I was delighted to be invited to attend East Dunbartonshire’s NAR event.  Douglas Academy gave a presentation on how their Modern Languages department had developed their NAR project and how they were furthering what they had learned from the assessment process in their department.  Several delegates asked if their presentation could be made available for use  as a means of fostering collegiate discussion in their own departments.  I have therefore posted the presentation in the “CfE Emerging Practice” section of the Modern Languages National Glow Group in the Assessment and Moderation documents store .  You can find the presentation by visiting the group or you can click here.  You will need your Glow password.

I have been talking with our colleagues at the Goethe Institute.  They are offering a new, online resource for Advanced Higher German candidates absolutley free of charge!  Practitioners simply have to register their candidates’ names to access a range of excellent resources and activities that would be invaluable for anyone studying German at an advanced level.  To register, visit their website or click here

Vielen Dank!

Mark Pendleton of Radio Lingua has very kindly given us some fantastic Spanish resources that all teachers of Spanish will find useful in their classrooms.  You can download each episode of the radio play and the notes that accompany them completely free of charge.  I have made them available in the National Glow Group or you can click here to access the resources.  You will need your Glow password.  Many thanks to you Mark!

Modern Languages practitioners in  East Dunbartonshire Council have posted in the National Glow Group some criteria that may help centres to plan activities for reading and writing at second and third levels.  They were devised as a result of moderation meetings taking place between primary and secondary colleagues, as a means of exploring the standards and expectations set out in the experiences and outcomes.  Clusters in EDC have used them to plan progression for their learners as they progress from second to third level and they may be of use to you to create a consistent approach to planning, transition, etc.

Many thanks to the practitioners of  EDC.  To access the resource click here.  You will need your Glow password

I was at a meeting on Friday the 7th of October with representatives of the many cultural organisations that promote learning about culture and languages here in Scotland.  The Insitut Français have created a wonderful range of free downloadeable resources to accompany the newest French films being shown  at the Discovery Film festival in Dundee and during the French Film festival in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee in November!  To check out waht’s available please click on the link.

They have also created a calander of resources for use with classes from P6-S3  –  I  love February’s entry –  free video clips and resources to help celebrate La Saint Valentin.  To have a look, please click the link

I have just received a flyer for a competition for primary school pupils who are learning a foreign language.  Prizes include lots of software for schools and the closing date is the 25th of November 2011.  I have put the flier in the National Glow Group in the resources for sharing section.  Alternatively, you can click on the link, you will need your Glow password.  Good luck!!!

I’ve posted a web link in the resources and sharing area of the Modern Languages National Glow Group.  Loads of free activities are available on the Euroclub Schools website.  Check out the “Jukebox” for Italian arias and resources to go with them. The Birdy Song in French is worth a listen as well, not to mention El Baile de los Vacas!!!

To access the link click here (you will need your Glow password)

Please note the change of venue – this year’s SALT conference is at the University of Strathclyde.

To view the programme and  register online for this year’s SALT conference please click on the link

How did you celebrate European Day of Languages?  If you did something exciting in your school, please let me know and I’ll do my best to share it with the nation via the Modern Languages National Glow Group.  Please get in touch with me at

fhiona.fisher@educationscotland.gov.uk

or post a comment below!

After my presentaion at the Scottish Learning Festival, a few of you asked about the Ghost story resource that was used in Douglas Academy’s NAR project.  It was first published on the MFLE a number of  years ago so many of you may have already seen it.  You’ll be pleased to know that I’ve freed the ghosts from the archive and posted them in the Modern Languages National Glow Group for you to use in time for Hallowe’en!  You can find them in the Sharing and Resources section, or  if you

click the link to release the ghosts!

I’ve posted a link into the National Modern Languages Glow group to a new, free website offering vocabulary building activities probably most appropriate for learners working at 2nd level .  You can find the link in the Resources and Sharing section or click on the link .

I am looking for examples of good practice and new resources  to share with other practitioners in our National Glow Group for Modern Languages.    There are lots of fantastic lessons being taught across the country, so let’s stop “reinventing the wheel” and see if we can share some of our great ideas with our Modern Language colleagues.  If you have found an ingenious way of exploring the Es and Os at any level,  if you have a wonderful transition project going on,  if you have some exciting senior phase resources to share, or if you have just used something that really works, then please let me and everyone else know about it!  Feel free to send me an e-mail at

fhiona.fisher@educationscotland.gov.uk

or leave me a comment below.

Glasgow student makes top grade as interest in Chinese hits new heights

The first pupil to receive a Scottish languages Baccalaureate which includes Mandarin is spearheading a growing trend in learning Chinese for future careers.

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