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Comenius South West Events and Training

New programme for 2007-08 announced

European Cinema day
26 September 2007, UWE, Bristol

Spanish Day (primary)
10 October 2007, Bournemouth led by Irene Wilkie

French Day (primary)
17 October 2007, Bournemouth Led by Irene Wilkie and Judith O'Hare

Headstart for Primary
9 November 2007, Bristol. Speakers: Joe Brown and Nigel Pearson, CILT. This is a one-day course for teachers of primary languages who are either recently appointed subject coordinators or about to become a subject coordinator. The course outlines the role of the subject leader in a primary school, and looks specifically at how the MFL Co-ordinator can develop the teaching of a modern language in the primary school. The course will focus on:

• Planning for delivery and sustainability

• Supporting the needs of colleagues

• Training

• Resources

• Assessment

• How to work with a foreign language assistant or other native speaker helper

• Liaison with and support from secondary schools

This is a CILT course. For more information contact Mark Haley on or download the flier (Word 103 KB)

Experience Europe (Erasmus opportunities)
14 November 2007, Gloucester

Improving Motivation at KS3
15 November 2007, Bristol

Spanish session for KS2 Gifted and Talented
18 November 2007, Wiltshire led by Irene Wilkie

Improving Motivation at KS3
22 November 2007, Devon
For more information, go to www.deseducation.org

Improving Motivation at KS3
29 November 2007, Cornwall

A new literacy
11 December 2007, Exeter. Speakers: Kati Szeless and Joe Brown, CILT. The course aims to develop an understanding of the role that language plays in the primary curriculum and across the curriculum, and how primary languages fit into this role of the primary school as a 'language school'.

This new CILT one-day course is intended for those teachers who are teaching, or preparing to teach languages at KS2 but wish to develop their understanding of the broader primary curriculum and primary strategy. It will be especially suitable for secondary or peripatetic teachers who support language teaching in primary schools and primary links coordinators from secondary schools.

The course focuses on:

• the interrelationship between the KS2 Framework for Languages and the revised Literacy Strategy

• opportunities to encourage children’s enjoyment and appreciation of language

• the appropriateness of pupil language

• inclusion and the ECM agenda

• the teaching and presenting of appropriate language across the curriculum

• developing an awareness of culture through language

For more information, go to www.deseducation.org

Beyond the cuddly toy
19 March 2008. Venue TBA. Speakers: Therese Comfort and Helen Groothues, CILT. This one-day training course is aimed at all those involved in teaching languages in the primary school, but in particular at those teachers who have already introduced a language to their class and who are thinking ‘What next?’

The course will examine what the next steps might be for schools and teachers looking to develop their teaching of primary languages. We will look at innovative ideas for teaching and learning, including making in-depth links between primary languages and the wider curriculum, and making the most of opportunities for developing intercultural awareness and international links.

For further information contact: Mark.Haley@uwe.ac.uk

Language Courses for Primary Teachers 2007/08
Would you like to feel more confident about teaching a foreign language? With the deadline of 2010 fast approaching and the likelihood that MFL in primary schools will become compulsory rather than an entitlement, here is your opportunity to refresh your skills or even learn a language from scratch.

From October 2007 the University of the West of England, in collaboration with Comenius South West, will offer Beginners Spanish and post-GCSE (or equivalent) French for primary teachers. Courses will be specially tailored to the needs of primary teachers and will include some ideas on methodology and classroom activities.

When: Monday evenings 4.30-6.30
Where: UWE Frenchay campus
Fee: £150 for 23 week course
(Normal price: £178)

For further information contact: Irene.wilkie@uwe.ac.uk or Mark.Haley@uwe.ac.uk

Language Masterclasses in Bristol

The University of the West of England, on behalf of Comenius South West, recently hosted masterclasses in French, German and Spanish for Year 9 students from Bristol Schools. This was part of the Excellence in Cities initiative and the students who attended were selected by their schools as the most gifted linguists... The classes were taught by staff from the school of Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies and the pupils were given the opportunity to do interactive computer exercises and to try some simultaneous interpreting in the conference interpreting lab. Although somewhat overawed by the surroundings of the interpreting lab at first, they thoroughly enjoyed the experience which was intended to give them a flavour of what it might be like to study languages at university and to pursue a career using languages.

An international welcome in the South West!

Comenius South West has been instrumental in helping the Tourism Skills Network in Cornwall win Objective One financing for a project to promote languages for the tourist industry.

The project is managed with Devon and Cornwall Learning & Skills Council and will involve teachers and lecturers working with young people in schools, colleges and small businesses to ensure that they have access to the levels of language training they need.

The South West earned £663 million from overseas tourists last year and this figure is increasing each year. Alongside our traditional Dutch and German visitors we are noticing an increase in numbers from Italy, Russia, Scandinavia and China.
They all need to be welcomed and to be made to feel special with a few words of welcome in their own language and an awareness of their cultural needs and differences.

Cornwall coordinator Geoff Grigg attended the training session run for Penzance and St Ives Tourist Information under the auspices of Welcome International-customer service training in languages promoted by the English Tourist Board. Other objectives of the project are to increase the number of employees reaching NVQ levels 1and 2 in a language and to train languages teachers and lecturers as NVQ assessors and verifiers to provide the infrastructure for vocational languages teaching.

Bringing language learners together in the far South West

One of the effects of the decline in language learning has meant that enthusiastic linguists in rural areas may feel isolated and even deprived of languages because of small classes in second languages in schools and at A-level in country schools.

One of the aims of Comenius South-West is to bring learners together and to provide opportunities. So In the Penwith area of Cornwall, a Masterclass in February brought together 25 gifted young linguists from Lands End to St Ives to work together on the theme of L’Immeuble with visiting expert Iain Mitchell and under the aegis of Hayle Language College. For ten days before Easter fifty AS students of French are working in small primary schools in Finistère as language teaching assistants.

At the other end of the age range a dozen primary schools in the west took part in the Eurotalk language challenge leading to a regional semi-final held in Penrice Language College in St Austell, with up to a hundred children learning Italian and Russian in order to take part.

The message is: if you want to learn a language, we’ll help you and help you to do it better!

CPD for teachers

Primary Spanish teaching
Comenius South West has been involved in providing Spanish language teaching to primary teachers in Wiltshire. 12 teachers from a cluster of primary schools near Salisbury followed a twelve week intensive course taught by Irene Wilkie (Comenius SW Regional Manager) with support from the Consejería de Educación.

We also supported a CPD day for teachers in South Wiltshire by providing taster sessions in Spanish taught using activities which could be replicated in the classroom. A great time was had by all!