• Access to the short animation Migrants for free for all schools as part of the Discovery Film Festival at the DCA – only till 7/11. Read more info here. It has resources to develop French & cross curricular resources linked to literacy.
• Ebook Climate change resources aimed at primary linked to Migrants focusing on Gaelic, French & Spanish based on the existing English cross curricular resources available to support Migrants.
• Nov Daily Challenges Calendar – learning for sustainability month of activities/resources
• Linking Languages Across the Curriculum – Learning for sustainability focus – an e-book with some ideas
• Padlet with ideas linked to COP26 & languages

All of the resources above can also be accessed on one page on the Northern Alliance Languages Family learning site  or the Northern Alliance Languages Teacher Professional Learning Hub

Professional Learning for Languages

Drop-in support session on using Book Creator for learning and teaching

15th November, 3.45-4.45pm- email gwen.mccrossan2@argyll-bute.gov.uk to receive the link to join.

Drop-in support session on creating Virtual classrooms for learning and teaching

22th November, 3.45-4.45pm- email gwen.mccrossan2@argyll-bute.gov.uk to receive the link to join.

Connecting Learning across the Curriculum (18th Nov) –Find out more and register

A look at how Languages (L2/3) can be linked to other curriculum areas, such as Literacy and topic based approaches.

We shall look at the Themed Activity Cards on the Northern Alliance Family Learning Site for French, Gaelic, German and Spanish for IDL work. We will also look at the Responsive Resources in Powerlanguage Schools for inspiration & touch on the CLIL approach to learning and the resources on the ELAPSE website.

As part of European Day of Languages some of us chose to dress up in the colours of the French flag. Pupils in P6 and 7 enjoyed leading games for younger children.  This photo shows us playing ‘Bonjour, Bonjour, Au Revoir,’ our version of Duck, Duck, Goose.  We were so pleased that the nursery children could join in too.

In the following clip Catriona asks Kathryn to tell us all about leading games for European day of Languages.  At Kilmodan we are developing leadership, literacy, languages, technology and HWB across the school.

P5-7 embraced the challenge of learning a French tongue twister.  Have a look at Fraser, who chose a particularly difficult one: Je cherche Serge.  Well done to everyone who took part and to Catriona who managed to say her tongue twister 70 times in one minute!  It was great fun!

The P7 pupils at Hermitage Primary School took part in a ‘Voyage en France’ challenge. They were all paired up and given an envelope with a map, 2 cash cards with a budget of £500 each and a budget sheet. The pupils had to plan a trip to France which involved them visiting at least two places, one they had never heard of before, visit at least 3 attractions, try some local food and travel on a French train. The pupils used a range of Literacy, Maths, ICT and mapping skills to complete this task. At the end, they shared their trip with another pair and a few examples were shared with the class. All the pupils thoroughly enjoyed this activity and are keen to put their planning into action.

Using Playground Games to Celebrate European Day of Languages

Why not try linking Languages up with other things you are already doing like Literacy or PE.  Take a look at this eBook for ideas on how to do this and share your learning as part of a celebration of European Day of Languages. To share the learning follow the instructions in the book  or  contact  me  directly gwen.mccrossan2@argyll-bute.gov.uk

1. Choose a game/playground game.
2. Choose what language you want to teach/revise eg. numbers
3. Play the game inside/outside.
4. Ask learners if they can remember the instructions (in English) & explain them to someone else. This could be in spoken form as a short presentation or a conversation, or learners could draw & label key words or write a set of instructions/describe what they did. If learners can add anything in another language eg. key words or the language they practised in the game, then that would be great!
5. Choose how to share the work with others in the class/school community/parents Want some inspiration? Listen to Toby (P3) explain how to play Pêcheurs & poissons in this short video using the App Sock Puppets.

Click on the links below to register for these sessions.

⭐Power Language Schools – Getting the Most from the Resource⭐

16^th September 3.45-5.00pm

We will explore the vast array of support provided by this resource and advise on the best way to use it in your setting. We will also revisit the Family Learning course which all Northern Alliance teachers currently have free access to.

Four-week Introduction to Gaelic Course

• Session 1: Introductions and Feelings- Tuesday 7^th Sept
• Session 2: Numbers and Days of the Week- Tuesday 5^th October
• Session 3: Weather and Colours- Tuesday 9^th November
• Session 4: Family and Pets- Tuesday 7^th December

(Four week follow on course planned for January 2021)

Teaching 1+2 at All Levels

9th September – Early Level,  23rd September – First Level,  7th October Second/Third Level                                                           

These professional learning sessions aim to share resources, classroom teaching ideas, core language and support at each level. The sessions are relevant for all languages, with examples in French and Gaelic.

On Saturday 5^th June, pupils from Gigha Primary School Eco Schools Committee took part in the Three Peaks Challenge, a 2.8km sponsored circular walk or scoot, which including walking the three highest cairns at the north of the island. Pupils from the nursery through to P7 raised the amazing current total of £630 through sponsorship from their family and friends; this will be used to purchase a variety of fresh fruit plants to be grown in the schools polycrub polytunnel as part of the pupil’s Eco School’s project. The end goal is to create a community growing garden to provide an increasing range of fruit and vegetables to pupils and the families who live on the Isle of Gigha.

