Modern Foreign Languages in the Primary School: The What, Why and How of Early MFL Teaching

by Sharpe, Keith (

• ISBN13: 9780749436094
• ISBN10: 0749436093
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2001-08-01
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

For any elementary school considering adding foreign languages to the curriculum, this timely book provides an authoritative overview of the place of modern languages in primary education in the twenty-first century. It is written for anyone with an active role or interest in teaching languages in schools today.. The author is widely recognized as an authority on the debate and practical issues involved in developing the teaching of foreign languages to primary students.

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
PART 1: THE `WHY' ISSUES
More phoenix than dodo now	3	(16)
Lack of primary MFL teaching in England	3	(6)
The resurrection of primary MFL teaching	9	(4)
Underpinning developments in the renaissance of primary MFL	13	(6)
Aims and objectives of primary MFL teaching	19	(26)
The contribution of MFL teaching to education	19	(6)
The concept of communicative competence	25	(7)
Six main aims of primary MFL teaching	32	(7)
Language acquisition in primary MFL teaching	39	(6)
PART 2: THE `WHAT AND WHEN' ISSUES
Primary MFL and the National Curriculum	45	(23)
Background	45	(3)
Primary MFL and the revised Year 2000 National Curriculum	48	(2)
The National Curriculum MFL content	50	(10)
MFL and learning across the National Curriculum	60	(2)
Primary MFL and the core and foundation subjects	62	(4)
National Curriculum rationale and primary MFL	66	(2)
The primary curriculum	68	(22)
Levels of the primary school curriculum	68	(1)
Underpinning principles of the primary MFL curriculum	69	(5)
Indicative content for the primary MFL curriculum	74	(11)
The QCA Scheme of Work for primary MFL	85	(1)
Planning the curriculum to raise standards	86	(4)
Primary MFL and the European dimension	90	(19)
What is the European dimension?	90	(2)
The European dimension and MFL teaching	92	(17)
PART 3: THE `WHO' ISSUES
Primary MFL teachers - the specialists or generalists debate	109	(15)
The importance of primary MFL for all pupils	109	(4)
Advantages and disadvantages of specialist and generalist teaching	113	(4)
The real issues in the specialist and generalist debate	117	(4)
The congruence of generalist intentions and the aims of primary MFL	121	(3)
Primary MFL teachers - education, training and professional development	124	(13)
Teacher supply in primary MFL	124	(2)
The context of ITT in England	126	(2)
Primary MFL and ITT	128	(4)
Training needs of non-specialists	132	(5)
PART 4: THE `HOW' ISSUES
Primary pedagogy and MFL teaching	137	(19)
Good practice in primary pedagogy	137	(3)
Primary pedagogy and cognitive development	140	(3)
Good practice in primary MFL teaching	143	(3)
The role of games in primary MFL teaching	146	(2)
The role of songs in primary MFL teaching	148	(1)
The importance of systematic teaching	149	(3)
Four key ideas of primary MFL	152	(4)
Linguistic progression and continuity	156	(31)
Progression and continuity across age groups and phases of schooling	156	(18)
Planning for progression and continuity	174	(13)
PART 5: FUTURE ISSUES
Future research, development and policy making	187	(12)
At what age should languages be taught?	187	(2)
How much time should be given to primary MFL?	189	(1)
Which languages should be taught?	190	(1)
What can be learnt from the experience of other countries?	190	(2)
How can continuous MFL learning be provided for?	192	(2)
How should teachers of primary MFL be trained and supported?	194	(1)
Should MFL become a statutory part of the primary curriculum?	194	(5)
Afterword	199	(2)
References	201	(5)
Index	206