Cognition

Filming Begins on a DVD to Support Learning Languages 

Filming has begun in two of the seven classes which will be featured on a DVD to support the teaching of languages in years 6-10 which Cognition is producing for the Ministry of Education.  With our partner Visual Learning, we have been filming and interviewing students who are learning German at Stanhope Road School and Te Reo Maori at Kedgley Intermediate School.

The DVD is intended to support primary school teachers who may be learning the language along with their students. It will feature authentic classroom examples of how teachers can ensure an evidenced-based and principle-driven approach to learning languages, through the use of a variety of practical and engaging classroom strategies.

Over the past few months our project leader Philippa Doig have been working with Alison Glenny from Stanhope Road School and Angela Palalagi from Kedgley Intermediate to ensure that the strategies being filmed support the principles of effective language learning. The results were in evidence in the footage from both classrooms in which highly skilled teachers used a variety of engaging strategies to develop their students’ language along with their inter-cultural understanding. The filming also showed how successful these teachers are in developing a love of language learning in their students.

In October we will be filming learners and teachers of Chinese at Holy Cross School, Spanish at Viscount Learning Community, French at Takapuna Normal Intermediate, Japanese at Murrays Bay Intermediate and Samoan at Southern Cross Middle School.

The DVD is due for distribution to schools early in 2010.