Teaching and Learning Languages in Primary Schools: Putting Research into Practice. A new MOOC (free online course).

A team of researchers at the Universities of Southampton, Essex and Reading have developed a free online course, open to anyone, to encourage research-informed practice in primary foreign language classrooms.

The course will focus on key themes such as motivation and engagement, language development and literacy.  Each week, we will guide you through some of the answers research has provided to these issues and draw out the pedagogical implications of these findings; for example, what motivates children in that age group, what pedagogical tools are appropriate, and why do they work? There are three staged pathways (evaluator, reflector, innovator) which will encourage learners to explore and trial the pedagogic principles.

You will have many opportunities to reflect on the practical implications of our research and to listen to “stories” from other teachers about their own, innovative primary FL practice.

The course welcomes pre- and in-service teachers, teacher educators, school leaders and parents.

See you online!

Alison Porter, Florence Myles and Suzanne Graham

Link to register for MOOC on Futurelearn:

https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/teaching-languages-in-primary-schools-putting-research-into-practice/1