So Much to Learn...So Little Time

Why Learning a Language is Important in Primary Years...and should continue into Secondary

I like Google Alerts. It always throws up some interesting stuff.

This one came from my "Languages" alert and is a Forbes article based on an interview with Noam Chomsky, noted linguist.
In the article he speculates that the learning of a language has a critical period for development, and that for languages this could be from birth to around puberty.

If you have learned a language by that time, you will be able to learn more languages later, but probably in a different way, and maybe by connecting it to the languages that you do know.

I'm sure most language teachers would agree with this and indeed anecdotal evidence nearly always concurs. How difficult do adults find it to acquire a second language?

From birth children seem to absorb language (mother tongue) with no need for formal lessons and the idea of language lessons has always been to try to include as much target language as possible to attempt in some way to replicate this. However as kids get older it becomes more difficult for them to absorb any new language.

This is why it is important that kids get the chance to learn a 2nd language in primary school, whilst they are still at their most receptive. It is also important that at this stage they get a chance to really enjoy a second language. In my experience most kids really do enjoy language study in the primary stages.

However, as a secondary teacher I fear that all too often we seem to slog this fun out of language study. Why? Is it because we start to get into the nitty gritty of language, i.e. grammar and it becomes boring? Is it because we often have to deal with a class in S1 where kids arrive at totally different stages in their language learning; some at zero because they have changed language and some for whom a lot of the S1 topics have already been covered in primary? Unfortunately as a common denominator we often start at the basics again.

What can we do to resolve this problem? To my mind TRANSITION becomes all important. Somehow secondary teachers need to be able to latch onto the enthusiasm of the primary school whilst still pushing the boundaries of linguistic knowledge? But how?

Could this be where emerging tech should get involved, by enhancing the creative skills of these kids? Rather than starting with a text book why not use kids prior knowledge and introduce them to the delights of podcasting to introduce themselves. Or use web resources such as glogster, scrapblog start to compile e-folios. Lets try to build on the creativity kids often get to express in primary to ensure that they remain motivated to study a language throughout secondary. AND let us encourage those who may not be naturally gifted linguists to be as creative as possible with the language that they know. Lets allow CREATIVITY and COMMUNICATION to be the by-words rather than 100% accuracy.

Photos:
"Talking at Google: Languages on the Internet" by Stephanie Booth
"transition" by SGT Butler (deployed)

Technorati Tags: primary, secondary, languagelearning, creativity, communication

Living and Growing in P6 (and in French)

Since Raoul's arrival in the UK I have undertaken quite the learning experience myself.
He has started in P6, just at the time they were beginning to start the Living and Growing topic, with the controversial Channel 4 resources.
In order that he be able to do some of the work that the others are doing I have kept myself busy translating the worksheets they use in class (I wonder if there is a copyright issue here?) This has lead to me learning a whole new swathe of French vocab, very anatomical as you can imagine.
Anyway whilst going through one of the sheets with him ( about periods) I also realised that he has had little or no experience of working with worksheets. A primary class in Cameroon will usually have a lot of learning by rote and copying from the blackboard. However his teacher tells me that he rather enjoys the computer so I thought I'd try something out.

I have taken the questions and answers from one of the worksheets (Unit 2.5  Period Puzzle if you are interested) and input them in ClassTools.net. Et voila.

Click here for full screen version

I haven't tried it out on him yet because he is not quite up to there yet, but I will send the link to his teacher and have him have a go at home.
I will of course blog my findings.

Technorati Tags: classtools, channel4, phse, livingandgrowing

TGS at the European Parliament...and the power of Twitter and the Web.

About half an hour ago I got this tweet from Mark Pentleton (Mr Radio Lingua) who is covering this year's Euroscola event in Strasbourg.


I knew one of our students was off on this trip, so I whizzed over to the website to have a look and lo and behold the afore mentioned student is there on the videos and more interestingly she has been chosen as one of the 2 Scottish representatives. So well done Sam.

Of course because of this tweet I was able alert my PT (and her teacher) as well as the Headteacher.

All because of Twitter.

Here are the vids anyway (which won't be able to see in school because YouTube is blocked).

Oh, cheers Mark.





Technorati Tags: euroscola, markpentleton, radiolingua, thegordonschools

Mobile post sent by chuffin using Utterz.  Replies.  mp3

Raouls Sweet Makossa Moves

Mobile post sent by chuffin using Utterz.  Replies.

