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The National Centre for Excellence for Language Pedagogy�(NCELP):Linking research on language learning

and teaching with classroom practice

and curriculum design

Prof. Emma Marsden,

Director NCELP

University of York

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The logic driving NCELP’s activities

  • Improve pedagogy (something that is within our powers)
  • Helps language development
  • Gives learners sense of progression, improves self-efficacy
  • Increases intrinsic motivation to study a language at GCSE

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Some evidence about links between �pedagogy and motivation

Learners’ perceptions of ‘ease’ and sense of ‘achievement following effort’ lead to increased motivation

Graham (2004)

Just telling learners “FLs are useful” does not influence uptake;

    • perceptions of lessons & achievement, and personal relevance count most

Taylor & Marsden (2014) OASIS summary

Not being able to ‘sound out’ words is de-motivating

Erler & Macaro (2012) OASIS summary

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research-informed,�teacher-informed,�co-delivered professional development and resources.

Specialist Teachers deliver training to four hub schools. Via Monthly Teacher Research Groups, lesson observation & discussion, resource creation, annual Hub conference

NCELP delivers monthly half-day CPD on research & resources to Specialist Teachers

NCELP residential for Specialist Teachers

What is NCELP and what is it doing?

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The Nine Lead Schools

Working with 9 Hubs:

9 Lead Schools each with 4 hub schools

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NCELP team

Director: Prof Emma Marsden (University of York)

Co-Director: Dr Rachel Hawkes (Comberton Academy Trust)

Resource developers

Dr Inge Alferink�Nick Avery

Natalie Finlayson

CPD providers

Victoria Hobson�Stephen Owen

Tech team for Gaming Grammar

Andy Wood�Dr Nick Sephton

Tech team, �Resource Portal

Dr Frank Feng�Dr Sebastian Pelucha

Research and CPD specialists�

Prof Suzanne Graham (University of Reading)�KS2-3 transition, literature, meaningful practice��Dr Rowena Kasprowicz (University of Reading)�KS2 knowledge about language, grammar��René Koglbauer (University of Newcastle)�School FL policy, leadership training, CALL��David Shanks (Harris Federation)�School FL policy, CALL, differentiation��Dr Robert Woore (University of Oxford)�Teaching and learning phonics, reading, vocabulary

Management and administration

Ann Mannion, Heather Bradley, Wendy Burns

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Approaches to pedagogy

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Putting classroom FL learning in context…

In your home language:

Have 17,520 hours exposure by age 4 (Roffwarg et al., 1966)

Hear 2,000 -15,000 words a DAY (Weisleder & Fernald, 2013)

Have 3,000 - 5,000 spoken words before learn to read

Foreign language in England:

429 hours in KS3 + KS4 combined (ages 11-16)

Learn 4-10 words an hour

short cuts, anyone?!

Conscious learners

We can rely little on innate linguistic or implicit learning

DeKeyser, 2015 & 2017

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Bachman (1990)

Canale & Swain (1980)

Organisational Competence

Grammatical Competence

Morphology

Syntax

Vocab

Phonology/

Graphology

Textual Competence

Cohesion

Rhetoric

Pragmatic Competence

Illocutionary Competence

Functions of language

Sociolinguistic Competence

Register/

Genre / Dialect

What do we want to teach?

What does it mean to be competent in a language?

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NCELP pedagogy

  • Phonics
  • Vocabulary
  • Grammar
  • Planned and sequenced meaningful practice

Pupils need to gain systematic knowledge of the vocabulary, grammar, and sound and spelling systems (phonics) of their new language, and how these are used by speakers of the language. They need to reinforce this knowledge with extensive planned practice and use it in order to build the skills needed for communication. (MFL Pedagogy Review, p.3)

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OASIS: https://oasis-database.org

Open Accessible Summaries in Language Studies

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PHONICS

  • selection & sequencing of symbol-sound correspondences (SSCs)
  • high-frequency ‘source’ and ‘cluster’ words
  • staged roll out, with more intensive initial practice

and systematic revisiting

  • much more time for French

Erler, L. and Macaro, E. (2012) ‘Decoding Ability in French as a Foreign Language and Language Learning Motivation’. The Modern Language Journal, 95(4): 496-518.

Porter, A.M. (2014) An early start to French literacy: Learning the spoken and written word simultaneously in English primary schools. PhD thesis, University of Southampton.

Woore, R. (2007) ‘“Weisse Maus in Meinem Haus”: Using Poems and Learner Strategies to Help Learners Decode the Sounds of the L2’. Language Learning Journal, vol. 35, no. 2, pp. 175-188.

