Tackling transition

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Description

With the massively increased emphasis on teaching languages at primary level, secondary teachers are encountering a wide range of prior knowledge and experience at Year 7. This, according to teachers at Belle Vue Girls School in Bradford, is both a danger and an opportunity. The danger is that some of the higher-attaining pupils may be put off languages completely if Year 7 teaching consists of repeat material. The opportunity is to build on language knowledge, rather than simple vocabulary, to fast track pupils and to engender enthusiasm.The school has devised a series of simple tests to assess pupils knowledge and we show how this determines setting at Year 7. We also look at differentiation techniques within sets and examine some of the time-table challenges that the idea throws up. It will be useful to all MFL teachers who encounter prior language knowledge in their Year 7s, currently estimated at 70% of all pupils, rising to 100% by 2010.