Yes We Can

You've probably seen this but I wanted to post it in light of Jacqui Smith's statement on immigration yesterday in Parliament.
I'm not going to write about my feelings, much suffice to say that she must remember that like America, this country (UK) has been built on the back of immigrants and migrant workers, and the exploitation thereof.
I think that rather than taxing to death people such as my wife who have come here to work, usually in the crappy jobs that Brits are too "proud" to do this pseudo-labour government needs to think about why, for example we have lots of immigrants working in the local factory, yet people are still on the dole. Doesn't make sense to me.
The majority of immigrants here in this country legally work, pay their taxes and abide by the laws and that is what should be expected of them; not to become more British than British. How many of us nationals could answer the questions in their ridiculous test of citizenship?

Maybe in this country we need to band together as some enlightened Americans are for Hope and Change. To change the way UK politicians run the rule over our lives, whilst doing what they want in our name. We elect them (or some of us do) but do they ever listen to us on a national level...no. Iraq? etc.


Technorati Tags: will.i.am, barackobama

Culture Club for Primary School

Although they probably don't want my pity I feel desperately sorry for primary teachers in my homeland (England).
Not only do they have to fit in literacy, numeracy, physical activity etc but now the government (bloody meddling, fiddling, dithering hare-brained (sorry hares) politicians at it again) has decided in its ultimate wisdom that primary age pupils must get 5 hours a week of high culture.

Pupils to get more access to the arts | Schools special reports | EducationGuardian.co.uk via kwout

On behalf of my colleagues down south:

Dear Mr Balls,

Where do you propose to fit in regular theatre visits etc into an already cluttered timetable. Is travel to a theatre / art gallery included in this time. What happens when results in national assessments start to drop because kids no longer have time to cover the syllabus (even though they shouldn't need to sit these assessments.)

People think teachers are always moaning about their lot..no bloody wonder. Let us get on with the job we trained for and keep your unknowing noses out of it. How are you qualified to tell teachers how things should be?

I am sure this will not be the last post on this subject in the edublogoshere, having already seen Doug's and Doug's thoughts.

Technorati Tags: teaching, learning,

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Raoul's Feelings - A Slidecast

If you follow this blog you will know that Yanick has been learning his times tables by rapping them (he got certificates for his raps BTW.)
Now his brother Raoul is here we are trying to help him learn English. Of course I have found it necessary to engage the help of the web and its wonderful 2.0ness.
Having trawled the web for resources I came across MES-English, which is a mine of EAL resources including downloadable powerpoints and flashcards. We have been using these at home to go over vocab, so I thought I could try and add to it by putting together a slidecast. As the slides are all copyright I emailed Mark at MES-English to ask his permission, which he duly granted, and for that I am very grateful.
I then recorded Yanick and Raoul going through the ppt, with Yan introducing the vocab and Raoul using it in a very simple sentence.
We then chose a beat from Garageband's loops and added the bass and guitar they liked. In then jiggled with the voice track by adding some reverb and a bit of phaser to the guitar track...et voila.
Here's the slidecast.

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Let us know what you think.

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Technorati Tags: slideshare, eal, english, vocabulary, learning

Technology and Sprouts

In a loose moment today (all day in other words) I decided to fiddle around with SproutBuilder again. I have discovered it's really quite fun. You can do loads of stuff with it.
I decided to try to create a widget to promote the use of technology for teachers.

First I found this image in a search for "web2.0 tool" and added the url of the image to the "sproutbuilder". So thanks to Mark Woolley for his excellent slideshow, "Web 2.0 Tools for your Classroom Right NOW!!"

On the second page I wanted some movement. Ideally I wanted the above slideshow, but although there is a slideshow botton I couldn't figure it out. So I searched YouTube and added  bcgstanley's video Web 2.0 and Language Learning again by simply uploading the video's URL. (Unfortunately only YouTube url's are accepted at the moment but you can upload your own flv files as long as they are no bigger than 15mb.)

Then I wanted some way for viewers of the widget to be able to view the second page. At first I was going to add a button but then I saw a timer which counts down and automatically turns the page. I have also set it up so that the video plays automatically.

Although I have enjoyed mucking around with this I'm not fully satisfied with my widget. I wanted more impact, but couldn't find what I wanted on the web. What I really wanted to do was to record some audio and upload but the muse wasn't with me today.

Anyway here's my Tech for Teachers widget.





Technorati Tags: sproutbuilder, youtube, grahamstanley, markwoolley, widget

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British Values...Political Claptrap

Rant warning.

