Institution: The Norton Knatchbull School

Context
The Norton Knatchbull School is a secondary school for boys in Ashford, Kent. Year 10 classes in French, German and Spanish were given 6 weeks to work in teams to devise an enterprise project which would be presented to Year 10 students, teachers and business leaders from around Kent.

What they did
The students’ task was to plan a five-day trip for visiting students from France, Germany and Spain. They needed to devise a programme of activities and visits to local attractions and present their findings to an audience. Each group had a budget of £250 and was required to produce a bilingual brochure and a PowerPoint presentation, journal and a speech entirely in the target language. Students set up stalls in the hall to present their work to the judges. Afterwards the judges asked each group questions in the target language. Trophies and awards were given for the winning groups.

Principles of teaching

• The project involved all language teachers of Year 10, plus the Head of Business Studies. 
• Staff worked in close collaboration, sharing resources and experiences.
• The project was completed as part of regular language lessons and taught through the target language, tying in with the GCSE topics and vocabulary. 
• It helped to develop the pupils’ teamwork skills
• Each group consisted of 4-6 students, one of whom was the group leader.  Students used their individual strengths to complete the various tasks of the project.  A journal was kept to show the progress and work completed by each member. 
• Visiting business leaders spoke to students in assembly, emphasizing the need for languages in business and the skills they look for in employees.
• Each group had interviews with business leaders during the 6 weeks to gain advice and feedback.

Issues/tips

• The final presentations were delayed this year because some groups were not ready; so next year they will take place in October instead of July.  Year 9 students will have the summer to research trips and excursions and bring their findings with them after the summer holidays ready to start the project.
•  Parents signed slips to ensure that they were aware of the project.
• The challenge was to make sure all group members contributed to the project in equal measure and that the project was not carried by one or two members. The students were asked to produce an individual journal (some wrote this in the target language) to chart their work and progress, which were closely monitored by the class teachers. 
• More precise roles will be described for group members in next year’s Enterprise project, giving each team member a clearer guidance on what is expected of them. 
• The budget will be increased to £300.

The impact on learners
Although they found the project very challenging, students agreed that they had gained many new skills through the experience, both in terms of language learning and business and enterprise skills. Many were apprehensive about performing in front of such a big audience, but were surprised by how well they managed on the day.

‘It helped us become more confident when presenting, it challenged us, and so improved our language skills, in communicating and writing... The project helped me gain confidence in speaking in front of an audience.  I think if I had to do this again I would be much more confident. ... My French skills improved and I would like to use my language in a business context in the future. ... I really enjoyed being team leader. I enjoyed running our team and delegating tasks. I found I had skills in leadership that I didn’t realize I had!’ (Year 10 learners)

The benefits
The project will now run into its third year and gives the students a realistic business context in which to develop and apply their language skills. They enjoy working in groups and are competitive and motivated to win. The project emphasises the importance of languages in the business world and allows students to gain advice from bilingual business people in Kent. This should lead to a greater awareness of the role of languages in business, the development of skills required in the world of work, and the motivation to work hard as they start their GCSE course.