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Guidance on implementation of the KS2 Framework for languages
There is no single way to teach a new language. Learners - including young learners - are individuals with different learning styles, and primary teachers are already very familiar with adapting their teaching methods in order to take account of this. Although there is no single method, there is, however, broad agreement about an approach to language teaching and learning which stresses the importance of communication in the language - real language use - as a central component of learning as well as a desired outcome for that learning. Above all this involves a rich and varied input of the new language together with opportunities for learners to interact with the language. Learners' motivation will also be a key factor.
Teachers are best placed to know how their children learn and will seek to create the best conditions for successful language learning. In many cases this will involve approaches to teaching and learning with which they are familiar from good primary practice. For example:
Providing enjoyment and stimulation
Children (and adults) learn best when they enjoy what they are doing and, through this enjoyment, are led to challenge themselves in a secure environment and to discover the unknown. In language learning, children are engaged by games and puzzles; they are enthused by taking part in songs and drama and by listening to stories which are already known in their mother tongue and are thus at the same time both familiar and new.
Supporting learning through regular routines
Children hear and use the language repeatedly on a routine basis in classroom interaction. They reinforce their language regularly and frequently by using greetings, numbers, games, stories, pictures and songs.
Making use of and developing communication strategies
Children develop communication strategies which will be of value to them in their everyday lives. They make use of visuals, actions, gestures, labels, toys and ICT to help them understand and use the language.
Ensuring opportunities for children to interact
Children engage with their learning, interacting with language and with other people. They perform to an audience and act out sketches. They communicate with other people, including native speakers. They listen and respond to songs, rhymes and stories and use TV, audio and CD to hear authentic native speaker voices. Such interaction is a part of all learning, but it is particularly important for learners of a new language.
There is also one critical aspect to language teaching and learning which is unique. It is relevant to all learners, and especially to young learners.
Exposure to the new language (the education of the ear)
Learners need to assimilate new sound patterns and to relate them to words and meanings. This process is particularly important in the early stages of acquiring a language when learning habits are being established and with young learners who are particularly receptive to new sounds. In the learning of their first language (mother tongue), children build up a wide experience of spoken language and interaction from birth and draw on this as they become literate. With a new language, exposure to the sound patterns needs to be built into the learning experience because listening to and manipulating the new language are critical for successful language learning. For this to happen, learners need frequent opportunities for intensive exposure to the language. This can be achieved using a range of resources including ICT.
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