As I outlined in this post, just before the summer holidays I was interviewed for a MOOC entitled Challenge, creativity and empathy: Skills for primary language teaching.

I’m pleased to say that the MOOC is now LIVE and can be accessed on FutureLearn. It’s free to complete if you are able to do it over 3 weeks although it’s possible to pay to gain longer access and official certification. [I never pay and take screenshots of the completed activities as evidence!]

I have yet to ‘log in’ as I’m waiting for the last of the three weeks to be half term in case I get behind so i can’t tell you which module my video is in, but I look forward to find ing out – although I probably won’t watch it as I am my own worst critic!

In spite of not having done it yet, I’m confident that it will be a worthwhile, profitable learning experience as I have completed a previous MOOC with Dr Alison Porter from University of Southampton and Professor Suzanne Graham from University of Reading, as well as taking part in the DELTEA project with them.

Here’s the link to join – see you there over the next few weeks?

UPDATE

I’ve spotted this announcement so will be completing the course around that time (I might start a little earlier!)

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!

I’ve just attended a webinar run by the British Council to launch a brilliant resource that links to the Women’s Football European Championships that begin next week in my beloved Switzerland.

As the British Council site says:

Developed by the British Council, in collaboration with the Football Association of Wales (FAW) and funded by the Welsh Government’s Euro 2025 Partner Support Fund, this resource supports key curriculum areas while promoting languages, gender equality and international collaboration.

Designed for learners aged 9-13 (but it was decided by those at the webinar that parts would be perfectly accessible for younger learners) the resources explore the languages of the participating teams as well as linking to PSHE, sport, geography and wider issues such as gender equality and inclusion.

I particularly liked the language part where learners are encouraged to match the language with the country and also these two activities that I thought sounded great fun and also give children choice and control over the language they want to explore.

The resources are freely downloadable from the British Council website here, and if you teach in a Welsh medium school, they are available in Welsh too.

I’m going to explore further and use some of the activities with Y6 as it’s that time of year and I feel they’d enjoy it. I also think it’s good to have a debate about equality in sport and discuss why women’s football was banned for so long (do the children think it’s unfair?)

If you use the resources, please share on social media or email the British Council as they and the Football Association of Wales (FAW) who worked with them and and the Welsh Government’s Euro 2025 Partner Support Fund that funded the resource would love to know how it’s gone.

So – congratulations Y Dreigiau on qualifying. I’ll be supporting you just as long as you’re not playing the Lionesses (13th July)

I’m very much looking forward to the Talleres de español at Instituto Español Vicente Cañada Blanch in London. This yearly event organised by the Consejería de Educación en Reino Unido e Irlanda and la Junta de Castilla y León is always well worth attending not simply for the learning but also for the delicious lunch! I’ve attended many times before and always look forward to it.

As you can see, there are streams for secondary and primary contexts as well as general sessions. This year there are several based around the arts – acting, dancing, music, fashion – and I am particularly looking forward to rounding off the day with some Zumba!

My session will be entitled Animania and will take, as the name suggests, animals as a theme and look at how they can be used in the primary classroom. Ideas will include using fiction and non fiction texts as well as music, movement and poetry, and discuss grammar, phonics, progression and motivation along the way.

If you’re interested in attending find out more and register here https://www.educacionfpydeportes.gob.es/reinounido/convocatorias-programas/formacion-profesorado/historico-formaciones/talleres-de-la-consejeria/talleres-de-la-consejeria-2025.html

And if you’d like to get a taste of previous years’ Talleres, there’s an archive here or you can find out my thoughts on previous events in these posts 2022 2021 2016 2011a 2011b

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.

I’ve just seen this Christmas advertisement from Deutsche Telekom and it really spoke to me.

In the light of all I’ve talked about over the last few weeks, I think it’s really apposite. In three very different presentations about Favourite activities (Practical Pedagogies), Teaching languages not Spanish (The Language Show) and today, on The importance of the international dimension in language learning (Acapulco) there’s been a common thread. That learners need to feel valued; that they need to see beyond their own experience and that connections are the way to break down barriers. And I’d say this advertisement sums up the importance of that.

