This document provides information about personal learning and thinking skills (PLTS) for language learners. It discusses how PLTS can help language learners develop important skills for exams like speaking assessments. It describes frameworks like Bloom's Taxonomy that identify different cognitive levels. It also provides examples of strategies for embedding PLTS into language teaching, such as using objectives, displays, and activities that develop skills like independent inquiry, creative thinking, and reflection. Specific activity examples involve using pictures, songs, poems and other media to promote skills in a fun, engaging way.

1. Personal Learning and Thinking Skills
for Language Learners
Isabelle Jones, The Radclyffe School
icpjones@yahoo.co.uk
Twitter: @icpjones http://twitter.com/icpjones
My Languages Blog http://isabellejones.blogspot.com
PLTS in MFL Wiki http://pltsinmfl.wikispaces.com

2. Aims:
• Find out about PLTS and why they
are important skills for language
learners
• Audit your own practice and look at
ways to embed PLTS in your
classroom
• Widen your repertoire of PLTS
activities
• Find out about specific ICT tools to
support the development of PLTS
resources

3. PLTS in the Secondary National Curriculum
self manager
independent enquirer
creative thinker
reflective learner team worker
effective participator

4. PLTS in the Secondary National Curriculum
• Not a new concept:
Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills
• Independent learning skills
• Learners’ social interactions
• Making the link between ideas
• Transferring knowledge of patterns
• NOT a government initiative-focus for good
practice

5. PLTS in the Secondary National Curriculum
Bloom’s Taxonomy (1956)
Evaluate, judge, defend, criticise, justify, choose
Hypothesize, discuss, compare, create, construct
Analyse, organise, deduce, contrast, distinguish
Manipulate, classify, apply, modify, illustrate, solve
Explain, describe, visualise, illustrate, paraphrase
Recall, identify, list, name, define, show, recognise
Identify: Knowledge and Comprehension
Cognitive Domain Compare and Contrast: Evaluation and Analysis

6. PLTS in the Secondary National Curriculum
Bloom’s Taxonomy (1956)
Internalise
Naturalisation
values system
Organise ideas Articulation
Value ideas Develop precision
Respond to ideas Manipulate
Receive ideas Imitate
Affective Domain Cognitive Domain Psychomotor Domain

7. PLTS in the Secondary National Curriculum
Anderson’s Taxonomy

8. How can PLTS help my language learners?
What sort of qualities, skills & attitudes does a GCSE
student need to have in order to be successful in the
speaking and the writing Controlled Assessment?

9. How can PLTS help my language learners?
AQA GCSE specification-context and purposes
• Cope with a greater degree of unpredictability
Student independence: phonic rules, use of dictionary
& verb tables,
• Understand and use more accurately a widening range of
vocabulary and structures, including some unfamiliar language
=>intercultural understanding, inferences from English and/or
other known language, use of para-linguistic clues (visuals, tone of
voice, bold, italics etc…), memorisation techniques
• Understand and discuss issues and opinions
=>Knowledge of a range of structures, connectives and synonyms,
linking ideas and points of view in a well-organised way
• Give full description and accounts
=>proofreading ability, peer assessment & support, memorisation
techniques

10. PRICE Taxonomy:
Looking at Thinking Skills activities
5 types of Thinking Skills:
• Information-Processing skills
• Reasoning skills
• Inquiry skills
• Creative Thinking skills
• Evaluation skills

11. PRICE Taxonomy
* Inquiry skills * Processing skills
* Creative thinking
* Reasoning skills
* Evaluation skills
*A: To locate and collect relevant information; to
sort, classify, sequence, compare and contrast; to analyse part/whole
relationships;
*B: To give reasons for opinions and actions; to make deductions; to
use precise language to explain what they think; to make judgments
and decisions and explain why;
*C: To ask relevant questions; to pose and define problems; to plan
what to do and how to research; to predict outcomes and anticipate
consequences;
*D: To generate and extend ideas; to suggest hypothesis; to look for
alternative/innovative outcomes;
*E: To judge the value of what they read, hear and do; to have
confidence in their judgement.

12. PRICE Taxonomy
Processing skills
To locate and collect relevant information; to
sort, classify, sequence, compare and contrast; to analyse part/whole
relationships;
Reasoning skills
To give reasons for opinions and actions; to make deductions; to use
precise language to explain what they think; to make judgments and
decisions and explain why;
Inquiry skills
To ask relevant questions; to pose and define problems; to plan what
to do and how to research; to predict outcomes and anticipate
consequences;
Creative thinking skills
To generate and extend ideas; to suggest hypothesis; to look for
alternative/innovative outcomes;
Evaluation skills
To judge the value of what they read, hear and do; to have confidence
in their judgement.

