IoW conference Practical ideas for Primary Language Learning

Practical ideas for teaching Primary
Languages.

Lisa Stevens
IoW Conference 13.10.07

Overview
• Introductions
• The Ws
• Songs and rhymes
• Stories
• Websites
• Games
• Cross curricular links

A bit about me…

9 years as Secondary teacher of Spanish
and French, Second in Dept /Head of Spanish.
For last 4 years have been working in PLL.
Originally taught French and Spanish at
Priory School, Edgbaston, in Prep. Dept.,
Kindergarten to Year 6 (and beyond!)
Currently teach Spanish to Years 1 and 2 at
Mere Green Primary School in PPA time.
And also teach Spanish at Whitehouse
Common Primary School in PPA time.
Lisa Stevens
IOW - 13.10.07 lstevens@whitehousecommon.bham.schh.uk

PLL?
How do you feel aboutgood idea
A

Excited? Concerned?

I don’t know any
Not sure? Spanish!

Who’s going to
Haven’t got the
deliver it?
time!

“Every child should have the opportunity
throughout Key Stage 2 to study a foreign language
and develop their interest in the culture of other
nations. They should have access to high quality
teaching and learning opportunities, making use of
native speakers and e-learning.
By age 11 they should have the opportunity to
reach a recognised level of competence on the
Common European Framework and for that
achievement to be recognised through a national
scheme. The Key Stage 2 language learning
programme must … be delivered at least in part in
class time.”
(DfES 2002, Languages for All: Languages for Life page 15)

WHY TEACH LANGUAGES IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS?

• Languages develop skills such as: problem solving,
memorising, creative, social, ICT skills.

•The study of a language opens children’s minds to
different cultures, attitudes and customs of other
countries.

• Languages develop positive attitudes towards other
cultures but develop pupils’ appreciation of their own.

•The learning of languages help to increase the self-
esteem of pupils whose first language is not English,
perhaps bringing their home languages into the classroom
as something to be valued.

• The language lessons will provide enjoyment and
intellectual stimulation for all pupils regardless of ability.

• The emphasis will be on oral and aural skills
consequently the lessons will involve a variety of games,
songs and plays. The language- learning classroom aims to
provide a happy environment in which every pupil is
encouraged to participate.

• Through the study of a language the pupils will develop
an awareness of the need for languages as a skill for life
and hopefully this will foster an enthusiasm for future
language learning. Also learning a language at key stage 2
provides a link with learning a foreign language at key
stage 3.

Which language(s)?
One language?
One main and several tasters?
A ‘Language Detective’ approach?
Different language each year?

My answer ….

•Pupils can take responsibility for their own learning by
assessing their progress on a ‘ I can ……’ chart which will
encourage a sense of achievement and also allow them to
consider how they learn best.

•Learning another language has been shown to improve
the learning of your own language.

I asked pupils at Whitehouse
Common for their comments…..
• I like learning Spanish because it’s
fun.
• When I went on holiday I could talk
to people I met.
• Miss – I asked for a drink in Spanish!!
• Spanish isn’t like the other things I
do at school.

Which activities did you
enjoy in Spanish?
• Ramon and Ana
• Conversations with puppets / my partner.
• Songs
• Stories (Rubiales , La Oruga Hambrienta)
• Marching around the room
• Using ICT /laptops
• Games - OXO / Bingo / Beat the Teacher
• Actions.
• Ordering food.
• Voki

Puppets.
• Ramon and Ana (from Eduzone)
• Finger puppets – use for names, colours,
animals (from IKEA and various charity
shops!)
• Make your own!

• Puppets seem to allow the pupil to distance
themselves from the ‘strangeness’ of
speaking another language.
• Also easier to keep photographic evidence

Activities with puppets
• Introductions / social conventions
• Pairwork
• Responding to a song
• Rewarding cooperation

Example - El granjero….

Think about learning styles
(VAK)
• …use actions
• ..use flashcards
• …show the words /
use colour for
gender.
• …’feel’ (we’ll come
• back to this later!)

Ways to exploit vocabulary
• What’s missing?
• OXO • Feely bag
• Pelmanism • Give us a clue
• Dance mat • Sounds
• Flashboards • Find your partner
• Board games • Hangman
• Find the….. • Dice games
• I went shopping…
• What’s hidden?

