Revision Bingo for Language Lessons
Revision – it’s part of the learning process. But, how can teachers make this, often mundane task, enjoyable for learners in the classroom? This particular post is about a brilliant revision activity that I read about recently (via @lessontoolbox): revision bingo. The game is excellent for so many reasons! zero preparation to set up (always a bonus!) it can be used in any language lesson which has had some previous input of the topic being revised, including ESOL, ESL and in KS3, KS4 and KS5 French, German, Spanish or other modern language classrooms use it to revise previously taught vocabulary, sentence structures, grammatical structures, tenses and so much more How…
Progress in MFL Writing and Speaking GCSEs
Progress is a key factor for language teachers and students in Modern Foreign Language at KS3 and KS4. Looking to spruce up your Modern Languages display with useful resources to improve students’ speaking and writing for GCSE Modern Languages, including French, Spanish and German? Read about our excellent MFL GCSE Progress Ladder Display for getting students to think about what to include in their speaking and writing examinations for MFL to get those all important marks… Speaking and Writing GCSE Modern Language Examinations The writing and speaking examinations in GCSE Modern Languages count for 50% of the whole exam grade. This is, quite clearly, a significant percentage. However, I have…
Homework Ideas for French German and Spanish Classrooms
According to a 2015 article in the Independent Newspaper “Homework […] is an important component of education for students in the middle and upper grades of schooling.” Homework – Do Your Students Do It? Looking at the results of a (somewhat crude!) Twitter poll which I recently carried out, attracting 87 responses, if homework is an important component of education, why is homework only handed in to an acceptable standard and submitted on time to 6% of teachers? The Homework Struggle Is Real! Homework is easy enough to set. But, despite working in a Grammar school this year with a clear homework policy, getting students to do homework to a…
Spontaneous Speaking Cups – Languages Activity
Speaking Cups – Spontaneous Speaking Activity for The Language Classroom Spontaneous speaking has always been a skill that I struggle to facilitate in the languages classroom, especially with lively French and German GCSE students who often need a lot of structure to flourish with speaking activities. It’s a shame, seeing as it’s a necessary skill to have in order to communicate in a foreign language! However, with the new GCSE specifications, spontaneous speaking is the skill that I am really trying to develop in my classroom to help prepare my students for the general conversation section of the AQA GCSE French and German speaking examinations, as well as, simply, to…