Isn't that just true Random?! We all strive to be reflective practitioners of MFL but how often do we get to be just that, when we're tired, planned out, have marked too many books, are stressed, have just had parents' evening and last but not least, have had to change focus for another initiative?!

JaneenLeith

 What worked in my latest research classroom?

1. dictation

2. testing every week, with each learner choosing what to be tested on and how they wanted their writing to be marked, with them all writing about different things of their choice.

3. correction activities

4. whole class teaching

5. having a constant dialogue in English about how we were learning, both individually and in class, both my learning and the learners'

6. being a very quiet, low-key, completely un-entertaining, uncharismatic teacher

7. being aware

8. listening

9. oldfashioned manners and silence etc

10. limiting the amount of group work, loads of writing, giving ambiguous instructions on a regular basis

 11. using NLP and TA and Inner Game strategies

And, yes this was THE answer, just once, for THIS teacher at a particular point in time with a particular class last academic year.

Findings: the kids know THE way they should be taught. THEY have the answers

 

 

How refreshing 

 I too trained with Janeen and sadly have let it slip because of the insistence of SMT to see boring old 3 part lesson plan.  Now SMT want a "WOW" factor in lessons and Ofsted will only rate lessons outstanding if they include a lot of Target Language.  We have resurrected TALK this term and I've really enjoyed my lessons with Year 7.  They've had a term of my boring old approach and have enough French to be able to now play with TALKing.  It's taken two lessons to talk about our resolutions - they came up with 100s of resolutions for Cheryl Cole and Wayne Rooney, including je vais manger un renne and je ne vais pas etre un cochon!  And they were much more enthusiastic.  It still has a place and you're right- I did much more listening in the lesson myself.

 

Jean Wood

Great timing! I am currently halfway through a research project that I am doing for my MA, handily based on promoting spontaneous speech in the classroom and its effect on motivation.

I am carrying out the project with 2 top set year 8 classes and have really enjoyed the lessons so much more since I started the project. The kids seem to be a lot more enthused and enjoying the challenge of having to carry out natural conversations with their peers.

The main issue I'm finding with group talk at the moment is how to get the students to interact more naturally as they would in a conversation in English. Because I have stressed they need to make sure evryone is involved during the conversations, they seem to feel that the only way to do this is to religiously ask everyone in turn the same question and then move on to the next topic, rather than a developing flow of ideas. I don't know if I'm just expecting too much of them considering we have only been doing this for 2 months or so, or if there is something I can do to help.

I have some lesson plans, ppt etc from the lessons - would be willing to email and share ideas if anyone's interested, would be great to get another perspective on how to improve it!

my email is bearsarah2000@yahoo.co.uk

Sarah 

 

Bump Has anyone been trying this recently? I've been putting a bigger emphasis on talking in lessons, and am currently researching other ways, including spontaneous talk. So what have we all tried recently to get pupils talking? I've been doing a lot of 'speed dating' and games such as battleships and trapdoor. ...obviously not ALL the time, as we're not here for edutainment. I've been doing quite a bit of phonics work and I quite like the pupils to read from my powerpoints, often at the same time. A third technique I'm using for the speaking controlled assessments to to have a slide with a full answer to a question, then the subsequent slide will have words missing. ...the pupils have to see if they can remember the missing words. The third slide will have them giving an answer without any stimulus. What else are we doing everyone? MM

Much more dictation with mini-whiteboards, and translation - it has greatly improved their pronunication (and therefore their confidence) when they read aloud or speak aswell as improving their spelling, recall and understanding,  also I give more merits for spontaneous use of TL.  Already use plenty of other techniques but it is getting them to listen REALLY closely with mini-dictations which I think is the game-changer.  BTW only one or two children are targetted A some more B and most of them C - and these are the most academic children in our school.

I think dictation is a neglected activity - thanks for reminding of this! :-)