful emails.

And thank you, Gruffalo, for posting the hub flyers one by one in the post box! I may not have the best organising skills and expertise to run a hub, but I have you to support me:-)

The first West Lancs Primary ALL Hub

 

In April me and my friend Sue (French teacher) went to the ALL Language World Conference in Lancaster where we listened to very inspiring presentations, and on the train journey back home we decided that it was time to act and set up a Primary Hub in West Lancashire!

The Association for Language  Learning has several of these hubs in the country, but in my area there aren't any...I always travel hours for CPD, but who knows..... maybe there is a language teacher in every corner of West Lancashire waiting to share good practice! We are hoping to meet up every half term/term to support each other, share ideas and resources.

Learning a language in primary schools will be compulsory in England from September, it is such an exciting time for everybody now!

Here is the flyer:

(The first one is hosted by me only, Sue has a training and will join us later.)

If you are local, please come along, it would be nice to meet like minded people.

If you want to give me advice on how to run a hub, feel free to do so! I am very enthusiastic but have no experience at organising meetings/events. I have already been contacted and given lots of help by Vicky Cooke and Sue Cave who run primary hubs. Thank you ladies!

If you can't come, please spread the word about this hub, you can share this blog post on Facebook and Twitter if you scroll to the bottom of the page.

And finally, if you wish to donate a prize, freebies, send some leaflets or be a speaker in the future, get in touch, you will make us very happy!

Find out more about the Association for Language Learners here.

I have been a member for years, and I have attended great CPD sessions, received the Languages Today magazines and attended the very inspiring Language World Conference at a discount price. All this for £36 a year! Bargain!

See you on the 9th of July, in Burscough!

 

I am this excited about meeting you:-)