Author: Elizabeth Clingan, South Lanarkshire
South Lanarkshire primary teachers continue to show tremendous commitment to the development of the 1+2 Approach with more than 200 additional teachers completing training in French, German or Spanish. This year we have had a wider variety of courses available, including our first blended learning course – a combination of face-to-face and online learning. This has enabled more colleagues to access training and we have received very positive feedback on the blended approach. We are continuing to work on developing the different types of training we offer to try to make it as bespoke as possible.
Our very strong network of languages teachers is working on a range of projects, based on priorities which they have identified as important. We now have cultural planners in French, Spanish and German (based on the highly successful Stonelaw Learning Community model) which will ensure a progressive experience for our pupils in this area of language learning. Our primary schools base their PLL programme on the South Lanarkshire Primary Language Learning Framework and the network is identifying and developing resources to link in with this framework.
Our primary schools have benefited from time with Clara, Félicie, Andrea and Ann-Katrin – our MLAs and German Educational Trainee (GET). The pupils have really enjoyed spending time with them and getting to know about their countries. Pupils from Carnwath Primary participated in the ‘German outdoors’ workshop run by the Goethe-Institut, and several schools have adapted elements of the ‘Lanark lives languages’ community project for their own area. Woodside Primary has developed a very interesting three-way eTwinning link with a school in Nice and a school on Shetland.
Our creative colleagues in both primary and secondary have once again run a series of languages days, cafés, photo booths, films, assemblies and presentations. A particularly innovative project is the Crossford French trail, developed with the help of an MLA. This will feature in the next SCILT newsletter, so look out for that and be inspired!
Both our primary and secondary schools are developing their approaches to the introduction of L3 and the authority is on track to achieve full implementation by 2020-21.
Return to March 2017 newsletter