The Draft National Curriculum: Good Teaching meets Brain Research. Westminster Forum, March 2013 johnbald.typepad.com [e-mail]

1
The Draft National Curriculum Good Teaching
meets Brain Research. Westminster Forum, March
2013 johnbald.typepad.comjohnbald_at_talktalk.net

2
An old problem... The Prioress, Chaucer,
Prologue, late C14

• And frenssh she spak ful faire and fetisly, 
• After the scole of stratford atte bowe, 
• For frenssh of parys was to hire unknowe. 

3
...but getting worse.
GCSE 2001 2012
French 321,207 153,436
German 130,627 57,547
Spanish 45,629 72,606
CILT Language Trends Analysis, 17.3.3013
A Level 1997 2012
French 25,881 12,511
German 10,440 4,478
Spanish 5,606 7,351
ALL member update, 22.8.2012
University language courses 2000-2011 University language courses 2000-2011
French - 42
German - 55
Spanish - 34

• The Linguist, Vol. 51.2, 2014

4
Our new knowledge. The Learning Brain,
Blakemore and Frith, 2005

• As we learn, brain cells form connections
  with each other that build into networks. These
  connections are strengthened with practice.

5
Brain cell Neuroscience and Education, Teaching
and Learning Research Project, 2007
6
Brain cell connections Neuroscience and
Education, Teaching and Learning Research
Project, 2007
7
To promote new networks, we need to

• Understand how children need to adjust their
  thinking to use the new language
• Explain new features clearly
• Present work simply and attractively
• Encourage and answer questions
• Encourage children to practise

8
We hinder the formation of networks by

• Copying. Children continually switch their
  attention between the master version and their
  own. This breaks connections before they have had
  a chance to form.
• Overloading. Connections cant form if we give
  too much new material at a time, or present
  spoken language that is too fast for people to
  understand.

9
The brain adapts itself to different languages

• Reading Aloud in English and Italian, evidence
  from brain scans (active areas in black)
• Left reading system of English and Italian
  combined
• Centre sound processing more active in Italian
• Right word form area more active in English
• The Learning Brain, Blakemore and Frith, 2005

10
As we learn a new language

• The structures formed in our brain as we learned
  our first language are extended and adapted.
• These initial structures influence the way we
  learn, both the parts we find easy, and the
  errors we make. Swan and Smith, Learner English,
  CUP, 2nd Edn, 2001

11
English speakers need to adapt to

• New relationships between written and spoken
  language, though still with a basis in phonics.
• Gender in nouns that have no physical gender, and
  in associated pronouns and adjectives.
• Greater variation in verb forms than in English
  (except for Mandarin!)

12
The areas of the brain used for written and
spoken language are interlinked and overlap Dr.
Matt Davis, MRC, Languages Today, Spring 2013

• Hearing
• Reading
• Both

13
The Draft National Curriculum

• Takes account of evidence from brain research,
  HMI reports and successful work in schools.
• Uses a balanced approach that teaches spoken and
  written language together, using all channels of
  communication to build understanding.
• Contains a clear pattern of progress in key
  skills, including sentence construction
  (grammar).
• Leaves scope for professional judgement.

14
Zim Zam Zoum www.taughtbysong.com
15
Little Tails of the Unexpected...Val Thornber,
www.beelingua.com
16
Key Features

• At least four years of language before secondary
  school.
• Time for children to understand and make
  adjustments to their thinking without pressure or
  overloading.
• No requirement to use spoken language at full
  speed before children can understand it.
• No set units, prescribed resources or schemes of
  work.
• Writing from memory, not copying.

17
Copying, Babylon, c1700 BC(The History of
Writing, S.R Fischer)
18
Copying errors from a Year 7 mixed-ability class

• Quel as âge tu. Quel âge as-tu?
• O habite tu Ou jhabites-tu Où
  habites-tu?
• Où habite a Londres. Jhabite à Londres.
• Common tappelle tú_ Comment
  tappelles-tu?
• Je onzo age Jai onze ans
• Ja un douze Jai douze ans
• (experienced teacher, pupils had models of
  the sentences they were trying to write, from
  which they could copy.)

19
My First Steps in Spanish.

• Colours. Rojo, azul, verde, amarillo, marrón
  introduce most of the variations between Spanish
  and English pronunciation, and the accent. Begin
  with rojo, say together, study, look away and
  write with finger on sleeve. Check. Repeat with
  other colours.
• Explain Buenos Días! as a greeting, and what it
  means.
• Sing Ser to 10 green bottles, with actions,
  explaining how Spanish takes advantage of its
  word endings to omit the short words we have to
  put in front of verbs.
• Introduce masculine/feminine, via the idea of
  boys and girls words for younger children. Eg
  Soy una niña/un niño.
•  
• Build sentences about family/pets, around
  tengo/no tengo.

20
Key Features of French

• The French like their spoken language to flow,
  and their written language to be precise.
• All nouns have a gender. (Very occasionally, two
  le or la professeur)
• The form of verbs varies more than in English,
  and the negative is tricky.

21
... a suggested first order...

• Colours have key features vert, bleu, rouge,
  blanc, jaune, orange, noir, violet, marron. Say
  together, study, look away, write on sleeve.
• Bonjour! (Gday). Drop the tongue to pronounce.
• Sing and point (to self and people) pronouns
• Sing and point être. I usually do negative first.
• Sentence building with family and pets introduces
  gender and avoir, positive and negative.

22
Clickerwww.cricksoft.com
23
Extensions suggested by Y4
24
Year 7, girl, assessed as dyslexic, before
sentence building work
25
Year 7, girl, assessed as dyslexic, after six
weeks sentence building work
26
Year 7, boy assessed as dyslexic
27
Year 4, higher-attaining girl