‘Discovering Language’

How the multi-lingual language awareness programme works in a primary school:

  • Instead of studying just one language, pupils experience the basics of several languages
  • The classroom teacher can deliver the lessons and ‘teach’ the language by using excellent materials which do not require specialist teachers. In practice, it is often ‘co-learning’, often drawing on the native language skills of others in the class or school community
  • Over the four years of KS2, pupils learn the basics of up to six languages, and this may include Latin
  • Which languages and how the programme is structured can be decided by the school – the programme is flexible and locally determined

Why the multi-lingual programme is good for pupils:

  • It arouses an interest in a wide range of languages
  • It leads to wider cultural awareness than they would get from doing a single language
  • It adds value to their literacy work and contributes to their general communication skills
  • It trains them to listen carefully
  • It gives them a strong foundation in
    • how language works,
    • how languages differ but also resemble each other
    • the terminology required to understand grammar and language structures, at an appropriately simple level

Why ‘Discovering Language’ is good for primary schools:

  • Because it is taught by the class teacher rather than a ‘visiting specialist’, it can be fitted in to the class schedule much more flexibly
  • Because all KS2 teachers are involved, the programme is much less vulnerable to staff changes, absences and maternity leave
  • It enables them to value the linguistic competence of all children who bring ‘minority’ languages to the classroom
  • It is inclusive and meets the objectives for cohesion and community awareness and helps to cut across cultural barriers

Why the multi-lingual language awareness approach in primary schools is good for secondary schools:

  • It overcomes the problem of trying make a seamless transition in one language from primary to secondary, given that most secondary schools take in pupils from many different primary schools
  • It frees up secondary schools to offer a wide range of languages (which is what UK now needs) rather than to attempt continuity in one language (which would almost certainly be French)
  • It provides them with pupils with a good grounding in language awareness so that they are ready to make rapid progress in whatever language(s) the secondary school offers