Mr T
Every time I read a news article about learning foreign languages it is always about how noone wants to do it any more and that numbers are on the slide, especially at A-level. Well in my 12 months here at Ilfracombe, I have found this to be wrong. This year we have a potential A-level language group of about 20 (10 in French and 10 in Spanish). This is a healthy number of future linguists and they will enter the world of work with a massive advantage over people who just speak one language. It isn't that difficult to be honest, we generally use the same patterns of language over and over again and being able to do that in another language requires a bit of concentration and practice. I have heard stories of people who have become very good at another language by playing the X box online. We learn language all the time and I think that as soon as students realise that they don't have to stick to the confines of the classroom to speak, read or listen to another language, then they realise that it isn't as difficult or embarassing as it can be sometimes stuck in a classroom hundreds of miles away from the target language country, learning how to order a strawberry ice cream whilst turing left at the traffic lights to get to the beach. Language is fundamental to us and the need to communicate is probably 4th on the list of things we instinctively do (after breathing, drinking and eating). We are the 4th emergency service. Try it using a different set of words - you might even enjoy it.
Mr T
2 Comments
4/20/2014 05:49:08 pm
Really well put- I completely agree. In many instances it really comes down to what we are teaching AND how- in too many MFL classrooms students are infantilised, now wonder they then switch off.
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Ilfracombe languages
4/21/2014 05:03:33 pm
Hi Chris,
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