Training as a priority

Whether you are the line manager of the MFL department in your school or the Head of Department, you will be more than likely faced with the difficult balancing act of holding the purse strings while aiming to provide highly effective training for staff.

The recent developments in the MFL curriculum have put more demands on teachers for them to develop new strategies, implemented quickly in a time-poor environment, with a restricted budget and this, with a level of accountability that has never been so high.

Advantages of a DIY course:

  • Limited cost: a whole team/group gets trained for a fraction of the price of a one-day training out of school, for just one delegate.
  • No need for cover work to be arranged or financed, no travelling and no added paper work (booking, confirmation, etc)
  • Limited time constraints: the course offers flexibility with time management and organisation.
  • Acquisition of additional and non-subject specific skills (training others)
  • The trainer (Curriculum Leader) has ownership of the course delivery.
  • Attendees get trained by someone they know, who conveys strategies and support relevant to them; team cohesion and collaboration gets improved.


Aims of this MFL course:

  • Defining oral communication                        
  • Familiarising with research and principles  
  • Identifying barriers and working out solutions
  • Exploring practical strategies
  • Planning strategically for implementation
  • Developing training skills

Course Curriculum

  • 1

    Introduction to your course

    • How does a DIY course work?

    • Course structure and activities

    • Contacting me
  • 2

    PART 1: defining oral communication

    • Part 1 Oral communication

    • Handout 1- Tasks A & B

    • Oral Communication
  • 3

    PART 2: research and principles

    • Part 2- Some principles

    • Handout 2- Tasks A, B, C, D & E

    • Video: Stephen Krashen on Language Acquisition

    • Video: How to learn any language in 6 months Chris Lonsdale (TED Talk Summary)
  • 4

    PART 3: overcoming obstacles

    • Part 3 Obstacles and solutions

    • Lauren - French exam- BBC Comedy

    • Handout 3- Tasks A , B & C
  • 5

    PART 4: practical ideas for the classroom

    • EMAZE 3D presentation

    • Practical ideas - (Aternative presentation)

    • Handout 4
  • 6

    PART 5: planning for the future

    • Part5 Planning and implementation

    • Handout 5 - Task A, B, C, D & planning

    • Planning templates

About the instructor

Instructor

Gaelle Launay-Hughes

My storyI have been a languages teacher for almost years. I came to Birmingham in 1994 from my native France (Brittany to be precise) and worked for a couple of years as Foreign Languages Assistant in a large comprehensive school in South Birmingham. I completed my P.G.C.E at Warwick University and started teaching in 1998 in an inner city school in one of the most deprived areas in the country.I became Head of Department and enjoyed that role for 12 years. I am also a Specialised Leader of Education and I have supported schools on various issues. I have provided training to Newly Qualified teachers and Aspiring Senior Leaders. Recently, I had felt I wanted to carry on developing language learning differently. In my various roles, I had opportunities to experience some of the challenges that sometimes come with teaching languages and I wanted languages to be put back on the map, not as a subject, but as a skill acquirable at any age regardless of academic background. It was time for me to take up a new challenge, so, in March 2017 I created MFL Central.