13. Generic PLTS Activities
What are they? Which PLTS areas can they cover?
Which skills do they help develop in students?

14. Creative thinker Self Manager
Independent Enquirer
Empathy-makes it Memorisation Kinaesthetic activity to represent
easier to remember Highlights logical links different opinions
Reading for details/
between the lines
Reflective learner Self Manager Creative thinker
Helps to remember different Memory Exploring the links between
opinions and how to justify them Dictionary skills Different items of vocabulary
Practical way to introduce higher
level opinion vocabulary

15. Embedding PLTS
the BLP Way
Building Learning Power, Guy Claxton
“The 6 clusters of qualities are more than Skills that
can be trained... The point is to cultivate these
qualities into becoming dispositions, or habits of
mind... Cultivation of the PLTS should run through
the curriculum, life and ethos of the school, like
lettering through a stick of rock”

16. Embedding PLTS
the BLP Way
The 4 Rs
• Resilience: absorption, managing
distractions, noticing, perseverance;
• Resourcefulness: questioning, making
links, imagining, reasoning, capitalising;
• Reflectiveness:
planning, revising, distilling, meta-learning;
• Reciprocity:
interdependence, collaboration, empathy and
listening.

17. SOLO Taxonomy
Stands for Structures of Observed Learning Outcomes
Developed by Biggs and Collis in 1982
Describes levels of increasing complexity in a student’s
understanding of a subject
With the highest level being the extended abstract level,
when students can make connections not only within the
given area but also beyond it.
Students will also be able to generalise and transfer the
principles and ideas to another area.
Are we allowing our students to make these
connections? http://hooked-on-thinking.com/

19. SOLO Taxonomy
SOLO level Verbs
Extended Abstract Generalise, predict, evaluate, reflect, Number
affect other
hypothesise, theorise, create, prove, plan, words too
justify, argue, compose, prioritise, design,
construct, perform
Relational Sequence, classify, compare and contrast, How gender
explain causes, explain effects, analyse (part- affect
other words:
whole), form an analogy, organise, adj, poss…
distinguish, interview, question, relate, apply
Multistructural Describe, list, outline, follow an algorithm, Patterns
combine
Unistructural Define, identify, name, draw, find, label, Gender
match, follow a simple procedure
Verbs for declarative and functioning knowledge-
Common task descriptors for the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA)
GCSE/AS/A level

20. Strategies for Embedding
PLTS
• Carefully considering the cognitive level of the tasks
set (Bloom’s) and possible outcomes (SOLO)
• Aiming to deliver a wide variety of tasks in a varied
way: impact on resource design and nature of
interactions in classroom;
• Opportunities highlighted in SoWs & examples of
activities shared;
• Focus on developing students’ skills in an integrated
way and student independence.

21. Strategies for Embedding
PLTS
• Introducing Meta-language to talk about learning:
learning mats, display
• Overlaps with AFL and SEAL: understanding of
assessment criteria, motivation…
• Training of support staff like FLAs
• Focus on developing PLTS as a wholeschool
approach
• http://isabellejones.blogspot.com/2009/10/flip-cramlington-model-for-
developing.html
• http://isabellejones.blogspot.com/2009/10/flip-approach-for-languages-
at.html

22. Promoting PLTS: Mats

23. Promoting PLTS:
Using cross-curricular
Thinking Skills tools

24. Promoting PLTS:
Using cross-curricular Thinking Skills tools

25. Promoting PLTS: Display

26. Strategies for Embedding PLTS:
Display/ Overlaps

27. Strategies for Embedding PLTS:
Lesson Objectives
Objectifs:
Objectifs:
• Look at the specific skills required to do well the Speaking Controlled Assessment
• Identify and use “interesting” phrases to improve the range of the language used
SEAL objectives: Motivation (red)
SEAL objectives: Motivation (red)
•I monitor and evaluate my own work
•I monitor and evaluate my own work
•I set challenges and targets for myself and celebrate when II
•I set challenges and targets for myself and celebrate when
achieve them
achieve them

28. Strategies for Embedding PLTS:
Lesson Objectives
Vers le succès (Steps to Success):
•Developing strategies to start off answers in different
ways
•Say & understand how time
phrases, connectives, comparatives, reasons &
opinions can improve your linguistic range
•Practise speaking ensuring you do not pronounce
silent letters
Vers le progrès (Path to Progress):
Be able to develop your speaking answers using a
range of structures
• Recognise your strengths
• Be aware of how you are doing
• Learn from mistakes

