8/14/2019 Spanish CPD course for primary teaching
1/19
Designing a CPD courseonline:
Spanish for PrimaryteachingTita Beaven,
Department of Languages, The OpenUniversity
April 2009
8/14/2019 Spanish CPD course for primary teaching
2/19
The challenge:
Our challenge in this CPD course was in designingan online course to introduce primary schoolpractitioners to the Spanish language. Thisinvolved:
Designing a basic curriculum to introduce schoolpractitioners to basic Spanish vocabulary andstructures, but at the same time designing acourse that would also be relevant to their
classroom context Training participants in learning how to learn a
language
Providing substantial interactive practice online
Providing support for the course participants
8/14/2019 Spanish CPD course for primary teaching
3/19
Overall course content
All out CPD courses a 30-hours long, so in terms ofthe language covered the aims of the course arenecessarily modest:
Overall course content
This short course gives you some basicknowledge of Spanish as well as introducinglanguage and language learning activitiessuitable for children at Key Stages 1 and 2. Theaim of the course is to enable Primary Schoolpractitioners to introduce basic Spanish phrasesto their class and to engage children in simple but nevertheless lively and varied interactionsin the target language.
(Extract from the introduction to the course)
8/14/2019 Spanish CPD course for primary teaching
4/19
Key contentThis is an introductory course, but there is an
emphasis on pronunciation, vocabulary, and anunderstanding of basic grammar, i.e. the buildingblocks of the language.
The course also provides an insight into everyday
life in Spanish speaking countries.
What is the key content?
The core content of the course is the developmentof your own linguistic skills. The activities aredesigned to help you develop excellentpronunciation, equip you with useful vocabularyand phrases, and give you an understanding ofthe fundamentals of Spanish grammar as well asinsights into aspects of culture and everyday lifein contemporary Spanish-speaking societies.
(Extract from the introduction to the course)
8/14/2019 Spanish CPD course for primary teaching
5/19
Language functionscovered
The language covered in the course enablesteachers to communicate in predictable everydaysituations in the target language:
Tema 1: En contactois about greetings,introductions and giving some personalinformation.Tema 2: Descripcionesintroduces you to languageto talk about places, objects and people.
Tema 3: Informacinenables you to find your wayaround in Spanish-speaking countries.
Tema 4: Preferenciasgives you the opportunity to
talk about your likes and dislikes.
8/14/2019 Spanish CPD course for primary teaching
6/19
Clear learning outcomes
The learningoutcomes areclearly statedat the start of
each newtopic.
8/14/2019 Spanish CPD course for primary teaching
7/19
Learning how to learn
Language learningstrategies areintroducedthroughout thecourse, to ensurethe participants
think about how tolearn a language,both forthemselves andfor the childrenthey will be
teaching.
8/14/2019 Spanish CPD course for primary teaching
8/19
Collaboration
The courseprovidesstudents with anumber ofcollaborativetools such as aforum, a courseblog and a wikiso they canengage withothers courseparticipants.
8/14/2019 Spanish CPD course for primary teaching
9/19
Learning support
Students also have
access to a Learningadviser, an experiencedistance teachers oflanguages, who cansupport studentsindividually via e-mail
or collectively throughthe forum
8/14/2019 Spanish CPD course for primary teaching
10/19
Situate learning in relevantcontexts
Theintroductionto eachsectionsituates thelearning in
a contextthat courseparticipantscanunderstandand relate
to.
8/14/2019 Spanish CPD course for primary teaching
11/19
Focus on pronunciation
It is essentialthatclassroompractitionersare able tooffer thechildren theyteach a goodenough modelwhenspeaking theforeign
language, sothere is a lot
8/14/2019 Spanish CPD course for primary teaching
12/19
Focus on grammar
Rather than just
presenting languagefor the courseparticipants to learn,we feel its importantthat they understandthe grammar, so that
they can generatetheir own language. Abasic understandingof how the languageworks will also enableteachers to teach the
language to thechildren better.
8/14/2019 Spanish CPD course for primary teaching
13/19
Focus on listening
The course includesregular listeningactivities, that rangefrom listening forgist to morefocussed listening.In this example,after listening to therecording focussingon the meaning,course participants
listen again andfocus on thelanguage bydeciding if thequestion is in theformal or informal
mode of address.
8/14/2019 Spanish CPD course for primary teaching
14/19
Focus on speaking
In an onlinecourse it isvery importantto give the
learner plentyof opportunityto speak.Interactivespeakingactivities likethis onesimulate realinteraction byproviding apromptstudents haveto respond to.
8/14/2019 Spanish CPD course for primary teaching
15/19
Interactive practice
Because itsan onlinecourse thatlearners studymostly ontheir own,there areregularinteractive
activities.This helpsmaintaininterest andmotivation inthe learner.
8/14/2019 Spanish CPD course for primary teaching
16/19
Relevance to the primarycontextIn the design of the course it was important to
include examples of the language used in theprimary school context:
Throughout the course there areactivities labelled En la clase deespaol (In the Spanish classroom).Here you find examples of how to
teach the language youve justlearnt yourself. There may also be
additional linguistic content, whichis particularly relevant to Primary
8/14/2019 Spanish CPD course for primary teaching
17/19
Classroom language
Some of theactivities in thissection providelearners with thesort ofclassroom
language theycan easilytransfer to theirown setting. Thislistening activity,for instance, isabout a teacher
8/14/2019 Spanish CPD course for primary teaching
18/19
The course alsoincludes practicalsuggestions
about how topresent thelanguage to thechildren in class.
Practical suggestions for theclassroom
8/14/2019 Spanish CPD course for primary teaching
19/19