As Deutsche Telekom write:

In a time when the world feels more divided than ever, we all benefit from real human connection. By opening ourselves to those on the other side, we realise that we’re not so different after all. Let’s break the barriers we create in our minds.
Connections Begin When Barriers Break. ❤️💙

I’ll be sharing this with my learners in my next Language of the Month assembly, if not before!

Today was the annual ALL Primary Languages Conference, otherwise known as Acapulco. This year the theme was MAKING A DIFFERENCE. The programme was very varied with sessions on SEND, Transition, Using AI, Supporting non-specialists and much more.

I wasn’t able to join the conference until after 11 so need to catch up on the first two or three sessions but all the ones I attended were packed with practical ideas and thought provoking suggestions, and I was certainly inspired.

I was really pleased to conclude the conference delivering a session entitled Making a Difference – Languages and the International Dimension Anyone who knows me, or has read this website will know that this is an absolute passion of mine and consequently I had a lot to say – too much really for the time! However I did manage to briefly share the international journey of my school, explain WHY I think it’s important to explore and promote the international dimension, give some examples of the activities that you could try and signpost ways to find and make partnerships including a few sources of funding.

I promised that I’d make my slides available (you can access them (slightly reacted) below by clicking on the image) and those who bought a ticket for the event will get access to the recording so you can watch again. If you didn’t, and want to know what I (and others!) said, tickets can stioll be bought until 24th November using this link www.tinyurl.com/confpl24

If you want to find out more, I did a slightly different presentation at Language World last year that you can find here, and of course, you are more than welcome to ask questions in the comments section below or by emailing me. I’m more than happy to help!

The Language Show is taking place over the next three days via Zoom. With over 80 sessions available, there’s something for everyone and for £20 you can access all of them – live and also on demand which means you can attend them all in spite of them overlapping.

I was invited to speak as part of the For Language Teachers stream (the other streams are labelled For people who love languages and For language professionals). I took as my theme something that I often say when described as “a Spanish teacher”

I teach languages not just Spanish.

In a nutshell, I explained my rationale – the Why? – and then activities that demonstrate the How.

You can have a look at my slides by clicking below.

Thank you to all those who attended – a lovely generous group of people. Your comments made me smile! If you’ve signed up for the Language Show, you can watch the replay of my session and see what I said. It’s not too late – just go to the website and buy a ticket!

I was really excited to attend the Practical Pedagogies conference in Köln last week. Having attended the previous iterations in Toulouse (2015 and 2016) and Cologne/Köln (2018) I knew it would be an amazing two days of collaboration and learning.

In my previous post I shared my sketchnotes from the sessions I attended. When i counted them I momentarily couldn’t work out why I only had 9 when there were 8 workshops, a keynote and an endnote until I remembered that I presented and couldn’t sketchnote myself!

My session was entitled A Few of Our Favourite Things and in it I shared as many of the activities as I could squeeze in, drawn from pupil feedback on our language lessons. I teach primary Spanish, so most examples that were language/phase specific refelcted this. However, most ideas were transferable to other languages and phase, perhaps with a little adaptation here and there!

As promised, my presentation can be accessed below by clicking on the photo.

Feel free to ask questions in the comments or via my contact details.

This afternoon I had the great pleasure of presenting at the LEAD KS2 conference via Zoom. Unfortunately I was unable to join for the whole time but I caught the end of the previous session which actually tied in with one of my points, and one about which i’m particularly passionate. If you’re interested in my ideas for European Day of Languages, they’re collated here (or look at the post before this one!)

My presentation was entitled More than words with the subtitle Language learning is about more than learning lists of vocabulary. In it, I discussed my ‘idea of what ‘list of ingredients’ for language learning, particularly in the primary context. After discussing OFSTED’s 3 pillars and 3Is, I moved on to present my 7Cs!

And what are my 7Cs?
Context
Consolidation
Confidence
Communication
Culture
Celebration
Connection

What do you think? I wonder if you have any other Cs that you think I’ve missed? I thought of collaboration but then decided that it comes under communication, connection and celebration – plus it spoils my little joke! Let me know in the comments.

If you’re interested in what I said, I actually recorded a back up in case my connection failed which you can see below.