29. vendredi 3 février
Today’s target:
Qu’est-ce qu’on va faire?
Talking about what you are going to do in
the evening
Steps to Success • Revise familiar verbs in the present tense
• Use “on va” as an introduction to using the
future tense (5c)
Path to progress • Understanding future tense (L5)
Self awareness
Motivation

30. Strategies for Developing PLTS
Through Languages Activities
•Use mystery pictures: Flickr/ photo apps
•Use links between pictures: and, but
•Compare pictures : use comparative and justified opinions
•Say what happened before
•Say what might happen after
•Read/Listen to clues to identify one specific picture without actually
saying the key word (taboo)

32. C’est quelle photo? Pourquoi?
1. Ça sent mauvais
2. C’est dégoûtant
3. Ça donne le cancer
4. Ça cause des crises cardiaques
5. C’est facile de devenir dépendant physiquement
6. C’est trop cher
7. C’est du gaspillage
8. C’est difficile d’arrêter
9. C’est illégal
10.C’est dangereux
11.C’est mauvais pour le foie
12.Ça fait grossir/ ça coupe l’appétit
13.C’est mauvais pour la santé

33. Strategies for Developing PLTS
Through Languages Activities
Le
tabac
Les Le
médicaments cannabis
La cocaïne
L’ héroïne Le travail
Le shopping Le jeu
L’alcool
http://classtools.net/

34. L’alcool, le tabac ou les drogues?
Le tabac
L’alcool
Les drogues
Les drogues

35. How embedded are your
Thinking Skills/ PLTS?
*Schemes of Work:
mapping out of Thinking Skills lesson opportunities
sharing PLTS objectives
*Evidence of:
• Collaborative team work [+Seating arrangement,
Display]
• Students using “meta-language”
• Students as Independent learners
• Cross-curricular support/time dedicated to skills
building across the curriculum
Les drogues

36. Independent Enquirer Activities
Mysteries: IWB, audio recording
Qui va souffrir de problèmes de santé et pourquoi?
Je m’appelle Béatrice. Je me fais du souci à cause Je m’appelle Xavier et j’ai quinze ans.
J’ai quatorze ans. Je suis des examens et je ne dors pas J’habite dans le nord de la France
stressée parce que je bien pendant la semaine. avec mon grand-père.
suis toujours en train Cependant, le weekend, je
d’étudier et je ne peux dors pratiquement tout le
jamais me relaxer. temps.
J’adore faire du sport Mes parents fument et cela Je suis un peu gros et je ne suis pas
mais pourtant je bois me préoccupe beaucoup. du tout en forme.
trop de café, ce qui n’est
pas bon pour la santé.
Mes amis boivent trop Il y a deux ans, ma grand- Je devrais faire plus d’exercice et
et prennent des mère est morte d’un cancer manger moins. Il faut aussi que je
drogues. Ils essayent de des poumons. mange plus de légumes.
m’entraîner à faire cela
aussi.
Vendredi dernier, nous Avant, je faisais du footing Je dois travailler beaucoup
sommes allés au MacDo. tous les jours dans le parc maintenant car j’ai beaucoup
avec mon cousin. d’examens à la fin de l’année. Je n’ai
pas assez travaillé pendant l’année et
maintenant j’ai peur de rater mes
Les drogues
examens.

37. Independent Enquirer Activities
• Intercultural understanding-identify features
• Flickr http://www.flickr.com
• taggalaxy http://taggalaxy.de/
• French Google http://www.google.fr
• Spanish Google http://www.google.es
Les drogues

38. Independent Enquirer Activities
•Names
Using Saints’ names/calendar (TFTD)
Using most popular names
Looking at origin and spelling of foreign names
http://www.cafe.rapidus.net/jhuriaux/francophonie.html
Prénoms et noms Francophones (liens)
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/
Noms de famille français
http://www.les-dictionnaires.com/prenoms.html
Dictionnaire des noms et prénoms en français
http://www.guiainfantil.com/servicios/nombres/indice.htm
First names from Spain and other countries
http://www.misapellidos.com/ Spanish Surnames
Les drogues

