Primary language - contents

I would like to look into teaching languages in primary. But I've no idea where to start looking for contents. Is there a common frame for languages in primary? In my area it seems that some primaries are teaching languages, some aren´t, some teach Spanish, some French... and when kids get to secondary school they may end up doing a different language all together or even if they did French for instance, they all have so different levels that in my school they start again from the beginning.
However it seems that more and more are doing languages, so I suppose there must be some common frame so teachers know what they´re supposed to be teaching?

 

Try this http://www.primarylanguages.org.uk/resources/qca_schemes_of_work.aspx & click on QCDA Schemes of work for Key Stage
2 languages.
They're available in French, German & Spanish, paralel schemes covering the same topic areas. Also you can try http://primarymfl.ning.com/ a site especially for primary languages.

 

Just bumping up for attention of OP.

 

The QCA schemes of work for KS2 MFL have now been taken over by the TDA: http://bit.ly/aSVvXj
The KS2 Framework for languages is very good, and gives you a good idea of what you should be doing in each year group. I particularly like the Intercultural Understanding strand, which has the same importance in the strategy as Oracy and Literacy. It also has cross-cutting strands, which are Knowledge about Language (KAL) and Language Learning Strategies. These cross-cutting strands mean that even if a child learns Spanish in KS2 and then changes to French in KS3, they will have gained some skills which will help them to learn any language. If they have been taught properly in KS2, which is, of course, another story.
The QCA scheme and the Framework are good, but don't actually help out the hassled teacher by giving them lesson plans and precise activities and resources and so on. Most primary teachers find it preferable to choose a published scheme which is cross-referenced to the QCA and to the Framework, so that they know they are covering the right stuff. In Sunderland we provide our own scheme for French free of charge. However I teach Spanish, so I follow the Jolie Ronde scheme, supplemented with my own materials and resources, all of which I have put on MFL Sunderland.
You are quite right about the disparate provision in KS2 and the problems with transition to KS3. This is why it is criminal that the funding for KS2 has been stopped and therefore most KS2 Consultants (me included) will be out of a job by the end of this academic year. The Coalition will only say that they think Primary Languages are a good thing, and schools should continue to do them (they are still an entitlement, after all) and that they will form part of a "lengthy" curriculum review. We have to wait, it would seem, until Autumn 2012 to find out PML's fate, by which time many schools will have abandoned it and there will be no consultants left to help with any training etc.
Ho hum.
Bernadette Holmes (President Incumbent of ALL) said in Newcastle last week: "Be courageous. Languages matter. Your voice matters."
Baroness Coussins said "Make the case for KS2 languages wherever and whenever you can."
Hope these ramblings help!

 

Not ramblings Geekie!
It is a national disgrace that no proper lead is being given by the coalition on Primary Languages.
By the time they get around to thinking about it in a coherent fashion all support mechanisms and dedicated personnel will have disappeared! Primary teachers who are currently teaching languages do not always realise that this is the case.
I would urge ANYONE currently teaching or working in Primary Languages to make their views felt on the DfE website; there will shortly be a call for people, especially classroom teachers and heads, to comment on the White Paper. I will put up a further post when this happens.
Geekie, if you want to contact me off-line please do so; I think you probably know who I am- I often comment on your blog.

 

Lara mfl 05's link to the archived resources works well.

You will however notice that some of the archived links themselves do not, e.g. unit 9 French Raconte-moi une histoire.
I emailed the web archivist and received a very helpful reply. Basically, all of the archived links are snapshots taken at a particular time. If the links didn't work when the original site was crawled, then you need to view a snapshot for a different date. I followed the instructions and downloaded every French and German file just in case it becomes even harder to track down!
This is the message I received:
"Fortunately there is a simple solution to this problem. In each of the examples below simply replace the date string with a *, for example

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100612050234/http://www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/schemes3/documents/unit_12_french_temps.pdf
becomes
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/*/http://www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/schemes3/documents/unit_12_french_temps.pdf

By replacing the date with the * you should be taken to the dated instance page for the particular page. This will list every copy of the document we have ever taken arranged by date. Since it is most likely the server problem was only temporary, clicking on any of the other links should provide you with access to the documents you are seeking."
If it helps primary teachers at all, I have been producing resources to match with the QCDA scheme of work for French and for German. They are intended for online use by the pupils themselves, but can also be dipped into by teachers. I am trying to extend the amount of listening material to help the non-specialist. Bonne chance! Viel Glück!
And ... in the spirit of another current thread on the forum, do email me if you spot any errors - I am a perfectioneeeest and eet would bug me lots and loots if there were errors driving other teachers and learners up the proverbial wall.
Follow this link to my website, choose German or French and then Primary:
http://www.suttonhighmfl.110mb.com

 

Or you could go to QCA scheme of work's new home, as mentioned before: http://www.primarylanguages.org.uk/resources/schemes_of_work/tda_schemes_of_work.aspx

 

Yes, that's much easier. Thanks Geekie