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The first part of the UK case study is devoted to a description of the current status of foreign language learning in Britain; highlighting MBE to be a rare phenomenon except in the Welsh, Scottish and Irish bilingual settings.Despite this there are some outstanding pioneers in the field of MBE.
The European History Project at Park View School, Chester-le-Street, County Durham
The project at Park view is a shining example of what can be achieved despite the limitations of the UK context.
Park View School is an 11 to 18 mixed comprehensive school in County Durham, northeast England which was awarded Language College status in 1998. Durham County Council is formally twinned with the Département de la Somme and has been actively involved in educational projects and exchanges for many years. Staff in the MFL departments of Durham secondary schools have played a key role in maintaining such links and, in order to enable pupils to make more use of their twin schools, a Central Bureau Curriculum Development Project was launched in 1996. Four County Durham schools extended their normal school links to include a study of the two World Wars. Park View decided to create a project based on civilian life in France during World War Two which consisted of lessons taught in both the History and the Modern Languages Departments and research using their links with the Collège Amiral Lejeune in Amiens.
The project won the Mary Glasgow Languages Trust Award in 1998 and is to be extended in 1999 to include a link school in Kamp-Linfort, Germany with a view to the pupils studying civilian life in wartime Britain, France and Germany. In 1999 the project has won the DfEE/CiLT award for innovative language teaching.
The initiative was taken by the Languages and History staff, but was part of the whole school policy of developing the "European Dimension" in the curriculum.
The project involved all Year 9 pupils (aged 13-14) of all abilities including SEN; in this respect it was non-selective. However, Year 9 was the only year group in which such teaching could take place; in Year 10 History becomes optional and the level of French in Years 7 and 8 is not good enough. The 1997-98 cohort numbered 228 pupils. Four teachers from the French school were involved along with 4 French and 3 History teachers from Park View. Although close liaison between the MFL and the History Departments was absolutely necessary and indeed was recognised as a spin-off, the course itself was taught by the French teachers.
The general aims of the project were: " to develop European awareness and increase the use of foreign languages through collaboration with other subjects."
More specific aims were:
to provide a specific learning purpose – i.e. an audience in France
to motivate pupils in the use of language, particularly boys
to improve history skills
In terms of learning objectives, pupils would learn how to:
conduct interviews in French and English
assess the usefulness of oral evidence
formulate a list of questions for investigation in French and English
use a range of resources in French and English
seek and convey information in a variety of ways in French and English
compare French and English experiences during World War Two
The content of the project corresponded well to the Year 9 history syllabus, which deals with the outbreak of World War Two, Blitzkrieg, the German invasion and occupation of Europe and includes an oral history study of civilian life in Britain at the time. The transition to the study of a similar topic in a different country is not only easier due to the prior knowledge of the pupils, but also seems a natural progression. The project can be divided into four major parts:
History lessons in English comprising an evaluation of using oral sources and pupils’ own independent enquiry on the basis of interviews with local people who had experienced World War Two.
- French lessons involving questionnaires sent to the twin school in France with a view to the French pupils interviewing people about the occupation of the Somme and exchanging information with the Park View pupils.
- French lessons involving general information on the occupation of France, rationing, a study of Oradour, children and their experience of war and interviews.
- History lessons in which pupils gave feedback to the teachers on what they had learnt in the French lessons and also a comparison of life in Britain and France in the form of an extended writing task.
Work from the whole project was then presented in a display for the benefit of Durham County Council, parents and the whole school.
The case study deals with such issues as staffing, materials, classroom issues, pupils’ reactions and concludes:
"This case study has highlighted the pressures that are brought to bear on motivated staff. Certainly, the commitment and willingness exist on the part of teachers and parents in some areas but support and a national strategy are crucially needed in order to bring about a change in the examination boards’ policies. The St Lambert experiment proved that a group of strongly motivated parents and teachers could change Government policies, is this the only way?"
Click here for more information about MBE in England and Wales
