Review

What the TIMES EDUCATIONAL SUPPLEMENT
thought of Early Start French

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TES Teacher magazine
Survey of PRIMARY LANGUAGES materials 4th July 2003

Fitting in first French

Gill Maynard tried out resources designed
to integrate language learning into key stages 1 and 2.

My colleague Elspeth Corrie and I tried out the resources with different
groups of children at KS1 and 2 at six primary schools and in French clubs.
This is what we found.

Gill Maynard is Languages Development Officer at the Anglo-European School, Ingatestone.
She teaches languages at Chelmsford County High School
and is an Advanced Skills Teacher for primary languages

SALUT! ÇA VA?
EARLY START FRENCH 1
By Ilsa Rowe and Ian Killbery
Early Start Languages
Price: £75.20
Tel: 01304 362569
www.earlystart.co.uk

All resources are ELL-badged.

A video-based course for beginners with accompanying worksheets, teacher's notes, progress charts and CD of pronunciation and songs. The video features French primary school pupils and has a strong cultural element. A CD-Rom of additional activities is planned for later this summer. Also available are Spanish packs Tù y yo, and German packs 3-2-1 los! All resources are ELL-badged.

The emphasis is on spoken French...

The resource aims to teach simple vocabulary and conversational phrases through visuals nd repetition. The emphasis is on spoken French presented in an authentic context, although written forms re shown in an optional extra section of each video unit.

We have used this successfully throughout KS1 and 2....

We have used this successfully throughout KS1 and 2 with whole classes and with smaller groups. It is also suitable for pupils with special needs.

The video brings the language to life

The video brings the language to life. It gives a real insight into everyday life in France and stimulates discussion. The French is clearly spoken and frequent repetition of new words in different contexts helps pupils to absorb the language. The course offers extensive linguistic and methodological support for non-specialist teachers, with lesson plans and background information in the teachers' notes and on the publisher's website.

They love it!

They love it! They are fascinated by the French children and their school, and are interested in making comparisons with their own everyday life. They learn new language quickly, speaking confidently and with good intonation. Pupil record sheets give them a sense of achievementas they tick boxes indicating "I can", "I can with help" or "I've forgotten".

The cultural dimension is exemplary and helps even the youngest pupils to think: "If I were French...". We used this resource in KS1 and 2 in five schools for 18 months and can recommend it unreservedly.
When I called Early Start to ask when the next video would be out they invited pupils from my school to sing in it!