tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2415019037912331630.post3851108632927644266..comments2023-06-29T15:30:42.032+01:00Comments on Language Teacher Toolkit: Steve Smith's blog: The terrible state of MFL timetabling in EnglandSteve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15705858452229762903noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2415019037912331630.post-57466880298070104742016-09-11T20:03:35.604+01:002016-09-11T20:03:35.604+01:00SLT choose the timetable structure. With shorter s...SLT choose the timetable structure. With shorter sessions and double periods they could satisfy more subjects. I wonder if they grasp the issues for language teachers.Steve Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15705858452229762903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2415019037912331630.post-68426678740653918112016-09-11T20:02:08.861+01:002016-09-11T20:02:08.861+01:00This comment has been removed by the author.Steve Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15705858452229762903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2415019037912331630.post-33349879186948579532016-09-11T19:02:41.820+01:002016-09-11T19:02:41.820+01:00It's not often I sympathise with SLT but on th...It's not often I sympathise with SLT but on this I do. As a linguist, I agree entirely with this post, but I understand that SLT have to find a balance between different subject interests. Interestingly, in two of the countries where I taught, MFL was given more time in the week at the expense of lessons on the students' native languages..... Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2415019037912331630.post-12328238795802567212016-08-02T15:29:44.306+01:002016-08-02T15:29:44.306+01:00Thanks for commenting. Getting the evidence is the...Thanks for commenting. Getting the evidence is the tricky bit. These things are so hard to test over time with controls in place. It would help if other subject areas felt the same, but most do not. I's have thoight maths might feel the same, but my former maths colleagues wanted longer lessons, partly because of the fashion for one hour lesson plans which the DfE used to push.Steve Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15705858452229762903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2415019037912331630.post-80394427306112770432016-08-02T14:32:17.937+01:002016-08-02T14:32:17.937+01:00Couldn't agree more. The other scourge is the ...Couldn't agree more. The other scourge is the 2 week cycle. I once inspected a school where one Y7 class had French period 4 (of 5) on Friday of Week 1 and period 2 on Monday of Week 2,i.e. 2 hours per fortnight with an 8 day gap between lessons (10 days if you include the weekend between Week 2 and Week 1). Progress nigh on impossible. The only stick we have to beat SLT with is the EBacc. Love it or hate it, at l;east it means that MFL has a bit more clout than in the past. We need a set of cogently argued premises for successful language learning/acquisition that is evidence-based and supports the notion that "little and often" maximises impact on student outcomes. It's the only language they understand. They can either have better timetabling or poor results. Poor timetabling does not lead to better results.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01244962250383860210noreply@blogger.com