This week, Year 7 pupils had a full French lesson using ICT.
Using iPads and headphones gave each pupil the opportunity to work independently and at a pace that works for them. Year 7 pupils are currently studying “leisure activities” and the task consisted of an audio article in the target language in which were presented the different ways French people like to entertain themselves in their free time. Pupils were able to listen to the article as many times as they wanted and complete a few tasks to help them understand the text but also to check their understanding. Feedback from the pupils was very positive.
Teaching and learning are constantly evolving and we, as teachers, are able to increasingly understand how children – and adults – learn. Every child learns differently and at a different pace. The changing conceptions of learning and technology advances give school pupils an opportunity to take an active role in their learning experience.
The use of ICT in language teaching and learning has a lot of benefits:
- It provides learners with opportunities to use the target language in meaningful ways and in authentic contexts.
- It provides them with an easy access to learning sources. Pupils can access these resources from home and go over things we have seen in class from home. They can also broaden their knowledge and vocabulary by reading and listening to new resources they can find online.
- Pupils can work independently and at their own pace while having fun and being able to monitor and reflect on their progress.
- It takes into account different learning styles, needs and interests.
The website we used for this lesson is called Teachvid (https://www.teachvid.com/) and I would encourage every child in school to use it at home to help them with their learning of French and other languages. If you click on “resources”, you can then choose the language you wish to study and the level at which you want to study it. It goes from a beginner level all the way to advanced level.
Mr Baurance
Head of Languages
