Primary MFL Advisory Teachers, Liverpool Education and Lifelong Learning Service

Language festivals as a means of promoting community involvement

One very effective way of passing on to the community some of the good work done in language learning is through a specific language event, such as a languages day or festival.

A typical festival provides pupils with opportunities to speak on their own in front of an audience, to speak in groups or present whole-class activities and to sing songs or perform dances to music.

These events can be very fruitful in building bridges with the community and in offering the pupils a chance to demonstrate their confidence in language work.

Checklist for organising a languages event

• Planning the event in detail in advance
• Invitation of guests and their care during the event
• Invitation of parents and carers
• Invitation of representatives from the local secondary school
• Invitation of governors
• Preparation in depth of any language activities to be presented to enable the children to speak with confidence and enjoy the event
• Notification of the press
• A mix of activities to provide variety
• Refreshments with a flavour of the country

Schools are rooted in their local and wider communities. The involvement of local personalities, civic figures, firms and native speakers all contribute to highlighting foreign language learning as a worthwhile goal. Having local people, some of whom may be well known, at such an event can be very motivating for the pupils and give them confidence and further enjoyment in what they do, as well as enabling them to see the relevance of their work for their future careers.

Parental and community involvement in language learning can:

• encourage and strengthen a child’s engagement and motivation;
• spread the news of the school’s excellent work;
• strengthen the school’s involvement with the community;
• enable governors to gain a real insight into pupils’ skill and abilities;
• offer secondary teachers a valuable first-hand experience of pupil achievement;
• inform local firms and native speakers of achievements in languages.

Types of in-house languages activities

• Spoken language festival
• French/German/Spanish open day
• Language activity week

What needs to be done

• In agreement with the head and governors, book a date and publicise it
• Enlist the help of certain key people
• Have an attractive certificate made
• Invite representatives from your local high school and local dignitaries
• Inform the local press and follow this up
• Invest in a fine trophy
• Persuade the school Parents’ Association to support
• Communicate the event to the school community
• Think how to decorate your venue
• Look forward to the event!

People who can help

• Your headteacher
• Your governors
• The Parents’ Association
• Local firms
• Your music teachers
• The foreign language assistant
• Local dignitaries
• The local secondary school
• Outside agencies

How to make the event a success

• The event must be the right length
• Plan for a variety of activities
• Have a good opener
• Maximum participation
• Good rehearsal of set pieces
• Intersperse the heavier items with more light-hearted contributions
• Punctual start and finish
• Refreshments for guests
• Brief the guests about their role
• Press release
• Do justice to the country whose language you are teaching!
• Recruit some people to welcome

Activities pupils can do (non-competitive)

Classes can present any one of the following:

• finger rhymes;
• songs;
• counting;
• action songs;
• a story could be acted by pupils and narrated by the teacher.

Pupils can do (competitive)

• Individual set pieces
• Short role-play situations
• Pair work with short conversations
• Interviews with each other or celebrities!