Links
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These links reflect aspects of the new secondary curriculum for languages. If you know of other useful and relevant websites, or discover any broken links, do let us know by emailing info@all-nsc.org.uk.
Languages working with other subjects
- Science across the world: a great way to link languages with science through an international focus
- Content and Languages Integrated Learning: information from CILT
- Content and Languages Integrated Learning: Statement and Guidelines from the Languages Company
- CLIL4teachers – a wiki developed by the Association for Language Learning for teachers to share resources and ideas
- Resources for teaching languages with music, geography and citizenship, developed by Elliott School in London, a specialist language college
- QCA video case study about combining History and French in Year 9
International links
- The Global Gateway: comprehensive information about linking with schools and colleges across the world and developing the international dimension
- Global Gateway/QCA School Linking Toolkit
- British Council advice on setting up school partnerships, including information on funding and how to apply
- The SSAT's TIPD website offers access to funding to support teachers' visits to partner schools abroad
- eLanguages, a free-to-use online collaborative programme that makes school links with other countries easy
- The UKOWLA website supports links beyond Europe and has a detailed Toolkit of Good Practice
Intercultural understanding, international dimension and citizenship
- Animated learning tours for pupils in German and Spanish from the education department in Alberta, Canada. The site has a wealth of other resources for languages
- A framework of reference for intercultural understanding developed by the European Centre for Modern Languages (pdf format, 613KB)
- A QCA video case study about developing a cultural focus in French and German in Year 9
- United Nations global teaching and learning project homepage with sections in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish and Russian
- CILT publication: Reflections on citizenship in a multilingual world
- A leaflet with information about teaching citizenship through languages at Key Stage 3 (pdf format)
- The Global Dimension website has a helpful guide to learning resources relevant to the global dimension
Knowledge about language
These resources approach knowledge about language through learning about and comparing a range of languages, supporting intercultural understanding
- The Language Investigator: resources and links from Coventry local authority, aimed at primary school teachers but with many activities suitable for Key Stage 3
- Materials developed by schools to teach language learning skills, knowledge about language and cultural awareness in a multilingual context
- Newbury Park School's language of the month website. Although designed for primary schools, there are many ideas about sharing and celebrating pupils' home languages that can be adapted for Key Stage 3.
- Learning resources for language awareness developed by the European Centre for Modern Languages in Graz
Standards and assessment
- The national database of accredited qualifications - a list of qualifications accredited by QCA with the facility to search by keyword. Includes information on levels, qualification type, levels and points.
- National Curriculum levels for MFL (from the new National Curriculum)
- Mapping of the Languages Ladder to National Curriculum levels
- The Asset Languages assessment scheme
- Information about the ASDAN International Award for Key Stages 3 and 4
Community languages
- The Our Languages website, supporting and promoting community languages in complementary and mainstream schools
- CILT's community languages home page
- CPD opportunities in community languages
- 2005 report on community language learning in England, Wales and Scotland (pdf format)
- A QCA research project on the teaching of community languages in secondary schools and links with supplementary schools.
- The website of the National Resource Centre for supplementary education, including useful web links
- A worldwide linking website for children, with pages in Arabic, Gujerati, Tamil, Nepali and many other languages.
- A Toolkit for Panjabi, developed by Shireland Language College
Case studies
- Teachernet's Support Pack for teaching languages through ICT, including video case studies.
- A QCA video case study about developing an active approach to listening.
- A QCA video case study about an e-learning project with a school in Spain.
- A QCA video case study about combining French and History through film in Year 9.
- A QCA video case study about teaching languages through culture in Year 9.
- A QCA video case study about storytelling in French
- A selection of case studies from specialist language colleges around the country.
General information for language teachers
- The DCSF web pages for languages, including the National Languages Strategy.
- Homepage of CILT, the National Centre for Languages
- Homepage of the Association for Language Learning, the UK's major subject association for language teachers.
- The Teachernet languages website, with information, advice and links to other websites.
- Specialist Schools and Academies Trust website for teachers in all schools as well as specialist language colleges. First time users of the site need to register.
- A comprehensive list of web links for languages educators from ITT MFL.
- Linguanet Europa - a multicultural site for language learning, including a searchable resource bank.
- The website of the Midlands Curriculum Centre for Languages: resources, professional development and other support for language teachers and learners.
Good practice guidance
- A series of CPD modules or 'nuggets' to support professional development in language teaching.