Activities with numbers
• Repetition
• Splat
• String
• Draw on your partner’s hand / back
• Flashboards
• Missing numbers
• Dice games
• Sums
• …and I’m sure you have lots more ideas.

16 20 17

13 14 15

12 18 11

Find your partner.

• A simple game , easily set up and very
popular with all!

• All you need are small cards with words /
pictures that can be paired
• e.g. famous people, animals, jobs and
equipment, likes and dislikes, food

Language Learning Skills.
• The KS2 Framework has an LLS strand, and
encourages a focus on phonemes/grapheme
realtionships.

• Encouraging pupils to look for links
between words – eg animals

• Can you guess what these animals might
be?
• Un tigre
• Un rinoceronte
• Una cebra
•

Example of a board game

This can be used for a variety of
outcomes with lots of opportunity
for differentiation.
Easily created on ActivPrimary.

Lisa Stevens

Using Songs and Rhymes.
Why?
“Songs and rhymes make an important
contribution to language development as
they help to give a sense of the natural
rhythms of the language and its
sentence patterns. They give a context
for memorising and learning by rote and
the opportunity to master the
articulation and pronunciation of
particular sounds.”
Nacell Bulletin 19 Autumn 2006
Lisa Stevens

1, 2, 3
Uno, dos, tres, cho
Uno, dos, tres, co
Uno, dos, tres, la
Uno, dos, tres, te
Bate, bate, chocolate.
Bate, bate, chocolate.
(count 1,2,3 on fingers for lines 1-4, then rub hands
together back and forth for last two)

Lisa Stevens

1,2,3 – cultural knowledge.
I use this rhyme to introduce numbers and
also to show that Spanish is not just
spoken in Spain.
Link it to visit to Cadbury World and explain
about origins of chocolate.
Explain about why we rub our hands
together for the last two lines.

http://gourmetsleuth.com/molinillo.htm

Lisa Stevens

Mexican Molinillo
The molinillo [moh-lee-NEE-yoh] is the Mexican chocolate
quot;whiskquot; or quot;stirrerquot;. It is made of quot;turnedquot; wood and it is used to
froth warm drinks such as hot chocolate, Atole, and
Champurrado.

History and Lore
This tool was actually invented by the Spaniard colonists in
Mexico around the 1700's. Prior to the invention of the molinillo,
chocolate was froth by pouring it from one cup to another. The
first molinillos were made to fit into a container with the handle
extending out of the top. The molinillo was then rotated
between the users two hands placed palm-sides together. The
twisting motion frothed the chocolate.

Lisa Stevens

More ideas.
• Using rhymes to emphasise pronunciation /
sound patterns
• Eg weather and towns in France
• Il fait gris à Paris.
• Il fait beau à Bordeaux.
• Il neige à Liege.
• Il pleut à Montreux.
• etc

Another rhyme.
Sana, sana
Colita de rana.
Sí no sanas hoy
Sanarás mañana.

This rhyme is for rubbing hurts away – essentially a
nonsense rhyme about a frog’s tail but authentic
Spanish!!

Lisa Stevens

Some commercially produced resources.

• Français, Français / Español, Español / Deutsch,
Deutsch (CDs and resource CD / book)
www.language-factory.co.uk
• Let’s sing and learn in Spanish by Neraida Smith –
0-8442-7079-2 (book – cassette available)
• I can sing ¡en español! – 0-8442-7186-1
(book+tape)
• Canciones populares infantiles (Consejería de
educación) – www.sgci.mec.es/uk (book +CD)
• Play and learn Spanish by Ana Lomba – 0-07-
144148-4 (book and CD)

Some commercially produced resources
2.
• I can sing en français – 08442-1462-0 (book and
tape)
• Singing French – Helen Mc Gregor – 0-7136-6898-
9 (22 photocopiable songs nad chants – CD plus
ideas for use and development of vocabulary)
• Chante en français (le Jolie Ronde)
• French is Fun - Salut Serge! BBC (DVD comes
with activity book, Audio CD and song sheets)

‘Bonjour’ rap
• Bonjour! Bonsoir! Bonne nuit! x3
• Comment ça va? Ça va bien merci!