Woore, R. (2009) ‘Beginners’ progress in decoding L2 French: some longitudinal evidence from English Modern Foreign Languages classrooms’. Language Learning Journal, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 3-18.

Woore, R. (2010) ‘Thinking aloud about L2 decoding: an exploration into the strategies used by beginner learners when pronouncing unfamiliar French words’. Language Learning Journal, vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 3-17.

Woore, R. (2014) ‘Beginner learners’ progress in decoding L2 French: transfer effects in typologically similar L1-L2 writing systems’. Writing Systems Research, volume 4(2): 167-189.

Woore, R (2018) ‘Learners’ pronunciations of familiar and unfamiliar French words: what can they tell us about phonological decoding in an L2?’ The Language Learning Journal, 46(4):456-69.

Woore, R., Graham, S., Porter, A., Courtney, L. and Savory, C. (2018) Foreign Language Education: Unlocking Reading (FLEUR) - A study into the teaching of reading to beginner learners of French in secondary school. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:4b0cb239-72f0-49e4-8f32-3672625884f0

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Why teach phonics in a foreign language?

  • without explicit phonics teaching, decoding (letters to sounds) limited (
  • decoding associated positively with motivation
  • helps access new written and spoken language autonomously and accurately
  • supports vocabulary learning

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Francophoniques

dans

X

SFC

a

animal

i

midi

eu

deux

e

je

au

gauche

ou

nous

SFE

timide

a

écrire

en/an

enfant

on

Non!

ê/è

tête

ai

vrai

oi

voir

ch

chercher

c

ici

qu

question

j

jour

tion

Attention!

ien

bien

un

un

ain/in

train

u

tu

X

X

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VOCABULARY

  • selection informed by ‘high frequency
  • including a verb lexicon
  • sets of mixed word classes
  • developing depth of knowledge�(e.g., revisiting, information gaps)

Davies, M, & Davies, K.H. (2018). A Frequency Dictionary of Spanish: Core Vocabulary for Learners. Routledge.�Häcker, M. (2008). Eleven pets and 20 ways to express one's opinion: the vocabulary learners of German acquire at English secondary schools, The Language Learning Journal, 36:2, 215-226.�Jones, R.L. & Tschirner, E. (2006). A frequency dictionary of German: core vocabulary for learners. Routledge.�Lonsdale, D. & Le Bras, Y. (2009) A Frequency dictionary for French. Routledge.�Marsden, E., & David, A. (2008). Vocabulary use during conversation: a cross-sectional study of development from year 9 to year 13 among learners of Spanish and French. Language Learning Journal36(2), 181-198. 

Milton, J. (2006). Language Lite? Learning French Vocabulary in School. Journal of French Language Studies, 16,187-205. �Milton, J. (2013). Measuring the contribution of vocabulary knowledge to proficiency in the four skills. Eurosla Monographs Series 2, 57-78.  �http://www.eurosla.org/monographs/EM02/Milton.pdf

Schmitt, N. (2008).  Review Article. Instructed second language vocabulary learning.  Language Teaching Research, 12(3), 329–363. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168808089921�Swan, M. (2008). Talking Sense about Learning Strategies, RELC, Vol 39(2), 262-273.

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GRAMMAR

Provide explicit but succinct description of grammatical feature

Practice understanding grammar in ‘input’ (reading / listening)

Learners ‘actively recall’ and ‘choose’ which grammar to use (reducing mechanical formulaic repetition)

Practice in range of contexts – aural & written

Use standard grammatical terminology

(KS2 knowledge)

DeKeyser, R. (2005). What makes second-language grammar learning difficult? A review of issues. Language Learning, 55, 1-25. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0023-8333.2005.00294.x

DeKeyser, R. (2015). Skill acquisition theory. In B. VanPatten & J. Williams (Eds.), Theories in second language acquisition: An introduction (pp. 94–112). London, UK: Routledge.

DeKeyser, R., & Prieto Botana, G. (2015). The effectiveness of processing instruction in L2 grammar acquisition: A narrative review. Applied Linguistics, 36, 290–305.�Ellis, N. (2006). Selective attention, and transfer phenomena in L2 acquisition: Contingency, cue competition, salience, interference, overshadowing, blocking, and perceptual learning. Applied Linguistics, 27(2), 164-194.�Lichtman, K. (2016). Age and learning environment: Are children implicit second language learners? Journal of Child Language, 43, 707-730. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000915000598�Marsden, E. (2006). Exploring input processing in the classroom: An experimental comparison of processing instruction and enriched input. Language Learning, 56, 507–566.�Norris, J. & Ortega, L. (2001). Does type of instruction make a difference? Substantive findings from a meta-analytic review. Language Learning, 51, 157-213. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.2001.tb00017.x �VanPatten, B. (2002). Processing instruction: An update. Language Learning, 52(4), 755-803.