39. Independent Enquirer Activities
Intercultural understanding-reflecting on identity
and finding out about France… independently
«Je viens de là» Grand Corps Malade
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LXaSFgVxGs
«Ma France à moi» Diam’s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGgraeRov_E&feature=relate d
« Tout le monde il est beau » Zazie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUnyBqKfAH4&feature=relatedhttp://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUnyBqKfAH4&feature=related
Find songs with repetitive structures
and get students to also be more
creative with the language...
Les drogues

40. Creative Thinkers Activities
• What is Creativity anyway?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U 7.36-9.56
Les drogues

41. Creative Thinkers activity:
Le masque/ La máscara
Les drogues

42. Creative Thinker activity:
Le rap
J’ai un chat, Hannibal pronunciation
Verb paradigms
Tu as un animal? Link with phonics
Rhymes
Swap rhyming words around
Elle a un chien.
Nous avons des poissons
Vous avez des lions?
Elles ont deux serpents longs
J’ai un lapin.
Les drogues

43. Creative Thinker activity:
Rap: Trouve la rhyme!
1.Find a theme
2.Write down 5 key words linked with the theme
3.Think of possible rhyming word. Remember suffixes that are the same or
nearly the same in both languages e.g. ción/ tion, ism/ isme/ ismo using rhyme
dictionary/apps
4.Fill in the gaps!
Les drogues

44. Creative Thinker activity:
Le rap: L’École Radclyffe!
Les drogues

45. Creative Thinker activities
• Poems:
*Recipes: «Pour faire un bon ami, il faut + noun…/
mettez, ajoutez, finissez avec…»
«Para hacer un buen amigo, se necesita + noun…/
hay que + infinitive/ toma, mezcla, añade …»
*Acrostics: for personal description or description of
town
*calligrams: fill in with related words-great way in or
out of a topic
*comparison poems: rouge comme une pomme,
bleu comme le ciel…tan roja como una manzana,
tan azul como el cielo…
Abstract vocabulary: feelings
rouge comme la colère, bleu comme la peur…
Les drogues

46. Creative Thinker activities
Poems: calligrams (word mosaic)
Image Chef: http://www.imagechef.com
How would you use these symbols?
What other symbols might you find
useful?
Tagsxedo (creative word clouds)) http://www.tagxedo.com/
Les drogues

47. Creative Thinker activities
Making links: Learners are asked to make a
concept map to remember the structure of their
writing/ speaking preparation. They also need to
consider the range of the language they have used.
http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/4207753/le_stage
Les drogues

48. Creative Thinker activities
Memorisation to a tune: Songify
Les drogues

49. Reflective Learners Activities
Fact or opinion
“On mange mieux en France qu’en Angleterre”
Discute et range les phrases selon leurs
catégories
2 stars and 1 wish
Direct
Post-it notes
Wallwisher http://www.wallwisher.com
Linoit http://en.linoit.com/
Les drogues

50. Reflective Learners Activities
http://linoit.com/users/stowmarketmfl/canvases/GCSE%20Controlled%
20Assessment%20Tips Les drogues
Thanks to Jen Turner

51. Reflective Learners Activities
2 stars and a wish (direct/ post-it notes/
wallwisher) http://www.wallwisher.com
http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/wjn8yXcz14
Les drogues

52. Effective Participator Activities-
Reinforcing themes you are working on
• Get involved in outreach activities:
resources for Primary (mini books,
recording stories, using video-
conferencing), open evening, trip
organisation and preparation.
• Organising a languages club/ café
• Involvement in activities to prepare for a
trip, exchange, option evening
• Displays, videos, LAFTA-like competitions
competition... Les drogues

53. Team Worker Activities
• Running dictation/ collective memory
• Students work together to create or re-
create a text or a visual image in the
form of a map, picture or diagram.
Each student look at stimulus for a
short period of time (e.g. 10 seconds)
before returning to reproduce the
original
• Discussing personalised memorisation
strategies (ABBA/ Waterloo/ Mamma Mía)
Les drogues

54. Aims:
• Find out about PLTS and why they
are important skills for language
learners
• Audit your own practice and look at
ways to embed PLTS in your
classroom
• Widen your repertoire of PLTS
activities
• Find out about specific ICT tools to
support the development of PLTS
resources

55. Action!
Look at the qualities you want to develop in
your students and identify 3 points for action
1
2
3

56. Personal Learning and Thinking Skills
for Language Learners
Isabelle Jones, The Radclyffe School
icpjones@yahoo.co.uk
Twitter: @icpjones http://twitter.com/icpjones
My Languages Blog http://isabellejones.blogspot.com
PLTS in MFL Wiki http://pltsinmfl.wikispaces.com