Picture
Class Blogs are a fantastic tool Blogging gives your students a place to write where they have an authentic audience. It also makes them take pride in their work as they look at it wherever they are in the world and at whatever time they wish. 

I feel that a class blog would be a fantastic way for children to publish their language skills live to the rest of the world.

In this way, I could ask teaching friends from Spain to comment on the blogs and leave questions to ask the children in my class. 

They could also set up their own blog and we could comment on their blog in English.

Therefore, this wouldn't only allow the children to develop their ICT skills but also language skills. It also gives their language learning a true purpose as they can communicate with authentic speakers. 

 
Teaching languages is fun!

Teaching languages offers the opportunity to be creative and different in your approach to lessons.

There are so many fantastic websites that provide a wealth of ideas to be used in the classroom.

Check some of these out below:

http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/mfl/mfl.htm

http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/foreignlanguages/contents.htm

http://www.hsclassroom.net/fun-activities-for-teaching-a-foreign-language/
 
The rise of the bilingual primary school...http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19355147

Bilingual Primary schools started in London, there are no more primary schools that are considering this approach. It moves away from the 'discrete' language lesson and sees Spanish/the target language become an integral part of the curriculum. 

Take a look at 'The first state funded, bilingual English/Spanish primary school in the UK'. It only opened its doors in September 2012.
http://www.bilingualprimaryschool.org.uk/

What are your thoughts on the bilingual primary school?
 
Encontré este artículo en el internet, habla sobre las ventajas de aprender un idioma a una edad temprana

Sigue este enlace o sigue leyendo para aprender más sobre las ventajas...

Escrito por Melissa Sherrard 

Hay muchos beneficios mentales, sociales e incluso profesionales a largo plazo de aprender una lengua extranjera a una edad temprana. Los niños que continuamente estudian otras lenguas han mostrado a menudo que piensan diferente, de una forma más compleja que los jóvenes que sólo aprenden la lengua materna. Además son más abiertos y dispuestos a aceptar costumbres de otras culturas.

Aumentar las habilidades de aprendizaje
Estudiar idiomas extranjeros ha mostrado un efecto positivo en el desarrollo mental, particularmente en la gente más joven, y ha aumentado el crecimiento intelectual en general. La Asociación de Departamentos de Lenguas Extranjeras afirman que estudiar otros idiomas a una edad temprana puede mejorar lasmatemáticas y las habilidades críticas de pensamiento así como reforzar el uso y la comprensión de la lengua materna del niño. Su investigación incluso muestra que los estudiantes que continuamente toman cursos de lengua extranjera obtienen una mejor puntuación en pruebas estándar, como el SAT y el ACT, con cada año adicional de estudio.

Exposición a otras culturas
Estudiar un idioma extranjero a edades tempranas expone a los niños a otras culturas (con diferentes valores, diseños de lenguaje y formas de expresarse) de una forma que nunca hubieran experimentado si no hubieran tenido esta asignatura. Ganar la habilidad de comunicarse con gente de otras áreas del mundo siendo pequeños, hace que los niños se interesen, y acepten, otras formas de vida que son distintas a las propias.

Oportunidades de carrera
Aprender una lengua extranjera a una edad temprana le da a los estudiantes la ventaja de ser exitosos en la elección de sus carreras más adelante en su vida. Empezando temprano sus estudios, pueden tomar ventaja de los programas educacionales en la escuela primaria a la que acuden así como adelantarse en el estudio de idiomas en el colegio o después del mismo. Dominar una lengua extranjera aumentará las posibilidades de conseguir el trabajo deseado porque podrá comunicarse con mucha gente de otras partes del mundo, y las empresas miran estas aptitudes como un verdadero atractivo.
 
¿Piensas que los niños deberían aprender un idioma extranjero en la escuela primaria? 
Do you think that children should learn a foreign language at primary school?

¿Cómo te sentirás si tuvieras que enseñar el español a tu clase todos los días?
How would you feel if you had to teach Spanish everyday to your class?
 
‘A nation’s fate will depend, in the end, on the quality of the education its children get in language’ (Comenius 1630).

 
Picture
How achievable is the inclusion of ML across the primary curriculum?

On returning from my specialist languages placement I delivered a presentation on how achievable the inclusion of ML is across the primary curriculum. 

After drawing on my own experience and a number of literary resources, the evidence presented a number of various outcomes. 

The inclusion of ML is possible, however it requires strong support and backing from all staff members. This means that non-linguists will require strong support from team members to boost confidence and subject knowledge. 

I addressed two main areas in my presentation:

•What impact will the inclusion of languages in the curriculum have on primary schools?
–What challenges will schools face as a result?

•Will the challenges be worth it?
–To what extent does the inclusion of languages in the primary curriculum enhance children's learning?

The main conclusions were as follows: 

I also thought about how we could combat the challenges that teachers may face:
 
Let me know what you think...

The article below supports the integration of primary languages into the curriculum but what are the possible implications? - Please feel free to post your ideas and comments

Discussion of the benefits of MFL in the curriculum
http://ezinearticles.com/?Teaching-Modern-Foreign-Languages-To-Early-Learners---The-Benefits-(Part-1-of-2)&id=5502516
 
To what extent can MFL be implemented across the primary curriculum?

Over the next two weeks I will be on a specialist language placement in KS2.

I will be observing and teaching Spanish classes from year 3 up to year 6 and will also be observing and teaching core and foundation subjects. The aim of this is to identify opportunities where MFL could be integrated into the primary curriculum. This could simply be in the form of classroom commands and/or translating the actual content of a lesson into Spanish.

I will consider the implications that the integration of MFL may have in the classroom and will also consider the benefits over the following 2 weeks.

I will also be discussing with the children what their favourite parts of language learning are and why they think that they are useful. How would they feel if part of their maths lesson was done in Spanish? 
 
Picture
The positives of educational blogging in the 21st century...


Blogging is something that isn't done by the majority, however those schools that do take part and engage with it fully say that it:



1. Is highly motivational for many children at key stage two.

2. Can transform children from being writers into publishers to a wider 'real' audience.

3. Promotes critical thinking 'about' writing e.g. children can learn about constructive peer assessment.  

4. A real sense of an authentic audience and purpose for children's writing.

5. Can motivate children to improve, care and realise that their writing can affect a reader to comment.

6. Helps children to understand and comment on features of 'good' writing.