royal station hotel , newcastle upon tyne tuesday, 11 th january 2011

Royal Station Hotel, Newcastle upon Tyne

Tuesday, 11th January 2011Brought to you by:

Links into Languages North East & Routes into Languages North East

Realising the Strategic Importance of Languages

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Professor Eric Cross

Dean of Cultural Studies, Newcastle University

Realising the Strategic Importance of Languages

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Baroness Jean Coussins

All Party Parliamentary Group for Languages, House of Lords

Realising the Strategic Importance of Languages

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Richard Hardie

Vice Chair, UBS Ltd

Realising the Strategic Importance of Languages

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Thumbs up, thumbs middle, thumbs down

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the session we will have: explored ways of thinking differently about

language learning in schools shared examples of our own best practice

from curricular organisation to classroom craft started to develop strategies for our own

schools in realising the strategic importance of languages

gained a deeper understanding of the national 'languages landscape'

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Learning Outcomes

We will do this by: using de Bono’s Thinking Hats to partition

each aspect of our thinking on this matter sharing our feelings, worries and doubts as

well as the brilliant work we already do sorting our strategies into quick wins and

longer term changes starting to put down some actions to

implement back at school

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We are doing this because: The face of languages teaching and learning is

changing dramatically and we need to react positively and strategically!

Learning OutcomesFollow us: @languagelinkne Twitter hashtag: #linksne Live feed:

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Mark on the feel-o-meter to show how you feel about the current state of languages given the key notes and your own experience

Use your red hat Use your red hat when you want when you want

to talk about to talk about emotionsemotions

Connect the Learning (3 minutes)Follow us: @languagelinkne Twitter hashtag: #linksne Live feed:

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Activity – on your own (5 minutes) On your own, on yellow post-its, jot down the

positive features of the current state of language learning

On the pink post-its write down the negative features (you might want to jot these down on your own graphic organiser too.)

Use your black Use your black hat when you hat when you

want to be want to be cautious, talk cautious, talk about barriers about barriers and negativesand negatives

Use your yellow Use your yellow hat when you hat when you

want to be want to be positive – what positive – what great things are great things are

you already you already doing?doing?

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Activity – as a group (5 minutes) Are there any common themes? As a group,

discuss if you can group both positives and negatives together under common themes –

“Timetabling is a theme for us – some of us only get 1 hour a week whereas some of us have 10 minutes Spanish every tutorial session through the whiteboards!”Theme Positives Negatives

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Activity – in groups (5 minutes) Green hat thinking splurge – write as many

ideas as you can, no matter how “out there” about how best to realise the strategic importance of languages, one idea per green post-it

Use your green hat to Use your green hat to look at opportunities look at opportunities

and ideas. Remember and ideas. Remember this session is about this session is about sharing and gleaning sharing and gleaning ideas with and from ideas with and from

others!others!

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Activity – in groups (5 minutes) Create a diamond ranking using one copy of

your post-its At the top, put the idea which will have the

most impact down to the least impact

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Activity – in groups (5 minutes) Now mark on the post-its which ideas are

quick win and easy to implement as well as those that are longer term strategy with many implications (it is a good idea to jot these down on your own graphic organiser too.)

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Demonstrate new understanding – in school groups (20 mins)

Use your blue hat to Use your blue hat to look at planning needs look at planning needs

– choose your top – choose your top most impactful and most impactful and

easy(ish!) to easy(ish!) to implement as well as implement as well as more strategic ideasmore strategic ideas

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Review – question time!

Whilst you are working on your planning, note down any burning questions you may like to ask the panel in the question time session. Make sure they are noted down with your name and question and given to the facilitators.

Review this with your whole group at the end of the session.Your

nameYour question

To which panel member (if you have a preference)

Your facilitator

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Dr Liz Andersen Head of Modern Languages, Newcastle University & University

Council of Modern Languages

Baroness Jean Coussins Peer of the Realm & Chair of All Party Parliamentary Group for

Modern Languages

Richard Hardie Vice Chair UBS Ltd

Bernadette Holmes President Elect of the Association of Language Learning

Dr Michael Wardle Deputy Headteacher, Framwellgate & additional inspector for

Ofsted

Panel – Burning questionsFollow us: @languagelinkne Twitter hashtag: #linksne Live feed:

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Many thanks to everyone for coming and/or logging on!

For all event documentation, copies of presentations and handouts, please visit the event pages www.linksintolanguages.ac.uk/events/2210

Close & ThanksFollow us: @languagelinkne Twitter hashtag: #linksne Live feed:

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