I’m excited to be speaking once more at The Language Show 2025. Held annually, this three day event has latterly been held online and this year comprises nearly 90 sessions.
My session is entitled Animal Magic or Animania. details below.
It’s a bit daunting to be kicking off Friday, and in fact the whole event, in the For Language Teachers thread; however I’ve done it before and know that the number that attend live is always much smallere than those who have signed up and will watch later. In fact, that’s exactly what I do!
At £13.50 for access to the whole three days live and also on playback for about 11 months, a ticket is very good value when there is such a variety of sessions in three threads: *For people who love languages – Talks, tasters, entertainment and insights *For language teachers – CPD for teachers in primary, secondary, HE, FE, adult *For language professionals – Interpreters, translators and those who want to put their languages to work.
You can find out more on the website where you can also buy tickets
Here are some of the sessions I’ve picked out as interesting me. One’s even caught the eye of my [non linguist] husband!
Here are my notes from Language World 2025 held in Kenilworth this last weekend.
Hopefully they will act an aide memoire to those that attended and offer a taste of what was said to those who didn’t. Thank you to all the speakers for their excellent presentations. I’ve been left with much to consider and action.
Just returned from a wonderful few days in Köln/Cologne at Practical Pedagogies conference. The conference was held at St George’s School and, as the name suggests, was full of practical sessions led by research and pedagogy.
I was privileged to be asked to present, and I’ll share my presentation and tell you all about it in the next post.
Taking out my own slot, I had the opportunity to attend 7 other sessions plus the keynote and endnote. As usual, I attempted to sketchnote my way through the conference.
Sketchnoting in action (observed by Justin Beaver)
Sketchnotes are a visual way of capturing ideas on a page. They use words, boxes/clouds, arrows, and simple doodles to organize information. To find out more about the science behind it, you can have a look at my presentation at PracPed18 https://lisibo.com/2016/11/pracped16-sketchnoting-for-beginners/
Below are scanned copies of the #sketchnotes from #PracPed24. Hope they give you a taste of the sessions that I attended. They were all thought provoking, inspiring, practical and immediately actionable. Enjoy!
After a six year hiatus, Practical Pedagogies returns in 2024. To say I was excited when Russel first floated the idea would be an understatement!
Practical Pedagogies is a conference like no other. Over to Russel Tarr to explain:
Educational conferences can be prohibitively expensive for ordinary teachers, and often focus on abstract theory rather than real-world ways of immediately improving classroom practice. In contrast, “Practical Pedagogies” believes the best training is delivered by practising teachers, sharing effective and creative strategies and resources at an affordable price.
Three successful Practical Pedagogies conferences took place in 2015, 2016 and 2018 at the International School of Toulouse, France and at St. George’s British International School Cologne. At each event, teachers from all over the world delivered upwards of 100 sessions in a vibrant, friendly and enriching event over two days. Lunches, refreshments, and evening gatherings provided social opportunities for carrying on the conversations with old friends and new acquaintances.
After a COVID-imposed hiatus, we hope that the next conference in November 2024, once more in Cologne, will be the biggest and best so far… and delegates will be encouraged to purchase their tickets from March onwards.
Having been at all three previous conferences I immediately signed up to present and am looking forward to talking about A few of our favourite things! Activities for the Primary Languages classroom
You can find out what I thought about and learned from the conference in 2015, 2016 and 2018 by clicking on the dates and reading my reflections accompanied by my sketchnotes (subject of my 2026 presentation!) If you want to know what others think, check out the testimonials here including mine. I stand by my assertion that you can’t leave unchallenged and unchanged! One of the things I particularly value is that, as it is an international conference, you get a wider view of education and a different perspective on familiar topics. I love picking up wisdom from other education systems and curricula as well as debating the current issues facing us all.
This year I’m looking forward to finding out about Using Thinking Maps to enhance instructional experiences for variable learners, learning more about AI (no point burying your head in the sand!) and also catching up with Laura ‘smiley’ Riley-Genton who has had a busy time since I last saw her (getting married, becoming a Mum and changing job!) and attending her session More than just a language:ideas to teach foreign languages to mixed nationalities. I’m also looking forward to catching up with Carol Allen although I unfortunately won’t be able to attend her session as I’m speaking at the same time. You can check out the programme for yourself here.
125 workshops have been confirmed, led by educators from all over the world – including me! – and delegates can pick 8 to attend over the two days. There are a limited number of Early Bird tickets available if you’re quick! It’s worth it as the price rises after that.
I’m also looking forward to visiting Cologne/Köln once more.It’s a wonderful city and this time I can even speak almost passable German! I’d love to see you there. Lisa x
Each meeting and conference I attend, I take my notebook and pens, and attempt to sketchnote proceedings. It helps me listen carefully (and sit still!), enables me to recall what was said after the event in a way that taking notes doesn’t, and also enables me to share with those who weren’t there.
I do my notes live and therefore tweeted them as soon as the sessions were over – you may have seen them on Twitter/X over the weekend, but I like to publish them as a collection after the event. It also enables me to make sure I haven’t missed anything and check I haven’t made glaring errors – like adding an s to the ALL Twitter handle @ALL4Language Oops!
