final plenary session professional development consortium in mfl
TRANSCRIPT
Challenges
What challenges do we face when we want to implement these research based principles of language teaching?
A professional development project
Two (fairly) experienced teachers:Jeanne and Christelle (different schools)
From Macaro & Mutton 2002.
Method
• Focused on three lessons each.• Researcher analysed the interaction:
1. amount of participant talk; 2. turn taking patterns; 3. use of nouns and verbs
• Teacher watched video, examined the analysis, commented on it.
Christelle’s three lessons.
Lesson 1 (51.5 minutes)
Lesson 2 (42.5 minutes)
Lesson 3 (54.8 minutes)
% of whole lesson
% of interaction
% of whole lesson
% of interaction
% of whole lesson
% of interaction
Total 1:30 interaction time
58.3 79.8 71.7
Total non interaction time:
41.7 20.2 28.3
Total Teacher Talk 46 78.9 66 82.7 56.6 78.9
Total Students Talk
12.2 20.9 13.8 17.2 15.1 21.1
Christelle unable to change pattern of Interaction over 3 lessons
Jeanne’s three lessons. Lesson 1 (53.2 minutes)
Lesson 2 (67.3 minutes)
Lesson 3 (49.5 minutes)
% of whole lesson
% of interaction
% of whole lesson
% of interaction
% of whole lesson
% of interaction
Total 1:30 interaction time
66 65.6 88.3
Total non interaction time:
34 34.4 11.7
Total Teacher Talk 52 78.7 53.2 81.0 59.9 67.7
Total Students Talk 14 21.2 12.4 18.9 28.4 32.0
Lesson 3: Jeanne made determined effort to change the pattern of interaction
Christelle’s Turn Analysis for Lesson 2Total length of sequence
Total &Mean length of teacher turns
Total &Mean length of student Turns
Longest student (L2) turn
Sequence 1(Q&A sequence: single word responses)
104.4 seconds
(85.3 seconds)5.6 seconds
(19.1 seconds)1.1 seconds
3.5 seconds
Sequence 2(team game – single word responses)
415.2 seconds
(345.0 seconds)8.8 seconds
(70.2 seconds)1.8 seconds
4.6 seconds
Teacher: JeanneLesson: 2
Total length of sequence
Total Length and Mean length of teacher turns
Total Length and Mean length of student Turns
Longest student (L2) turn
Sequence 1(Q&A: single word responses)
91.3 seconds (74.3 seconds)5.3 seconds
(17 seconds)1.3 seconds
2.8 seconds
Sequence 2(Q&A: single word responses)
122.1 seconds
(101.8 seconds)6.3 seconds
(20.3 seconds)1.2 seconds
2.4 seconds
Jeanne’s Turn Analysis for Lesson 2
Total length of sequence
Total Length &Mean length of teacher turns
Total Length &Mean length of student Turns
Longest student (L2) turn
SequenceQ&A:single/ multiple phrase responses
292 seconds 132.2 seconds4.1 seconds
147. 6seconds4.7 seconds
17.3 seconds
Jeanne made determined effortto change pattern of interaction
Jeanne’s Turn Analysis for Lesson 3
Noun and Verb patterns in Christelle’s interaction with class
Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3
Teacher pupils Teacher pupils Teacher pupils
Nouns 231 109 396 110 429 174
Verbs 281 35 343 46 430 32
Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3
Teacher pupils Teacher pupils Teacher pupils
Nouns 350 137 564 297 443 173
Verbs 283 56 412 32 727 291
Noun and Verb patterns in Jeanne’s interaction with class
Discussion
What could have made it possible for Jeanne to bring about change in her interaction but not Christelle?
The power of assessment• MFL teaching is very strongly influenced by the
assessment system• Currently we have the National Curriculum system of
assessment• We believe: in order to work towards the 8 principles
the assessment system needs to change.
A new assessment system…• Will prioritise skills development based on what
research tells us about how learners progress in the 4 skills
• Linguistic knowledge (vocabulary and grammar) will be a supporting strand in assessment not a leading strand
• ‘process’ will need to be assessed as well as ‘product’ – strategic behaviour of students monitored
• 8 levels of attainment will (probably) be reduced• A best fit approach will be used• Teacher professionalism trusted to make judgements
as well as objective measurements
Our invitation to you!• Help us develop a new and research-based
system of assessment by trying it out in your schools and giving us feedback
• We will work with you and offer support at a distance
• Materials on website – details to follow• Please now look at your second questionnaire
and complete it, if you are happy to do so• Evaluation sheet!
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