Thinking Through Modern Foreign Languages is a resource for secondary language teachers to create exciting and memorable modern foreign language lessons built on thinking skills. Teaching modern languages using thinking skills activities develops transferable learning skills through interaction and independent learning.
You can now purchase the entire Thinking Through Series for the reduced price of only £149 - normally £318! Find out more about The Thinking Through Series.
Books and Training Products: If you are in the UK, your order should usually arrive within 7 working days. Please allow up to two weeks for deliveries outside the UK. Please note that some books and training packs are available to pre-order prior to publication; they will not be delivered until they are published.
eBooks: If purchased by credit card, you will be provided with easy download instructions for immediate download. If purchased by invoice you will have to wait until we have confirmed that your email address and contact details match your school’s. This is typically done on the following working day. Please note that sometimes e-books are available to pre-order prior to publication; they will not be available for download until they are published.
Benefits of using Thinking Through Modern Foreign Languages:
Thinking Through MFL connects theory and practice, outlining nine tried and tested strategies for use in the classroom. The strategies aim to develop students’ ability to draw inferences from unfamiliar languages and unexpected responses, reflect on the links between languages and create opportunities for meaningful interaction in the target language.
By reading the theories and using the strategies in this book you will develop a clearer understanding of how you might exploit thinking skills strategies within your own teaching context in order to facilitate learners’ progression towards becoming autonomous learners.
The exemplars described in this book draw on French, German and Spanish lessons at secondary school level in England. However, they are flexible and can be adapted for use by teachers of any other foreign languages and for other teaching contexts.
By exploring the interconnectedness of the four Cs of the MFL Curriculum: content, communication, cognition and culture, thinking skills are elevated to their rightful place – at the core of learning. Teachers know that for learning to be motivating it should also be enjoyable. The thinking skills strategies in this book extend the idea of ‘fun’ to embrace the positive effects of cognitive challenge at all levels.
Introduction
From thinking skills to thinking classrooms
Research into MFL and thinking
The National Curriculum requirements
The cross-curricular potential of thinking skills
Thinking skills and the NC for Modern Foreign Languages
Thinking skills benefit language teaching and learning
Concluding the argument
Structure of the book
Strategies and exemplars
Levels of use
Table 1 Exemplar links to thinking skills and other learning outcomes
Table 2 Exemplar links to MFL Programme of Study and MFL Framework
Exemplar 1 Regular and Irregular Verbs
Exemplar 1 Descriptions
Exemplar 2 ‘Sound Grasp’ of French
Exemplar 3 Four Legged Friends
Exemplar 1 The Pied Piper Story
Exemplar 1 Building Sentences
Exemplar 2 Party Time!
Exemplar 3 My Town
Exemplar 1 Is This Person Fit?
Exemplar 2 Film Clips
Exemplar 3 Talking Emotions
Exemplar 4 Benidorm
Exemplar 1 Which Parent?
Exemplar 2 Which Options?
Exemplar 3 Is Paul Going to Start Smoking?
Exemplar 1 Whose Room is This?
Exemplar 1 Homer and Marge
Exemplar 2 Julia’s Work Experience
Exemplar 1 Describing Character
Exemplar 2 Illness
Principles of teaching thinking
Key stages in thinking skills lessons
Characteristics of thinking skills lessons
Principles for teaching thinking and the MFL Framework
Implications for the roles of the teacher
Mediation
Exploratory talk
Mediation and exploratory talk and key stages of thinking skills lessons:
Launching
Managing the activity
Debriefing
Implications for the roles of learners
What support is needed to maximise pupils’ learning?
What support is there for teachers’ learning?
Thinking skills create the conditions necessary for successful language learning
Thinking skills support the development of independent language learners and users
How might teachers exploit the potential of thinking skills to maximise learning?
Exploiting target language use and maximising language learning
Conclusion for now
Is it worth doing thinking skills in language lessons?
What have pupils gained in thinking skills lessons?
Has your role as teacher changed?
Views on target language use
Spiral bound, 225 x 297, 206 Pages, Published 2004
