Introduction and guide │ Making the case │ Selecting resources │ Embedding ICT │ ICT training │ Other scripts │ Primary ICT
Primary ICT
Teaching and learning through the use of ICT will vary greatly from primary school to primary school. A range of software and hardware options may be available, from an interactive whiteboard and ICT suite to a stand-alone PC. Whatever your resources, the case for using ICT in primary languages is very strong, and making the cross-curricular link between the two subjects could be a solution to the issue of finding curriculum time for languages in KS2.
The National Advisory Centre on Early Language Learning (NACELL) website is the starting point for anyone with an interest in primary languages. The online NACELL Best Practice Guide includes a number of case studies on ICT, which illustrate how the languages and ICT objectives can be combined. You will also find useful links to Official Documentation for primary languages. This includes the Schemes of Work for KS2 Modern Foreign Languages from QCA, which include ideas on how to incorporate ICT into primary languages methodology. The forthcoming KS2 Framework for MFL will also refer to ICT opportunities; information will be disseminated via the NACELL website in due course.
The Resources section of the NACELL website includes a Teaching Materials Database with details of CD ROMs and other resources in the NACELL collection, links to useful websites and guidance on choosing software. Many of the training events listed under Professional Development incorporate elements of ICT and languages pedagogy. Do look out for CILT’s Primary Languages Show, held each year in Manchester towards the end of the spring term. As well as a number of workshops on ICT, the exhibition features publishers and educational service providers with examples of their software and websites on view. You may also like to join the free Early Language Learning Forum, which allows you to discuss ICT and other issues via email with colleagues nationally.
Becta offers a range of free publications which are relevant to primary languages, including:
- What the research says about using ICT modern foreign languages
- Getting the most from your interactive whiteboard: A guide for primary schools
- Using web-based resources in primary modern foreign languages
- Effective use of ICT in subject teaching: Primary CD ROM
Specialist and non-specialist teachers alike can also benefit from Becta’s Say IT……… information sheets, which give ICT vocabulary for use by teachers and pupils in 29 different languages. The Curriculum Online website from the DfES offers video-based case studies on using ICT to teach KS1 literacy, as well as KS3 modern foreign languages, which may be of interest.
Much regional work incorporates developments in the field of ICT and primary languages. CILT, the National Centre for Languages supports Regional Support Groups for Early Language Learning at a range of venues across the country, each offering 5 free twilight sessions a year to anyone with an interest in ELL. Each also offers 2 Regional Consultative Groups for those with an interest in developing primary MFL in the role of a trainer. Furthermore, the DfES has established 19 Key Stage 2 Language Pathfinders, which are LEAs working in partnership with schools to explore how primary languages can be best established and delivered. ICT is clearly a feature of several of these projects which will be disseminated over the coming years.
The developing National Whiteboard Network website from the Primary National Strategy provides support and ideas for teachers with access to interactive whiteboards, including a section for frequently asked questions and the opportunity to see examples of good practice. You will find specific teaching ideas and resources for various subjects, many of which could be adapted for foreign language work.
