Embedding language learning skills
The headteacher at Kinloch Rannoch Primary School comments:
“Any language teaching, when effectively delivered, can support almost any area of the curriculum. It is at the planning stages when these links should be clearly made and the lessons tailored to support the on-going classroom work across the experiences and outcomes…”
Moreover, the school recognises that learning two languages enhances the learners’ experiences and strengthens transferrable skills.
Listen to Finlay McSween, the Principal Teacher of Gaelic, talking about how learning a language develops transferrable skills and develops the appreciation of the interconnected nature of languages.
Secondary Curriculum Structure
The secondary school has recently reviewed its timetable structure in order to continue the provision of two languages (in line with the 1+2 Report) and the demands of the broad general education.
S1 learners currently follow a course which allows them to study both French and Gaelic. In S2, pupils continue to study French and are given the choice of continuing with Gaelic or opting to learn German instead. Pupils subsequently continue to study French in S3 and can choose to continue studying Gaelic or German. All learners are, therefore, afforded their full entitlement to progression in one language until the end of S3. Moreover, for many learners, this is not just in one language, but in two.
Moreover, the school is currently planning strategies to increase flexibility within the timetable so that the curriculum structure from session 2014/15 will allow learners access to a range of language electives in addition to their entitlement.
Additionally, pupils have the opportunity to continue into the senior phase and can progress to National Qualifications up to and including, Advanced Higher level in both languages.
Emphasis is placed on communication as can be seen by this video clip of a spontaneous conversation on familiar topics between a teacher and pupil. This pupil started Gaelic in primary 1, and her positive experience in primary school inspired her to continue with her Gaelic studies to Higher level.
The school was one of the first schools in Scotland to offer the Scottish Languages Baccalaureate to learners in S6 and is keen to create business partnerships.
A former pupil, who is now an undergraduate at Cardiff University, successfully completed a Baccalaureate Interdisciplinary Project in which she investigated the use of languages in the Scottish whisky industry. The impact of her knowledge of French and Gaelic was evident in her successful project and her exposure to more than one language in school has ensured that she has become a life-long language learner.
Hear the pupil talking about how learning languages has had a positive impact on her life and how she has been able to use her languages not only at university but also in a practical way as a tour guide in a whisky distillery.
The Power of Partnerships
Learning languages has opened up many opportunities over the years for pupils attending Breadalbane Academy Community School. The department continues to build on internal and external partnerships to increase the relevance of language learning and to create real contexts for learning.
Community Links
Fluent Gaelic speakers, who are parents in the community, support the learning and teaching of Gaelic through, for example reading Gaelic stories or poems or teaching Gaelic songs. This is in line with one of the key recommendations from the 1+2 Report:
“The Working Group recommends that schools and local authorities consider the engagement by schools of other skilled and trained native speakers of additional languages to work under the direct and explicit supervision of the classroom teacher in schools.”
International links
The school has also developed strong international partnerships. Learning and teaching in the French classroom is complemented by a bi-annual exchange with the Collège Louis Leprince Ringuet in Genas near Lyon which affords pupils the opportunity to practise their language skills in a real life context.
In addition, one of the school’s ceilidh bands, Fiddlestix, was recently invited to perform in St Galmier, near St Etienne, at the Alliance Franco-Ecosse. This event allowed pupils to highlight not only their musical talents and their knowledge of Scottish culture, but also to develop their linguistic skills. This is a good example of how learning two languages can help pupils to broaden their horizons.
The headteacher explained in the school’s End of Year Newsletter:
“The trip involved playing music with a French Specialist Music School and at a local music festival. The group opened the proceedings of an international music and dance festival with a fine selection of Scottish music before appreciating the musical and dancing skills of groups (such as those) from Serbia and Russia.”
