British Council FLA website - all the information from the purple booklet and more, for teachers, schools, local authorities and assistants.
Some resources and websites that you might find useful:
National Advisory Centre for Early Language Learning (Nacell)
National Centre for Languages (CILT)
QCA Schemes of Work for KS2 - updated schemes are due to be published Spring 2007
Websites for children:
The Young
Pathfinder series of books is published by CILT specifically
for Primary school teachers. Some useful titles include:
YP12 - Working together: Native speaker assistants in the primary school
YP9 - The literacy link
YP3 - Are you sitting comfortably ?: Telling stories to young language
learners
YP7 - Making the link: Relating languages to other work in the school
YP6 - Let's join in ! Rhymes poems and songs
The Pathfinder
series of books is for Secondary teachers. A useful book is
Pathfinder 32 - Foreign Language Assistants: a guide to good practice
And finally......
We'd love to hear about the work that your assistants do while they are working in your school. Please feel free to send us information to feature on this website !
FLAs will be particularly useful for the KS2 Framework, in particular the Oracy and Intercultural Understanding strands.
FLAs can do a huge amount to improve listening skills across the curriculum. Pupils not only have to listen carefully to the foreign language, but also to the FLA's often heavily-accented English.
It is strongly advised that the FLA is in the classroom with the teacher, not necessarily just for languages, but also at other times of day like registration etc. This should occur whether the teacher is an “expert” or not. If the teacher stays in the room, they will learn from the FLA.
In Primary schools, working in small groups with the FLA tends to work less well. Discipline can be an issue, and only a small number of pupils are having the input, especially if the class only sees the FLA for a short time each week. If there isn’t a dedicated space available, the listening experience can be reduced.
FLAs are not there to cover PPA time. If a teacher leaves the room and leaves the FLA to get on with it, it send out negative messages to the pupils and devalues the subject. Legally FLAs cannot be left alone in the classroom with a class. FLAs are not responsible for whole-class teaching.
FLAs should make language learning fun – pupils respond well to people who are young and not teachers !
FLAs and the profile of the subject really benefit from having some display space within school. They can put resources on there, a “question of the week”, authentic materials, a map showing their journey to the school, tickets, info about events and festivals…
Schools should ensure that FLAs have the opportunity to speak to all pupils, not just the ones who are studying the language. This can be approached via assemblies and individual class visits. Schools should think laterally, and keep an open attitude to let the FLA do as much as they can.
FLA can be a huge help with non-specialist teacher confidence, as long as it’s handled in the right way.
FLA should speak their language as much as possible and not resort to explaining things in English. Encourage use of hand puppets, where it’s the puppet who speaks English and not the FLA.
FLAs are not responsible for sorting out discipline problems, although they should be given some strategies to deal with minor disruption.
The only complaints that FLAs tend to have is that they are underused, and treated more as clerical assistants.
FLAs often benefit from more space than just the classroom. Maybe they could use the hall, the playground… Make the most of games in the lesson.
FLA can be useful for liaising with existing or potential partner schools abroad.
FLAs can raise the profile of languages across the school. Can they meet all the pupils, all the staff, the parents ? Some FLAs in the past have had coffee mornings for parents to show off pupils’ work.
FLA and teacher should plan lessons together. Is the Scheme of Work flexible ? Can it be adjusted to allow for the FLA’s own ideas ? Teachers should be planned and prepared for each lesson, and should make the most of the time.
The mentor needs to set aside a regular time each week to meet with the FLA.
FLAs should be told if a lesson is not going ahead for some reason. If it’s a class trip, take them along !
FLA should be prepared to be flexible during their days as far as time is concerned.
Great potential for cross-curricular work. Have to bear in mind that FLA will have other skills and interests besides language learning, e.g. music, maths, PE… This can overcome problems with fitting in the language entitlement.
FLAs should be able to observe some lessons if they want to, particularly if they are thinking about teacher training.
Legal status of the FLA within school is the same as that of any other employee working the same number of hours.
If the FLA works extra hours, they’ll have to be paid the hourly rate of £15.23. They will also incur National Insurance and possibly tax on this extra.
Spanish Consejería organises days for the Spanish assistants – London 5th October and 13th October, Manchester 19th October. Goethe Institut also organises a day for German assistants – 10th October or 19th October. French assistants have already been briefed in France.
All FLAs are registered with an online discussion forum run by the British Council.