- The Languages-ICT website from CILT and ALL provides information and guidance on using Information and Communications Technology in the classroom.
Cultural institutes
The cultural institutes offer a range of professional development events and other support for language teachers.
- The Japan Foundation London Language Centre, providing language courses, professional development events, teaching materials, a resource library and support for international linking.
- The Confucius Institute in London, with activities, resources and courses for Chinese language and culture, including events and resources for teachers.
- The Spanish Consejeria de Educacion, providing training courses, projects and resources for primary and secondary schools, and an annual School of the Year award.
- The Goethe-Institut in London's web pages for teachers. Language courses, projects and resources for primary and secondary schools.
- The Goethe-Institut in Manchester's web pages for teachers.
- The Instituto Cervantes, offering Spanish cultural activities and courses.
- The Institut Francais: cinema, talks, language courses and a multimedia library.
- The Italian Institute in London, offering Italian film, theatre, events and language courses.
- The Austrian cultural forum in London: film, literature, music, theatre, lectures and exhibitions.
Selected resources - general
- Award-winning site from Sunderland LA, with resources and ideas for German, French and Spanish.
- Staffordshire Learning Net website: The PIT Stop (Practical Ideas for Teachers). Games and other activities to use with pupils in an MFL lesson. Includes good ideas for fun speaking activities.
- Teacher Resource Exchange. A website for teachers to share resources. Quite difficult to search through, but plenty there for all subjects.
- languagesonline.org.uk: extensive resource area for French, German, Spanish and Italian.
- atantot.co.uk: interactive whiteboard-friendly resources in four languages.
- MFL Resources website: resources for language teaching in French, Spanish, German and Italian, contributed by language teachers.
- Young, Gifted & Talented is the new, national programme that provides a one-stop-shop of services, information and opportunities for gifted and talented pupils.
Selected resources - French
- A wide range of French resources from the BBC
- About.com: an interesting set of resources, including listening exercises, expressions and even gestures, regularly updated.
- Realfrench.net: Manchester Metropolitan University's site with good grammatical explanation and excellent interactive exercises on just about very aspect of grammar. Other useful material too, particularly worksheets based on AS/A2 topic related web sites. Login required.
- Francais extra website: A collection of resources for French teachers.
- Zut! Language Skills website: Popular site containing many interactive resources for French teaching. Subscription required.
Selected resources - Spanish
- gospanish.net: Spanish grammar exercises online, plus information on culture.
- realspanish.net: a Spanish site from Manchester Metropolitan University.
- elcastellano.org: an award-winning Spanish grammar site in the target language.
- A wide selection of resources from the UK consejeria de educacion.
- espanol-extra.co.uk: some good free materials though subscription is required for full access.
- oye.languageskills.co.uk: a popular site containing many interactive resources for Spanish teaching. Subscription required.
Selected resources - German
- gut.languageskills.co.uk: A popular site containing interactive resources for German teaching. Subscription required.
Selected resources - Chinese
Authentic resources
A small selection including some portals giving access to a large number of interesting sites.
- TV5's website for teachers and learners of French, with a range of topics including news, arts, food and travel.
- Play Bac web site: Magazines providing a digest of world news for a young audience. Unfortunately their animated newsreader and filmed news items have been discontinued.
- A showbiz-focused French website for young people, including video interviews and video profiles of contestants on the French Star Academy.
- A comprehensive portal for French language websites, including a section of those most suitable for young people.
- A portal to websites about each of France's DOM TOM (overseas territories), with high quality visuals and information about geography, history, climate, tourism and culture.
- Sowieso, an online German newspaper for young people.
- Welt Online: a wide range of news stories, video, audio, interactive quizzes and sections from major German cities.
- Lively articles about life in Britain and Germany in both languages. Reading about familiar English things in German provides an interesting perspective.
- El Mundo newspaper's website: a wide range of clearly set out news items, weather, horoscopes, video clips and a photo archive with short captions in Spanish.
- www.mundolatino.org: A large web portal for Spanish language cultural and general websites from across the world.
- El Rinconcito: The section of Mundo Latino website for young people and educators (external website), with links to museums, zoos, children’s newspapers, stories and games.
- Interactive children's pages on the Rai Uno website, with cartoons, recipes, games, health issues and aspects of citizenship.
- Comprehensive online news from La Repubblica.
- A site containing links to interesting Japanese websites in categories including food, travel, games, poetry, holidays and magazines. This link can be found among many others on the Japan Foundation's website.