Making global citizens of Edinburgh’s pupils

Edinburgh has been piloting an ambitious approach to modern foreign language learning from nursery onwards in 15 schools. After a very successful evaluation, this approach will be rolled out to all schools from August.

Edinburgh’s “1+2” approach is based on three key principles: accessibility, sustainability and learning together. It acknowledges the opportunities and challenges of implementation noted in the evaluation of the national trials, and seeks creative ways to overcome them.

Making languages part of the everyday life of the school is our starting point. New, engaging and accessible resources, in a wide range of languages, are available for teachers to use as part of their everyday classroom routines, from lining up to counting to 100. The resources also cover class topics, and include sound files recorded by native speakers to support pupils and teachers with pronunciation.

Sustainability is central to Edinburgh’s approach; developing the capacity of our staff is at the heart of what we do. Every primary teacher will undertake training in using these resources over the next three years. We are introducing a new, flexible training model for teaching modern languages in the primary school, designed to increase participation and celebrate success. Staff will be encouraged to gain accreditation or a Scottish Qualifications Authority national qualification in their chosen language.

On my many visits to schools and centres, I see foreign or Chinese language assistants, German educational trainee teachers, student volunteers from the University of Edinburgh and bilingual parents working alongside teachers and children, sharing their language and culture. There is little that highlights more clearly languages’ fundamental importance in equipping our young people for a modern world in which we are all global citizens.

Noel Miller

Media officer, City of Edinburgh Council

Short and tweet

UKIP has a Scottish seat. What are youse thinkin’ #youngscots? Tell imayoungscot.com now!

@imayoungscot

My wife, mother and sister are all teachers. I have the utmost respect for them. An hour in a classroom feels like a lifetime.

@ScotVoices

Great start to the day. Cowdenbeath Primary School @FifeCouncil Breakfast Club. Attendance up. Late starts down. Happy, healthy children.

@JackieJbrock

Does academic writing have to be impenetrable? Time to end the jargon! wp.mepgntC-1wg

@vonprond

My favoured words for 2014 - Compassion, Care, Empathy, Loyalty, Redemption, Integrity.

@JohnCarnochan

SAM’s Exam tips 27: Be positive - focus on what you do know rather than what you don’t know.

@mysqa_sam

“Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.” Auguste Rodin.

@GreatestQuotes

1 October is International Follow A Library Day? Presumably a mobile library.

@JonathanMeres

Letters for publication in TESS should arrive by 10am Monday. Send your letters, ideally of no more than 250 words in length, including contact address and phone number, by email to scotletters@tess.co.uk or by post to TES Scotland, Thistle House, 21-23 Thistle Street, Edinburgh EH2 1DF. Letters may be edited