Junior Language Challenge
Holy Trinity Rosehill CE VA Primary School, Stockton-on-Tees
The JLC is a nationwide language learning contest which gives children the opportunity to learn a new language and compete against other schools
Spanish was selected as the target language for the competition. A small number of primary schools currently teach Spanish across the LA, however, it was deemed important for the language to present as an exciting challenge, as well as being a Mainland European Language in order to maximise the benefit for schools and their current Languages work, including work on the development of Intercultural Understanding, a key strand in the Framework for Languages
Schools’ involvement in the Stockton-on-Tees Eurotalk Language Challenge ensured that identified pupils were provided with access to study a foreign language…develop their interest in the culture of other nations…making use of…e-learning… through the use of highly motivational and interactive software thereby providing entitlement opportunities.
Impact
The following bullet points provide an overview of the impact of the project, following analysis undertaken by the Primary Strategy Consultant in conjunction with representatives from the schools involved in the project as part of an Evaluation Meeting
- Increased pupil confidence in language learning;
- Positive impact on pupils’ speaking and listening skills;
- Increased pupil motivation particularly in relation to the use of the Eurotalk software;
- Increased levels of staff confidence to support pupils’ language learning, even though the majority of teaching staff involved were non-Spanish speakers;
- High quality Teaching Assistant support to effectively support schools’ effective implementation of Stockton Eurotalk 2006;
- Increased awareness of the KS2 Framework for Languages;
- Ease of installation of software;
- Effective liaison between schools, technicians and parents.
Challenges
- Limiting the use of the software to school rather than using software both at home and school. It was agreed that a number of pupils involved in the project would be unable to access materials at home due to lack of computer facilities;
- Increasing the number of schools involved in the project, thereby increasing pupil numbers
