School Projects
Sixth form language taster lectures
Pupils taking a language at AS or A level who might be considering studying a language were invited to taster lectures in French, German and Spanish on Wednesday 30 June 2010 after school. The event was supported by funding from the University’s Local Initiative Fund.
The activity built nicely on a languages event held the previous week for pupils in Years 8/9 to emphasize the importance of language skills in the workplace (see WoW! event below). As well as sampling a university taster lecture, the 6th form event provided the opportunity to discuss courses and language career options with university staff and student ambassadors as well as to ask questions and receive information on language degree courses at Surrey.
Nearly 50 pupils and teachers from 9 schools and colleges attended the event, many of these contacts being new ones. Teachers and pupils were very positive and it was felt to be something to develop for the future (note the forthcoming Language Routes into Christmas planned for 16 December 2010).
WoW! (World of Work)
On Monday 21st June 2010, the Department of Languages and Translation Studies welcomed 137 year 8/9 pupils from local secondary schools for a day of talks, activities and language taster sessions. The invitation was for 15 pupils per school. The event was sponsored by Routes into Languages and was meant to encourage pupils to continue studying languages at school and show them the importance of languages in the world of work. We were able to offer language tasters in 9 more unusual languages (Chinese, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian and Turkish) all thanks to the help of our tutors and PG students. Pupils particularly loved those sessions, enjoyed their lunch outside on a nice sunny day and appreciated a language quiz using the university’s EVS. “Italian rocks and so do the biscuits!” was one of the many positive comments about this day.
Able Linguists Day
On 19th June 2009 the Department of Languages and Translation Studies hosted an ‘Able Linguists Day’ sponsored by Routes into Languages. 170 pupils from 11 schools, some coming from further afield (e.g. Carshalton) attended a morning or afternoon session in one of the languages taught at school: French, German or Spanish. Those students were specially selected for their language ability and were offered challenging language sessions with music and dancing in Spanish, enacting the French Revolution or creating a French impressionist painting in French or acting out Snow White in German.
The first half of the session prepared students with the linguistic material needed and after a break the 2nd part of the session required practical application of this knowledge. Students were very positive and enjoyed their visit including the male Snow White who won one of the prizes. A teacher also commented that the activities were really well structured and well planned and really accessible to the children.
Widening Participation
In the summer 2008 we completed two Widening Participation projects with a Languages Day for schools. It was a lovely sunny day and approximately 100 pupils enjoyed intercultural talks, tasty sandwiches and Spanish music at lunch and two language tasters each in the afternoon. The tasters were offered in the more ‘unusual’ languages the department offers. (Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Greek, Italian)
For the first two-year project we created online exercises in order to promote positive language uptake in the national curriculum targeting pupils in year 7 and 8 before they make their GCSE choices. Pupils accessed the exercises (in French, German and Spanish) and the discussion board via ULearn.
The second project which was also supported by the Widening Access Fund led to updating and reprinting existing video and exercise materials in Spanish (Toma la palabra) for the free distribution to schools nationwide. The DVD and workbook package proved very popular and went like hot cakes!
*We still have some DVDs and workbooks are available! Email us (e.avis@surrey.ac.uk) to request one!*
Routes into Languages
The department is part of the Routes into Languages initiative which is government funding offered to participating universities to encourage uptake of MFL. In the summer of 2009 we repeated the Languages Day experience mentioned above (15th June 2009) and also offered an Able Linguists Day funded by Routes into Languages (19th June 2009).
In a project funded by the Widening Access Fund we are re-purposing existing reading and listening materials written by staff of the department a few years ago. The material will be uploaded onto a dedicated departmental website for schools to access worldwide! Our online exercises will also be found there.
Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme
Finally a word about the Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme, which ten 2nd year students are currently participating in with placements at six schools and colleges. Apart from school closures due to snow and other minor hiccups things are going well. Here are two comments by students on the scheme:
"The Undergraduate Ambassadors scheme has been a great opportunity to share my passion for languages with young people, who will hopefully feel encouraged to develop that passion for themselves too. It has also been great to meet new people and be in new environments as a part of my degree." (Jo Stephens)
“I am really enjoying my time as an Undergraduate Ambassador. I help in 3 different German classes - year 8, 11 and 12. So far I think I have made a positive impact...every pupil has thanked me for my help, which makes it all very rewarding. I'm teaching the year 11 class in a couple of weeks; I'm really looking forward to it, but I'm sure the nerves will build up nearer the time!”
(Ellen Robinson)
