Children Enjoy Languages with Teaching Students
Thursday, 01 February 2018
Children at Oldbury Park Primary School had the chance to learn a new language thanks to the help of teaching students at the University of Worcester.
Pupils took part in two special Modern Foreign Language Days, delivered by students on the University's PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) and Primary Initial Teacher Education (PITE) courses.
The first day involved pupils in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6. Year 3 pupils learned about parts of the body, while Year 5s were treated to a Geometry lesson, all in Spanish. Meanwhile, Year 4 had fun learning different emotions in French, while Year 6 got lost in Paris and had to ask for directions in French to navigate back home safely.
The second day involved the whole school and focussed on learning French. Children in Reception class learnt to count; Year 1 recited "I can sing a rainbow," in French; Year Two made French flags and learnt the song Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes in French; Year 3 produced Henri Matisse-style paintings and a collage; Year 4 learnt part of the story of The Three Little Pigs; Year 5 constructed their own Eiffel Towers; and Year 6 used the Apple app- Keynote- to generate facts sheets of France.
Mrs Gaynor Screen, MFL Co-ordinator at Oldbury Park Primary School, said: "A big thank you to the University staff who organised the students to come and deliver these sessions. The second day culminated in a whole school assembly to share our experiences and learning. Each year group was enthralled in their own activities all day."
Isabelle Schafer, PGCE Modern Languages tutor, added: "The intention of the initiative is to encourage student teachers to reflect on the benefits of working collaboratively with colleagues training to teach a different age phase. All the student teachers agreed that this was a valuable and rewarding experience."