I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. Confucius said…..

Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I may not remember Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I may not remember. Involve me and I’ll understand. Native American proverb Both underline the importance of students’ participation in their learning. Something that is pretty commonplace in the primary classroom, but in my experience less so in secondary.

Children leave KS2 with an expectation of what language learning looks like, and therefore arrive in KS3 with expectations. It’s in our best interest to ensure that this transition is smooth and seamless and built on firm foundations. That way we’ll get the best 7-14 experience and children can get a flying start into KS3. http://www.flickr.com/photos/27567996@N08/3331093228/

We certainly don’t want this to be their experience! http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomandamy/181069144/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Secondary classrooms are different places to primary Secondary classrooms are different places to primary. Contrary to popular belief, primary children aren’t always up and down and out of their seats and unable to sit and listen. But they work collaboratively a lot, pair work, group work, they change activities frequently to keep the pace going and to maintain interest. The seating patterns are important. There is also a strong culture of helping others.

They also have drawers and drawers full of cool equipment which can be adapted to MFL work. Much primary learning is characterised by active learning. When active learning strategies are used, the children are reading, talking, writing, describing, touching, interacting, listening and reflecting on the information and the materials presented. The children learn by doing, thinking, exploring through planned quality interactions. The activities provide a natural way of communicating with children and playing helps them to learn about and understand the nature of risk-taking and failure in a secure environment. Also promotes social skills like turn-taking. The child is not a passive observer, like these ones (Play video!)

The child is not a passive observer, like these ones!

Through active learning children develop their self-confidence as learners and mature socially and emotionally. So here are some primary strategies that hopefully will give you some ideas for KS3, which will ease transition and which will promote active learning and group and pair work in your classroom. All ways of ensuring that the students are not just hearing, not just seeing, but doing and understanding. http://www.edutechie.ws/2007/10/09/cone-of-experience-media/

One of the simplest things that the children can do is to use a set of small cards to help each other to practise the new words. They are very good at thinking of games to play together. Flashcards

Dominoes and Shape Puzzles

Months dominoes with a bit of ICU thrown in. 12

Check written word enero 13

Check written word febrero 14

Check written word marzo 15

Check written word abril 16

Check written word mayo 17

Check written word junio 18

Check written word julio 19

Check written word agosto 20

Check written word setiembre 21

Check written word octubre 22

Check written word noviembre 23

Check written word diciembre 24

Namecheck to @elvisrunner for the idea Namecheck to @elvisrunner for the idea! Needs a bigger space, cards are ideal for doing some sorting first. Human Dominoes

Shape Puzzles

(Trash or Treasure / Poubelle ou Coffre) Categorisation/Classification, where you’re just looking for one group of words at a time. The ones you want are treasure, the rest are trash. Categorise by: Numbers Animals Adjectives Plural words Feminine words (Trash or Treasure / Poubelle ou Coffre)

This can work in a similar way. Test powers of observation This can work in a similar way. Test powers of observation. Watch a video then categorise words into those seen and those not. Could of course be done with other types of words, description or phrases or sentences. Decisions Decisions

Number fans. Used a lot in primary Number fans. Used a lot in primary. Good for formative assessment, non-threatening as only you get to see the numbers – bit like using a mini-whiteboard. Start off with numbers – say in TL, do a sum…. Quiet activity! Number Fans

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Colour sums Can also do with phonics, parts of speech…..

Column “headings” of the opinions Column “headings” of the opinions. Ask them to put themselves in the right column for the thing, then have to be able to say the sentence correctly to make sure they’ve thought about where they’re standing! Use with smilies and fruit cards Human graphs

3 4 5 6 7 8 Human telephone numbers – with number cards – can also do with colours, verb forms, time words. Anything that can be sequenced. Washing lines Lines

Wet play boxes usually have Lego in them Wet play boxes usually have Lego in them! And classes will have big boxes of multi-link. Again about putting things in order Children can do this in pairs and put things in order for each other Multi-link or Lego

This example requires focussed and careful listening to get things in the right order. “Aujourd’hui je vais sortir pour me promener à la campagne. Je voudrais prendre des photos avec mon nouvel appareil-photo. Il fait froid donc je vais mettre mon chapeau, mon écharpe et mes gants, et je vais porter mes bottes. Je vais mettre mon appareil dans mon sac à dos.

Can also use to show variants Can also use to show variants. Again for teacher-led or for children to help each other. Give fruits to elicit lego sequence or put together bricks to elicit correct TL “Dans ma salade de fruits il y a de la banane, de la pomme et des cerises.” Could be good for doing sandwich fillings and therefore practising the partitive article. Can also use for prepositions: On commence avec le rouge. A droite on met le jaune et sur le jaune on met le vert clair. Le vert foncé est derrière le rouge.

Something in a similar vein requiring a physical response Something in a similar vein requiring a physical response. Children use it to help each other to practise the new vocabulary. Could also be used to build up phrases and sentences.

Dans sa maison, un grand cerf Regardait par la fenêtre Dans sa maison, un grand cerf Regardait par la fenêtre. Un lapin venir à lui Et frapper ainsi. “Cerf! Cerf! Ouvre-moi! Ou le chasseur me tuera!” “Lapin, lapin, entre et viens Me serrer la main.” Dans sa maison – house over head Un grand cerf – antlers Regardait par la fenetre – look through window Un lapin venir a lui – rabbit ears Et frapper ainsi – knock knock Cerf cerf – help help hands Ouvre-moi – open door Ou le chasseur me tuera – gun Lapin lapin – rabbit ears Entre et viens – beckon Me serrer la main – shake hand

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Albert Einstein Picture of active learning

If you change their journey, they might just surprise you at the end.

MFL Teacher and Consultant Clare Seccombe MFL Teacher and Consultant This is who I am. My personal blog is called Changing Phase (Google it) and that’s where I put my musings on all things language-based. Then Spanish@StPauls is my school blog, which celebrates the work that the children do and also give them things to do at home. Ideas Ed is my company through which I work now.