Pedagogy and teacher expertise

Here you will find summaries of research papers that relate to pedagogy and teacher expertise. Each summary is worded to be reader-friendly, and covers no more than one side of A4.

Primary foreign language learning and teaching – how can we improve our MFL provision for all learners?

Establish a community of learning and practice

Essentially, this means providing all teachers – those already teaching, and new trainees – with the tools (language and cultural knowledge and pedagogical practice) to enable them to teach a modern foreign language confidently, enjoyably, and effectively.

What help would MFL teachers like and what help might they need?

Empowering classroom teachers to teach MFL is a two-way process. Established teachers already have good pedagogic skills and a wealth of teaching practice and expertise to draw on, which means that individually-tailored MFL-teaching  programmes specific to teachers’ particular needs are helpful.

Depending on a teacher’s specific needs and desires, a programme might include, for example:

• a boost in linguistic knowledge;
• help with language-teaching methodology;
• developing an awareness of children’s language-learning strategies;
• confidence in dealing with the four skills in a foreign language;
• knowledge of age-appropriate programmes available, and how to create additional materials.

I don’t have much time for extra training and the school budget is tight – what can I do?

• CPD intensive training days impart a lot of information and workshop practice, but they can be expensive for a school. 
• Peer-to-peer support from within a school is an excellent way of enlisting whole-school support; so too, is peer coaching across the cluster. 
• Networks online and on the ground can be great providers of support, and encourage an exchange of knowledge.
• Classroom-based research allows a classroom teacher to try out new things whilst receiving expert feedback.