Promoting Modern languages at Scottish schools
In 2010, Education officers from four European cultural institutions decided to promote modern Languages in Scottish schools to raise modern language awarness among pupils. We worked together on the online resource “Languages all around you” with a focus on German, French, Spanish and Italian.
The booklet is a collection of activities which leads pupils to discover that modern languages are part of everyday life. In none particular order, classes can explore together 6 different areas: family and home, friends and school, languages in public places, travel, food and sports. Some tasks include the personal experience of pupils, asking members of family and friends.
About 500 pupils from 11 different Primary schools across Scotland have been taking part in the piloting of the booklet from December 2010 to March 2011. piloted this resource.
Teachers found the approach “very engaging, stimulating and challenging; It could also be used with P5 or S1/S2 successfully”. Here is the feedback of the piloting schools.
For some of the pupils, it was quite surprising to discover that other languages are present in our plates, on packages, at the airport, even at home: “Our car is a foreign car and the perfume of my mum is foreign!”, said Kevin (10). The activities bring pupils to think more about plurilingualism in their schools: “I was aware of other pupils speaking a different language, but I didn’t think really about it, said Ema (12).
Click on the link to download the booklet "Languages all around you!"
No doubt, modern languages are all around us! We just have to open our eyes and think about how interesting it could be to dip in into another language, into another world.