Gigha Primary School’s Eco school’s Committee Chairperson, Max, reported “The sponsored walk was really fun and has raised lots of money for plants for the school growing area. We would like to say thank you to all the people who took part and who sponsored us.”

Headteacher, Julie Wilson, said “It is fantastic that despite the restrictions of Covid 19, our families have continued to join in with family friendly outdoor events. The children at Gigha Primary School are fully committed to taking action on issues of sustainability that are really important to them. This has provided an opportunity for them once again to have a voice around these aspects of everyday life, especially to lead community action on climate change. As an island community this allows our pupils to meet the challenges highlighted by the UN Sustainable Development goals in order to make the world a better place. “

Click on the images to discover these new teaching resources on the theme of All About Me for French and Gaelic. These resources are ideal for helping learners achieve second level experiences & outcomes.

Last Wednesday (19^th May), some of the children from Dunoon Primary ELC set out on an ad venture. They were going on a bear hunt at the Bishops Glen! Before they fully embarked on their journey they wanted to hide the first of their painted “shanarri calamari” stones. These evolved from the Cowal P1 transition programme promoted by the Early Years Team and after carefully painting images on stones found on the beach, the children wanted to hide them throughout the Dunoon community for people to find. They were keen for folk to let them know if the stones had been found by letter, email or posting a picture on our school Facebook page and have already had their first response. This year’s P1 transition topic, based around the 8 SHANARRI wellbeing indicators of SAFE, HEALTHY, ACHIEVING, NURTURED, ACTIVE, RESPECTED, RESPONSIBLE and INCLUDED is going really well at Dunoon ELC. Thanks to the Early Years Team for gifting each setting with a toy octopus – we named ours “Rocky” and he has played a huge part in the fun and learning opportunities supporting each of our children as they make the journey from Nursery to Primary One.  With the first stone suitably placed, the children continued on their adventure. They trampled through “long wavy grass,” waded through “a deep cold river,” squelched through “thick oozy mud” and searched through “a big dark forest” until, after much excitement, they eventually found A BEAR! We would like to extend a massive thanks to Andy at Chainsaw Craft for donating our fabulous bear – our little ones were so excited to find him. To top it all the children enjoyed a bear hunt themed Bookbug session in the woods at the Bishops Glen celebrating Bookbug week (17^th – 23^rd May 2021) and Bookbug’s Big Splash. . . . . . . . . The sun was shining and it truly was a beautiful day!

New Gaelic learning resource for Early and First level for families and practitioners. Click on the objects to discover all the songs and stories. Here is the link to share: https://bit.ly/GaelicFailte

Lovely to see all the happy faces from around the authority!

Home Languages Category:

1st Prize– Olivia Baryla, P5, Dunoon Primary School

2nd Prize– Noor Rashid, P7, Rhu Primary School

3rd Prize– Kyle Welsh, P2, Hermitage Primary School

Learning Languages Category:

1st Prize– Darcy Cameron, P6, Sandbank Primary School

2nd Prize– The Maclean family, Bunessan Primary School

3rd Prize–  Seren Johnston, P4, Bunessan Primary School

Special Merit Awards for Alfie Murray, Melchior Barbottin, Evelyn Taylor and Olivia Le Good in P2 at Hermitage primary School and Calum and Sophie Paterson and Acacia and Emmanuelle Maclean from Bunessan Primary School.

Well done everyone!

Click on the image to discover an engaging  French  resource  for  Early  and  First  Level with a Spring & Growing theme. (Greetings, Life cycles, farm animals, fruit & Vegetables)        Here  is  the  link  to  share  for family  learning-  https://bit.ly/FrenchSpringGrowing

Follow the links to find out more about all the upcoming professional learning opportunities

6 week Gaelic Course (Commencing Thursday, 29^th April, 3.45-4.45pm) Eventbrite Link

4 week follow on Spanish Course (Commencing Wednesday 28th April, 4-5.30pm) Eventbrite link 

Differentiation Strategies and Multi-Composite Class Approaches (Monday 10^th May, 3.45-4.45pm) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/148193152709

Ensuring Progression in Language Learning (Monday, 17^th May, 3.45-4.45pm) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/148194390411

Celebrating Achievements in Languages (Monday, 24^th May, 3.45-4.45pm) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/148195523801

Click on the image to discover the talented winners of the storytelling competition.

Discover the new resource for the French Early Level Learning Room

The resource can be used for family learning or in class: French Play Ideas For Families

Every day during Languages Week Scotland a Daily Challenge is set by the Deputy First Minister.

    1-5 February #scotlandloveslanguages 

https://bit.ly/LanguagesStorytellingCompetition

Share the link above for an exciting storytelling competition which allows families to celebrate and share languages.

This virtual learning room can be shared with families to learn together at home. If you wish to share the classroom as a link please use the following link- https://bit.ly/SecondLevelFrenchClassroom

Click HERE to discover some fantastic Christmas resources for French, Gaelic and a little bit of Spanish.

Click directly on the image to enter the French virtual Christmas  scene.

Celebrating Christmas through Languages Sway. Lots of teaching ideas that can be used in any language.

Gaelic Christmas resources from Gaidhlig nan Og.