Evaluation of the Key Stage 2 Language Learning Pathfinders

5.2. Teacher Competence• Primary teachers’ linguistic competence (and confidence) should be a priority fortraining. Appropriate resources are key: these should include CDs or DVDs tosupport pronunciation and to provide models for both pupils and teachers.• The level and diversity of training for teachers needs to be further developed.CPD needs to be provided for a range of deliverers: As well as primary teachers,for FLAs, native speakers from within the community, HLTAs and TAs, andsecondary teachers, including ASTs. NB. Training substantial numbers ofprimary teachers may affect language diversification.• Both primary and secondary teachers should receive methodological trainingappropriate to the key stage and the subject.• Differentiated training should be provided for teachers at different stages inimplementing primary languages. Schools just starting out need one type oftraining as do primary class teachers just beginning to introduce primarylanguages into their own classes. Schools with some experience and building onprevious years’ work, need training to help them sustain and develop provision,as do primary languages co-ordinators.• Teachers should be given the option of continuing to observe languages teachingto enable them to support or take over primary languages delivery.• Contact between the outreach teachers and primary colleagues needs to beimproved.• There is a wide range of quality resources available through the Pathfinders; thisshould be provided and exploited in order to meet the linguistic andmethodological needs of the teachers. Such resources have proved in somecases almost comprehensive in their coverage.• Schemes of work should be accompanied where possible by teaching packs,including lesson plans, visuals (flashcards or OHTs), audio CDs, DVD and CD-ROM, so that the busy primary teachers have minimal additional burdenssearching out appropriate resources and preparing sessions.• Primary and secondary schools should be encouraged to work in clusters, inorder to build up networks, inter-school contacts between primary and secondaryand to facilitate joint planning and preparation of materials.• ITE providers should be encouraged to adapt their current primary PGCE andundergraduate courses to ensure that all trainees are informed about the primary128