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Bilingual Learning at Dallam School
- 1. Bilingual learning atDallam www.dallam.eu
- 2. Dallam School • 11– 19, mixed, rural comprehensive • 1000 students • 250 6th formers • 125 boarders • IB World School • Language college • Adventure learning school • Extensive community programme
- 3. Why bilingual? • LanguageCollege • Shift in ethos • Languages results • Wider school • Staff prior experience improvement
- 4. What we did •Bilingual tutor groups • CLIL – PSHE – Citizenship – Geography / History • Partnerships with schools with bilingual sections in France and Spain • Sección Española
- 5.
- 6. 2011 Year 9bilingual group • 28 students • 60% FFT(D) expected grades A*-C in Year 11 • 89% achieved C+ two years earlier • Many A/A* (including max UMS) • However, need to evaluate skills and attitudes
- 7. Year 8 • Bilingualclass (31 students) • Control group - Spanish classes (of 24 and 30) • Frequency and quality of spontaneous oral participation in Spanish • Independent ability to decode authentic texts and confidence as readers • Motivation and confidence to use Spanish in and beyond the classroom. • Attitudes to registration and Lifeskills, when delivered in Spanish or English
- 8. Speaking participation -incidents counted of pupils’ use of Spanish • responding to the teacher • asking teacher a question • speaking to each other • The lesson content and activities were different in each lesson • Quality assessed by filmed, unprepared Speaking task
- 9. Reading skills • progressive‘challenge’ of 60 minutes • authentic text (NC) Level 4 • cross-over grade C-B question from GCSE (Edexcel June 2010) • question from Edexcel AS Reading grade D • adapted to comprehension alone • Using cognate or known key words • anonymous scaled questionnaire on confidence in reading
- 10. Attitudes to languagelearning and Lifeskills/registration • anonymous 20-question scaled survey • perceptions of using Spanish in the classroom • interest and confidence in using Spanish beyond the classroom • attitudes to future study of languages • perceptions of Lifeskills/registration sessions
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- 12. Speaking: frequency and spontaneity • bilingual class 1 in 4 of all comments and questions in Spanish • control classes almost two-thirds in Spanish • However, one control class twice as many answers in Spanish and half of questions
- 13. Speaking: quality • filmedimprovised role-play • bilingual group twice as many Spanish contributions • half of bilingual class at NC Level 4 • other students as expected at NC level 1- 2
- 14. Reading: comprehension of authentic texts. • Control group 3/4 NC Level 4 • 1/8 GCSE grade C-B • 1/10 AS question • bilingual class 3/4 NC Level 4 • 2/5 GCSE C-B • over 1/4 AS question • more successful on difficult questions and higher levels.
- 15. Reading: students’ confidence •confidence in general reading • ability to deduce meaning from cognates • and to deduce gist by using known key- words • over 90% of the bilingual class confident or very much so • control group 84% key words effectively • 60% reading in general.
- 16. Attitudes: to usingSpanish in the classroom • levels of confidence, enjoyment of learning, concentration and of application • bilingual 82% positive • 52% in the control group.
- 17. Attitudes: to usingSpanish outside the classroom • reading and listening, and speaking and writing • bilingual double that of the control group - 60% positive • 20% bilingual IT use of Spanish • Only 1 in 53 in control group
- 18. Attitudes: to furtherMFL study • Year 10 languages are compulsory at KS4 • 58% bilingual looked forward to Spanish at GCSE • 71% might continue beyond GCSE • control group 25% looked forward GCSE • 21% were contemplating going beyond. • 55% bilingual class favoured 2nd MFL • 36% of control group • Overall, attitudes towards further MFL study bilingual 62% to 27%
- 19. Attitudes: to Lifeskillsand form registration sessions • enjoyment of learning, engagement in lessons and the use of thinking skills • bilingual 67% positive • control group 65% positive
- 20. Conclusion • positive impacton speaking and reading skills • bilingual class double level of enthusiasm for language learning • gains in confidence and motivation to use the language, particularly beyond the classroom • progress and confidence in reading skills imply underlying independent learning and thinking skills • speaking gains depend more on the teacher’s example and tolerance of classroom chatter than on a strict ‘Spanish only’ methodology.
- 21. What we learned •It works! • But teacher is most important factor • Positive impact on student attitudes • Wider impact on school
- 22.