This document provides information about the "Screening Languages" project which uses short films to teach foreign languages in London schools. It will involve 20 schools over 2 years, teaching French, Spanish, German and Mandarin using film clips. The objectives are to support preparation for the new KS3 curriculum through developing new teaching approaches using film. This aims to improve students' language skills, cultural knowledge, motivation and teacher practice. Schools will attend training and development sessions, teach film-based language lessons, and participate in research on the impacts.

1. Screening Languages:
Short films for MFL
The Mayor’s London Schools’
Excellence Fund
Mark.reid@bfi.org.uk
www.bfi.org.uk

2. from Reframing Literacy…
•
•
•
•
EYFS - KS3
61 Las
7 DVDs
Research and evaluation
(Moving Literacy On, Marsh
and Bearne)
• Big impacts on literacy, boys’
writing, teacher pedagogy
and confidence

3. … to Reframing Languages
• French short films
• Cineminis DVD in October
2010
• KS2/3
• Esmee Fairbairn research
with IoE on Year 8 French
• Impacts on language skills,
motivation, cultural
knowledge, and teacher
pedagogy

4. … to Screening Languages
(2013-15)
Year 1
2013/14
•6 schools/ 12 teachers
•Hounslow,
Barking&Dagenham,
Lambeth, Tower Hamlets,
Barnet
•Year 8 (mostly)
•French, Spanish,
(German?)
Year 2
2014/15
•20 schools/ 30 teachers
•5 LAs, Teaching School
Alliances, academy chains
•KS3
•French, Spanish,
German, Mandarin

5. Objectives
• Supporting preparation for new KS3 curriculum
• Developing new pedagogical approaches through film
and ICT to provide culturally enriching teaching and
learning materials, for example in:
– narrating an account or story
– accessing a wider range of vocabulary and structures for
writing sentences and longer texts
– improving capability and confidence in speaking and
listening, awareness of perspectives that may be different
from their own, incl challenging stereotypes
• Creation of a network of practitioners across a wide
range of London schools, shared lesson observation,
inter-departmental development
• Creation of bank of online resources

6. Participation
•
Attend three half day CPD sessions in each year, and make one visit to
another school to observe lessons. CPD sessions are Nov 21st PM;
March (date tbc); June (date tbc). School visit in Term 5/ May
•
Devise and teach two short teaching sequences (4 or 5 lessons each
sequence) using a short film, in Spanish, French, or German – one in
Spring term, one in Summer. Each sequence to be taught once with
two parallel classes if possible. Support and exemplars for devising the
lesson sequences will be provided by two seconded MFL teachers with
experience in short film and MFL teaching.
•
Provide pupil profile data (FSM, EAL; from central school records); and
get each pupil to fill in an online questionnaire (takes about 20 minutes)
to provide baseline starting points. Complete teacher questionnaire,
and contribute to shared blog

7. People
Seconded teachers
•Caroline Thomas (Robert Clack, Barking and Dagenham)
•Muriel Huet (Lampton School, Hounslow)
Participating Schools
•Sydney Russell, B&D,
•Dagenham Park, B&D,
•Riverside School, B&D
•Lampton School, Hounslow
•Henrietta Barnet, Barnet
•London Nautical School, Lambeth
•Sir John Cass, Tower Hamlets
Phil Horrocks and David
Fromentin
Harriet Bateson
Ryan Hoy
Hinna Rehman
Nicola Farhadi
Rocio Gonzalez
Mark Rogers

8. (more) People
Researchers:
Dr. Shirley Lawes, Jenny Carpenter
Project lead
Mark Reid, BFI
Project administrator
Matt Cuzner, BFI

9. Why film?
• ‘Comprehensible input’ and ‘forms of
life’
• Culturally rich language context
• Engagement for children

10. Why short films?
• New to children
• Manageability
• High quality - cinematic

11. Shorts pedagogy
• ‘Tell Me’ grids - in target language
• Hiding and revealing
• Stopping and starting