The
issue of Continuity in Language Learning from Primary School to
Secondary School
Aim
1. to focus on the issue of continuity
2. to share resources and effective practice
3. to engage in professional dialogue with other countries
4. to have access to articles dealing with the subject of Continuity
Contributors:
Please email Jan Robertson at
janrobertson@xtra.co.nz
to add your contribution to the discussion forum, with the subject
Continuity FIPLV . Your contribution will then be forwarded to the
Webmaster to be uploaded onto this website.
Discussion Starter from Jan Robertson,
NewZealand:
A barrier to learning that is of major concern to
me as Regional Facilitator for 2nd Language Teaching & Learning in
Years 7 – 10 is the transition from Year 8 to Year 9 in language
learning and the ensuing need to address diversity of learning at
Year 9.
Historically secondary school teachers of second
languages at the Year 9 level have walked into their classroom on
the first day and have been faced with a class of learners with no
prior learning of languages. Virtually all students have started
from scratch in their learning.
Since 1998 the situation has been changing in New
Zealand. With huge increases in student numbers at the Years 7 and 8
levels there has been a change in situation for teachers at the Year
9 level. Now they are faced with a new scenario as they have in
front of them a class with diversity of learning in languages on
their first day at secondary school. They have students with a great
deal, some, a little and no knowledge at all of the target language,
all in the same class. However, instead of acknowledging this, most
Year 9 teachers are continuing to teach as they always did, as if
all their students are starting from the very beginning.
This question of transition and the resultant
diversity of learning is a significant barrier to learning, when the
students with knowledge have to repeat what they already know and
quickly become bored. If the teacher speeds up the learning process,
those students with little or no knowledge are left behind and
become disillusioned with their learning. Teachers also devalue the
work of the non-specialist languages teachers, citing incorrect
pronunciation and incorrect grammatical structures being taught.
Secondary schools do not seem committed to accelerated achievement
outcomes for languages, even although there is a focus on the gifted
and talented in New Zealand.
There is a “striking difference in approach to
language teaching between primary and secondary school. Whereas at
primary school there was a strong emphasis on spoken communication –
speaking and listening – this did not appear to continue in
secondary schools where the emphasis is on written work and grammar.”
(Hill et al 2003: 28).
“According to student responses, studying language
at high school is not as much fun, nor is it as well-taught as in
primary school. They are finding the language more difficult and do
not believe that they are learning as much about the country where
the target language is spoken as before. These findings were
corroborated by many parents who felt that their children’s
attitudes were less positive towards learning the target language at
secondary school than they had been at primary school.” (Hill et al
2003: 29).
Strategies, many of which have been identified by
the teachers in my workshops, need to be put in place and monitored
to ensure optimum and effective learning by our languages’ students
through
-
the continuity of teaching and learning specific languages between Years 8 and 9
-
communication between primary and secondary
schools
-
recognition of prior learning
-
the catering for classes of diverse learners
-
“acknowledging differences in approaches to
teaching, both in pedagogical strategies and techniques and in
classroom organisation”. (Spence 2002: 35)
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