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Allez 1 (p. 46)

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Pupils told:

“This means ‘My best friend is called X. I have known her for Y years’.

Write it down and learn it with the other phrases for the test next week”

After 29 weeks = 43 hours of French instruction

plus a few hours at primary school for some children

Pupils were shown two written sentences, with open slots for “friend’s name” and “number of years”

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After about 15 hours of teaching…

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Initial practice of a grammar feature in ‘input language’

This person is talking about what she normally does at the weekend and what she did last weekend. Decide which she is talking about

The only clue is whether you hear “je” (something happens regularly) or “j’ai” (past).

�1. Normalement Le weekend dernier�2. Normalement Le weekend dernier�3. Normalement Le weekend dernier

4. Normalement Le weekend dernier …�

Removed temporal adverb

→ presence/absence of auxiliary identifies the tense

(Marsden, 2006)

Brief example of NCELP short grammar practice

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Planned sequencing and revisiting in the Scheme of Work

Grammar thread driving KS3 (not textbook, topics, or GCSE tests)

Mapped out for years 7, 8, 9

Small sets of vocabulary

Learned before lesson using tech (Quizlet + audio homeworks)

Grammar practised in lesson with these vocabulary sets

Whole NCELP lessons available in ppts:

Practice in actively recalling phonics, grammar & vocabulary

…in different modalities and modes

integrating ‘skills’ (dictogloss)

Time built in for tests & exploiting texts.

Search for:

“week 1 Spanish” OR “week 7 French” OR

“week 4 German” resources.ncelp.org

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Search for:

“week 1 Spanish” resources.ncelp.org

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How’s it going so far? (…NCELP is 10 months old!)

Among 165 teachers in our network, in an anonymous survey:

91%: “NCELP resources are useful”

85%: “confident in delivering the recommendations of the MFL Pedagogy Review”

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Autumn term 2019

Trialing of online grammar digital game, with individualized feedback

Fully resourcing Scheme of Work for year 7

Materials creation project with schools

Adapting Scheme of Work in network schools

CPD: Use of target lang, Technology for vocab; alignment with OFSTED framework

Spring term 2020

CPD: Error correction; KS2-3 transition; Knowledge of English grammar from KS2

Summer & Autumn terms 2020

Developing year 8 & 9 SoW and resources

Next steps for NCELP

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Questions? Comments?

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References (for those without links to OASIS summaries)

Bachman, L. (1990) Communicative language ability in Bachman, L. Fundamental Considerations in Language Testing, Cambridge University Press, chapter 4, pp. 81-109

Canale, M. & Swain, M. (1980). Theoretical bases of communicative approaches to second language teaching and testing. Applied Linguistics, 1, 1-44.

Collins, L., & Muñoz, C. (2016). The foreign language classroom:Current perspectives and future considerations. The Modern Language Journal100(1), 133-147.

DeKeyser, R. (2015). Skill acquisition theory. In B. VanPatten & J. Williams (Eds.), Theories in second language acquisition: An introduction (pp. 94-112). London: Routledge.

DeKeyser, R. (2017). Knowledge and skill in ISLA. In S. Loewen and M. Sato (Eds.), Routledge Handbook of Instructed Second Language Acquisition (pp. 15–32). London: Routledge.

Graham, S. J. (2004) Giving up on modern foreign languages? Students' perceptions of learning French. The Modern Language Journal, 88 (2). pp. 171-191

Maley, A. 2016. ‘“More research is needed”—a mantra too far?’. Humanising Language Teaching 18/3. Available at http://www.hltmag.co.uk/jun16/mart01. htm#C12 (accessed on 15 May 2017).

Medgyes, P., 2017. The (ir)relevance of academic research for the language teacher. ELT Journal, 71(4), pp.491-498.

Roffwarg, H. P., Muzio, J. N., & Dement, W. C. (1966). Ontogenetic development of the human sleep dream cycle. Science, 152, 604–618.

Weisleder, A & Fernald, A. (2013) Talking to children matters: Early language experience strengthens processing and builds vocabulary. Psychological Science 24 i11, 2143-2152

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