• Salut! Comment t’appelles tu? x3
• Je m’appelle Michel.

• Au revoir! A tout à l’heure! x3
• Au revoir Madame!
From Français, Français

‘Bonjour’ rap
• Very popular with KS1 – repetitive
and simple lyric.

• Good way to grab attention in the
beginning stages of language learning.

• Reinforce with actions.

¿Qué hay en la lavadora?
• ¿Qué hay en la lavadora?
• Un pantalón. Un pantalón.
• Un pantalón de Ramón.

• Una chaqueta. Una chaqueta.
• Una chaqueta y un pantalón de Ramón.

• Subsequent verse … Una corbata. Una camisa. Una bufanda.
Calcetines que huelen.

From Español, Español

¿Qué hay en la lavadora?
• To practice vocabulary.

• Bring in a basket of clothing – pupils
find the items and put them on
before the verse is over.

• Substitute different items of
clothing.

Dans la forêt lointaine
• Listen to the song about a cuckoo and an owl.

• Split room in half – the owls and the cuckoos.

• As song is played, you stand up every time you
hear your bird’s name in French.

• Good fun, but also demands pupils to listen for the
sounds.

Dans la forêt lointaine
• Dans la fôret lointaine,
• On entend le coucou.
• Du haut de son grand chêne,
• Il répond au hibou:
• Coucou hibou
• Coucou hibou
• On entend le coucou.

Another idea – Debajo de un
botón
• Debajo de un botón, tón, tón,
• Que encontró Martín,
• Había un ratón, tón, tón,
• Hay qué chiquitín, tín, tín.

• Ay ¡qué chiquitín, tín, tín.
• Era aquel ratón, tón, tón,
• Que encontró Martín,
• Debajo de un botón, tón, tón.

Debajo de un botón
• Use this rhyme to practise vowel
sounds. Ask pupils to clap each time
they hear ‘ton’ and stamp for ‘tin’.
• Then substitute other vowels to make
‘tan’, ‘ten’ or ‘tun’.
• Develops thinking and coordination as
well as sustitution skills.

Adapt a song!
• Mi barba tiene tres pelos.
• Tres pelos tiene mi barba.
• Si no tuviera tres pelos,
• Ya no sería mi barba.

• Next verse miss out barba, then tres,
then pelos, replacing them with
actions.

Adapt a song! 2
• I used this song with Year 1 and 2
last term.
• Having ’covered’ animals, body parts
and numbers, I asked the pupils to
write their own version.
• Ideas included ……

Adapt a song! 3
• Mi perro tiene diez dientes.

• Mi conejo tiene dos orejas.

• And Mi pez tiene muchas burbujas.

Make up your own!
• Take a recognisable tune, and change
the words.
• Thus, pupils aren’t worried about the
tune and can concentrate on the
vocabulary.

Some examples of songs I’ve
‘written’
• Bonjour Lulu! Bonjour Lulu!
• Comment ça va? Comment ça va?
• Très bien merci! Très bien merci!
• Au revoir! Au revoir!

• To the tune of Frère Jacques. This followed on from
reading a book with Nursery/Kindergarten called Coucou
Lulu. We learned the song to sing to Lulu, and to my puppet,
Zizou, and then began to substitute the names of the pupils.

Some examples of songs I’ve
‘written’ 2
• Hace sol, y hace calor.
• Está despejado.
• Hace sol y hace calor.
• Hace buen tiempo.

• Hace frío, hace viento.
• Llueve y nieva.
• Hace frío, hace viento.
• Hace mal tiempo.

• To the tune of ‘Pop goes the Weasel’

To the tune of The rainbow song
Los colores

rojo, verde y azul,
y negro y gris.
amarillo, rosa,
violeta
marrón y naranja.

!
oz ere
rs S w
M

And the latest..
Diez animales en la pared!

Some storytelling ideas.
Why?
Pupils love stories.
They are familiar with the tales and
so can follow with minimal vocabulary.
Links to Literacy.
Great for drama!
Amazing how many things you can link
to one story!