                                       

(Images via Spell with Flickr)
            

I am getting to the end of my tether with politicians and their farcical espousal of so-called British values (and in this I include Scottish values, English values, Welsh values and Irish Values in fact any supposed values relating to a specific country.) They don't or should not exist, yet in order to garner votes from the ever increasing egotistical, middle class, middle Britain, I-drive-a-4x4-1mile-to-my-child's-primary-school-because-its-safe brigade, our elected "representatives" constantly harp on about British (Scottish, English whatever) values.

These are the British values that in England are testing primary school kids into a state of panic and fear of failure. Where test results are taken as such a gospel truth indication of the "goodness" of a school that Headies lose their job after a drop in league tables, where some of the unfortunate above mentioned middle classes will move house at the drop of a hat just to get their child into a supposedly better school. Where rather than facilitating the education of their charges, teachers are almost obliged to teach them how to do well in the national tests. A child in England will sit 4 sets of national tests before age 17. Primary kids are tested at age 7 whilst in some countries they are only just starting formal education. And where is all this leaving our kids...

BBC NEWS | UK | UK is accused of failing children via kwout

that's right, right at the bottom of UNICEF's child wellbeing table for developed countries. And this is what our children have to cope with.

BBC NEWS | UK | UK is accused of failing children via kwout

I bet British kids just love British values.

These are our beloved British values that in 2002-2003 spent £29,661 per prisoner in Her Majesty's Young Offenders Institution Wetherby, whilst the budgeted running costs for Secondary schools in Scotland in 2003-2004 were £3770 per pupil. In other words we spend 10 times more on criminals who chose their destiny than on the futures of our children. Another great British value. And at the same time we allow(ed) these criminals to claim maintenance grants for their studies, whilst receiving board and lodging courtesy of Her Majesty.

Great British values are constantly being proclaimed by our politicians. Are these the same role models for society who claim monies from the public purse to supposedly employ their relatives, who are in actual fact studying at University...stand up Derek Conway (a great Briton.) These are the values constantly referred to by our UK government ministers who can't even be bothered to follow their own laws regarding the funding of their own party...stand up Peter Hain. Is it a great British Value to sign on for an illegal war, allow your wife to earn $000's per hour for talking to people in the US and then on leaving your Premiership set yourself up as some kind of future President of Europe...thanks Tony.

It is these core British values that allowed a Ghanian lady (albeit in this country illegaly) to be forcefully repatriated despite being terminally ill. The news footage of the besuited civil servants jobsworths escorting a plainly ill and bewildered woman out of the hospital was a disgrace to any sensible person. It seems our wonderful British values love an easy target. Jacqui Smith now wants to deport a young man who should be held up as a beacon of what immigrants can contribute to our society, back to Nigeria; because his relatives neglected to ensure his immigration status was in order. You see he was easy to get at as he never tried to hide therefore he is an easy box to tick in Government targets.

It is our core British values which ensure there has to be a debate across the media about whether football fans can be trusted to observe a moment's silence to remember the loss of some of Britain's greatest footballers in a plane crash in Munich. All because they just happened to be playing for the same team (Manchester United.) I'm not one for the mass public outpourings of grief that seem to occur at the loss of anyone remotely famous since Diana died, in fact I think it is rather pathetic, but moments like these should be respected AND THAT SHOULD GO WITHOUT SAYING, NO DEBATE.

As I said at the beginning of this post there isn't (or shouldn't be) such a thing as "British (etc)" values, because then morals and decency move into the realm of politicians who so blatantly cannot be trusted to be their guardians. In my opinion there are only VALUES. Not British, not Scottish, just VALUES. Values taught to us by our parents, reinforced by teachers, clerics, politicians and EVERYONE in the public eye. Simple values of respect for others (even in disagreement), respect for where we live. No need to label them. No need to call them British values, Christian values, middle-class values again just values.

Decent Values do not belong to any one class nor to any one religion. Values of decency and respect are the property of all; it is just unfortunate that too many people in today's society do not (either willfully or through ignorance) use their "property" wisely.
And before anyone starts I do not hold myself up as a paragon of these values however I have a set of morals by which I go through life, non of which I ascribe to any religious persuasion, and through which I hope to make my own little part of the world a better place and through which I constantly try NOT to harm others. I don't know the bible but there is something in there about doing unto others as you would be done to yourself.

What do you think? Are our politicians correct in espousing a set of British values? If so what are these values? Are they virtues which are uniquely British? Is that possible?

Technorati Tags: values, adamsutcliffe,

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