Here they are, in order that they happened!
Opening Keynote – Liz Black, ALL President
How to teach languages effectively at KS2 as a non-specialist and successful transition to KS3 – Anneliese Yafai
Poetry please! – Angela Smith
We’re all ears! Developing listening skills in the primary classroom – Ellie Chettle Cully
Youpi et cocorico: celebrating primary language learning at St Jerome – Nadine Chadier
Implementing a KS2 curriculum to support Progression, Practical solutions and Personal experiences – Jane Wood and Jenni Bindon
How can we develop an effective model of practice for coordinating the experience of primary language learners and their trasnition to becoming secondary language learners? – Dr Jon Merrison
International projects in schools? Yes we can! – Jane Harvey and Richard Tallaron
Culture: Community: Connectivity. How universities can and should support KS2 and 3 language learners – Dr Charlotte Ryland
Language Research Review – HMI Bianka Zemke
Primary German. Resources, ideas and teacher support to inspire and motivate – Marian Devons
Point, à la ligne: Dictation across the Key Stages – Clare Seccombe
Language Education in an AI enabled world – the challenge, the opportunity and the future. – Professor Kate Borthwick
University Challenge – Jane Driver and Sarah Schechter
Celebrating multilingualism: supporting home and community languages – Almudena Martínez
Translation: the key to growing flexible, independent imaginative linguists – Jess Beeton
Building foundations for the future of languages – Hon. Professor Bernadette Holmes, NCLE Director
Possibilities and practicalities of ChatGPT in languages teaching and learning – Joe Dale
The ? of language teaching – Steven Fawkes, ALL Trustee
The annual conference of the Association for Language Learning (ALL) is fast approaching. This year Language World will be held in Kenilworth on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th March. The theme is Language – a unique ingredient of learning.
As the website says:
We will consider together many aspects of education today in multilingual Britain. What is unique about our subject? In what ways does the learning of a language support learners today beyond the classroom – from being a child to becoming an adult? What are the ingredients of a healthy learning experience?
Culture and International Contact
Curiosity and Observation
Connection at a personal level
Communication through all skills and modalities
A strong outward looking curriculum and external examinations
Following on from our conference last year we will continue to consider how the brain affects learning and how this can inform curriculum planning, the impact on teaching of the new GCSE and the importance of developing the intercultural agility needed to promote and support tolerance and respect for others. We are living through changing, somewhat challenging times and collaborative work is essential. We all benefit from access to research from around the world and collaboration across the key stages to university or training and jobs post 16 enables progress as we learn from each other. https://www.delegate-reg.co.uk/lw2024/
Keynote speakers include HMI Bianka Zemke and Professor Kate Borthwick, and there are more than 70 talks offered over the two days with something for every type of language learning. You can have a look at the programme here
I’m presenting on Saturday afternoon about how to make International links, something about which I’m really passionate; as a British Council Ambassador for many years and Global Schools Alliance Ambassador I do all I can to promote the value of the global dimension. You can see what I said last year when I shared the importance and impact of international links and global learning at Whitehouse Common Primary.
Whether you attend for one day or for both, I hope to see you in Kenilworth. If you can’t, be sure to follow events on Twitter/X – look out for the hashtag #LW2024 and I’ll try to give you a flavour of the event in a post at the end of March.
This Tuesday (27th June) I’ll be speaking at the L.E.A.D. TSA Hub Online Primary Languages event. Jo Darley has put together a really interesting programme covering learner autonomy, linguistic thinking, “quality first” teaching for all, literature and culture, and the value of supporting and celebrating languages through global communication.
I’m really excited to be taking part. My presentation will be about the benefits of international links and global communication in the primary classroom. As a primary languages teacher, it will be heavily influenced by the impact of my young linguists but also refer to the effect on the whole school.
It’s a full day, online conference starting at 915 and running until 330. You can join live for the whole day, pop in as you can, or watch it all back later with the recording being available for 30 days after the event. As I’ll be teaching all day (until my session) I’ll be doing the latter!
There are still tickets available at this link if you’re interested. If you’re planning on attending, let me know so I can give you a shout out!
It’s nearly time for the annual ALL (Association for Language Learning) conference Language World. I first attended Language World in Oxford many many years ago and it’s remained an important date each year ever since.
After a year online in 2021, Language World returns to being face to face this year. Taking place in Sheffield at The Quays Hotel, it promises to be two days of discussion, thought and learning and I for one am really looking forward to it.
This year the theme is Language Learning for Social Justice, and sessions relate to the theme of ensuring that ALL learners have access to high quality language learning opportunities, irrespective of age, gender, socioeconomic (dis)advantage, mother tongue or heritage.
