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Improving oral skills and confidence for Spanish GCSE in a fun way

Case study

Institution: The Weald School

Key objectives
To improve oral skills and confidence for Spanish GCSE in a fun way.

'I really look forward to the lessons where I know I’m going to be out of my seat. I feel I learn more and remember more when I’m enjoying myself'. Year 10 student.

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Associated video clips

Teacher: Mike Lambert

The two video clips show a GCSE Spanish lesson where students revisit last week’s lesson on giving and providing personal information using profiles of stars. They are then reminded of the question words they will need for the lesson today where they will be working with other members of the class on the topic of giving and providing personal information. This potentially mundane topic is enlivened by setting the lesson in a speed dating context.

Revisiting last week’s theme by reminding students of the question words
thumbnailThe teacher begins the lesson by revising profiles of stars and students have to guess who the stars are from the Spanish descriptions on the board. The teacher uses the target language throughout.
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Moving to the main part of the lesson: speed dating
thumbnailThe teacher begins by showing the class a video of himself in a speed dating situation as a model of what they will have to do. This offers an amusing introduction to the topic which the students clearly enjoy. He then explains how the activity will work.
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The interviews
In the interviews, Mike Lambert and Brigitte Holt explain how they build up oral skills in their teaching of GCSE Spanish.

How do you build up oral skills with your GCSE students?
thumbnailHear the teachers explain how staff make extensive use of the target language and how they encourage pupils to focus on question words and tenses.  Listen to how stronger and weaker pupils can work well together in pairs.   
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How do you make your lessons fun?
thumbnailListen to Mike explain how memorable lessons can enhance learning in GCSE classes.
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