NGfl
http://ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/languages/default.htm

• Northumberland Grid for Learning
has a whole section on storytelling.
• Has Goldilocks and Little Red Riding
Hood in Fr, Sp, It and Ger
• Animated / interactive stories with
SOW / lesson plans, resources etc.
• I’ve used with KS1 and 2 – amazing!!

More online ideas
• See my del.icio.us tags under stories
http://del.icio.us/lisibo
Ideas there of other resources that
can be used in conjunction with
stories eg Literacy and Numeracy
activities that can be adapted.

Some of my favourites!
• ¿De qué color es Elmo? (Sesame Street)
• Querido Zoo (Dear Zoo)
• De quelle couleur est ta culotte?
• La oruga hambrienta / La chenille qui fait
des trous.
• Qui est le plus affamé? Series of 4
• Me visto…y te como.
• El Nabo Gigante

Ready made materials!
ELI books
Big books with CD of story / song / karaoke
https://www.eurobooks.co.uk/languagebooks/series/
SPA/m4/c24/3/CUCA

Early Start Talking Big Books
On CD rom – read for you and activities to teach and
consolidate vocabulary and structures
(eg phonemes / parts of speech)
http://www.earlystart.co.uk/bb/index.htm

Señor Cabeza Naranja
• There’s a book called GO AWAY BIG
GREEN MONSTER (Ed Emberley) –
there’s a version in French and
German so there must be in Spanish
but I can’t find it!
• So, inspired by some INSET, I wrote
my own (simplified version).

Señor Cabeza Naranja
Activities to follow up
• Pupils used 2D shapes to create their
own monster faces. We took photos
and made storyboards of new monster
stories. Some pupils used one
adjective (colour), others used two
(eg added size / texture)
• Two websites below give ideas too.
http://kizclub.com/storypatterns/monster.pdf
http://atozteacherstuff.com/pages/219.shtml

Diez fresas
• This story is a SMARTboard story
from Northumberland Grid for
Learning
http://ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/lan
guages/default.htm
• There are downloadable flashcards
for numbers and animals on the site –
I’ve made more resources (pairs /
bingo)
• I’ve exported it as a PPT so I can use
it on a Promethean board!

Diez fresas
Activities
• Read the story.
• Read again with pupils joining in – try
and predict the order of the animals.
• Games to practise vocabulary
• Pupils rewrote the story using their
own animals / fruit.

ICT
• Word processing – allows pupils to
correct mistakes – also use of
accents.
• Graphs / charts etc
• Presentations using Powerpoint
• IWB – I love it!!
• Websites
• Online games – www.activihub.com etc

ICT
• Weemee
• Voki
• Animoto
• Voicethread
• Digital recording
• Blogs
• Podcasts
• Digiblue

Cross curricular
• How can we exploit this area of language
learning?
• Look for opportunities to make links.
• Use language creatively.
• eTwinning projects / partner schools
• Embed PLL as much as possible.
• Multilingual displays
• Show off!

How often do you feel like
this?

It’s so much better when we
share!

Websites
http://del.icio.us/lisibo
For all my tags or bookmarks –lots of
activities in Spanish French and
English, and I’m adding German ones as
I learn!!

Fora
Join ELL-FORUM@MAILTALK.AC.UK
specifically for Early Language Learning
Post queries on PLL and MFL on TES Staffroom
http://www.tes.co.uk/section/staffroom/list_
threads.aspx?path=/modern+languages/
Join
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mflresources/
(also mflresources 2 and 3) for general MFL
Or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MFLCo/
specifically for PLL coordinators

Talkabout Primary MFL Ning
• http://primarymfl.ning.com/
I would thoroughly recommend you join!

My tips for successful PLL!
• Consider WHY you are doing things – what is the
focus of the activity, and can an activity address
more than one skill?
• Be enthusiastic!
• Vary teaching and learning styles
• Vary activities – type, pace, purpose
• Be imaginative - use whatever you can get your
hands on!
• Use any opportunity to use the language – PE, lining
up, grouping, filling in time etc. Consider different
ways of reinforcing learning

And most of all….

• ENJOY IT!

• If you look like you’re having fun, your
children will too.

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