The programme looks really interesting and I’m particularly looking forward to sessions by:
Hannah White 5.1 Use the work you do to support EAL pupils in the Primary Languages classroom to create an inclusive curriculum and improve teaching and learning for EAL pupils throughout your school
Eleanor Chettle Cully 1.3 Isn’t it time we moved beyond ‘diversity’? Practical strategies for decolonising the primary MFL curriculum
Marion Devons 8.2 Don’t take me out! Why children with SEND or EAL should stay in your language lessons and how all children will benefit (I feel passionately about this as you can see here.)
and this really interesting looking session 4.1 Inspiring Young Multilingual Activists through Digital Technology and the Arts
In fact, there are so many session that interest me that it’s quite tricky choosing sometimes!
I’ll be speaking on Friday at 215 about “Literature” 3.4 Using ‘Literature’ to support Primary Language teaching and learning This session will consider what is meant by ‘literature’ before moving on to explore how it can be used in the primary languages classroom as a great way to support language learning. Whether as a way into a topic, to support phonics or prosody, as a sample text to be adapted or as a way to support inclusion and challenge insularity, allowing learners to see themselves in their learning, literature is a powerful tool in our toolbox.
Fun in Acapulco starring Ursula and Elvis, or is it our hosts, Sue Cave and Steven Fawkes?
Following on from the success of last year’s event , it’s time for the second (online) ALL Primary Languages Conference. Colloquially (and rather romantically) known as Acapulco, this event on Saturday 6th November promises to be another memorable event.
I’m really looking forward to a quality few hours of ideas and inspiration and hope that you can join too.
If you’re a member of ALL or a trainee student it only costs £5 otherwise the cost is £25. How do you become a member of ALL? Find out here! Heads up – you can join as a primary school for £50 which is less than an individual!
The programme is viewable here and you can register here.
At this time of year, I’m normally gearing up for my annual ‘weekend away’ at Language World. It’s taken me to York, Lancaster, Leicester, Rugby, Nottingham, London, Newcastle, Manchester, Loughborough and of course, Oxford where Language World and I first ‘met.’ This year, things are a little different as I won’t physically be going anywhere as the conference is coming to me in my home via the wonders of video conferencing. And it can come to you too if you sign up!
As the blurb on their site says: “Schools are currently exploring how they can offer rich, exciting education for all their pupils. Ofsted encourages schools to make positive decisions to preserve or develop richness of experience along with breadth and depth of curriculum – for example, giving pupils the opportunity to learn a number of foreign languages and arts subjects, recognising local ambitions. We look forward to sharing ideas and best practice from among our languages community about these kinds of curricular aspects, and about learning that goes deeper into content, motivates learners of Languages, culture and communication, and is broader than the exam specifications.”
Keynote speakers this year include:
President of ALL (2020-22), Kim Bower;
Dr. Michael Wardle, Language Lead for OFSTED;
international expert on CLIL and Professor of Languages Education and Classroom Learning at university of Edinburgh, Professor Do Coyle
Professor of Applied Linguistics at the UCL Institute of Education, University College London, Professor Li Wei
Im particularly looking forward to hearing from Professor Li Wei on Friday talking about Multilingualism, Language Learning and Social Cognition and then from Jane Driver on Saturday talking about Using CLIL and MFL strategies to maximise the curriculum for EAL learners.
And then there are the talks and presentations from which you can choose. Each session is 30 minutes long with a 20 minute presentation followed by 10 minutes for questions. Easier for concentration but challenging when you’re planning a session and always have too much for 45 minutes…
Some sessions that caught my eye as a primary languages practitioner include:
Promoting intercultural understanding through cross curricular and extra-curricular activities in the primary classroom – lots of practical ideas led by Bernadette Clinton and Raquel Tola Rego
A recipe for success! Creating a bespoke scheme of work – Clare Seccombe
Engaging, enriching, inclusive: ensuring a primary MFL curriculum which delivers for SEND pupils – Eleanor Chettle Cully
Celebrate your bilingual learners and promote linguistic diversity in your school with an International Mother Tongue Day project – Hannah White
As usual, I have a problem! The first two are at the same time as each other AND I’m speaking at the same time! And the second two are also concurrent. I’m hoping that with the online nature of the conference we might be able to catch up… but I’m not sure so don’t quote me on it!
Decisions decisions!
Other sessions I’m looking forward to:
What does an anti-racist, decolonised MFL curriculum look like?
Embedding languages into the curriculum: practical examples from Scotland and Wales
Teaching Phonics – Mapping, Method and Moving on
Another innovation this year is that some 30 minute slots split into 3 mini talks and I’m looking forward to many of those too including Dr Judith Rifeser talking about Nurturing intercultural understanding and celebrating pupils’ diverse and multilingual voices through creative projects, Bryn Llewellyn sharing Learning Languages on the Move – Developing Language Vocabulary using Physically Active Learning Approaches, Helen Stokes talking about Making connections between languages with translation skills: for easier transition between KS2 and 3 and How MFL teaching can boost whole school literacy led by Clare Caio.
So much that it’s hard to choose! You might even want to ‘attend’ my session entitled Take One Book in which I’ll explore how to make full use of a storybook (a different one from the one I shared at PHOrum!) You can find further details on the Language World 2021 website and the programme can be found here.
I am very much looking forward to a new experience and whilst I’d rather we were meeting together as usual, I’m excited for the new format and will still be wearing LiPS themed clothing and sketchnoting!
