Here you can find quick links to our "German for Kids" posts, our "A - Z of Multisensory Language Learning for Kids," and also the reasons why languages are important to us.
German for Kids Series
Here you can find quick links to our "German for Kids" posts.
A - Z of Multisensory Language Learning for Kids Series
Here you can find quick links to our "A - Z of Multisensory Language Learning for Kids" posts.
So why Languages?
A fall from grace
I've never been one of those people that was a natural at learning languages, I always had to work hard at it and never really had much confidence in myself. I managed to ace my German GCSE, then gain a sub-standard grade at A Level two years later. I've never got over the disappointment of falling that far from grace and even today it still embarrasses me!
Hopes and dreams
Anyway, I still managed to secure a place at university for after my Gap year, and studied Business Studies with Languages for 4 years. During this time, I spent a year living and working in Germany. This was when I became mostly fluent; I even began to dream in German! Learning all the complex grammar was difficult but I managed to write a 12,000 word dissertation in German in my final year. This is still one of my greatest achievements!
Becoming a teacher
I decided to convert my degree into a teaching qualification the following year, and completed a Primary Teaching with Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) PGCE. I spent 4 weeks teaching in a German school too...what an eye opener that was! I got a teaching job in a primary school in 2009 and took charge of teaching French there, as well as having my own class. I became the MFL co-ordinator and eventually introduced German alongside French lessons.
Part-time challenges
However, since going back to work after having my second child, I've not been able to teach languages at all as I share a KS1 class now and it would be a time-tabling nightmare! Like all skills, if you don't practise you begin to forget, and lose faith in your own confidence and abilities. So I decided to try and keep my hand in it a little by seeing if my two would like to learn a language. I totally believe they are the right age now, as they are like little sponges! So, feel free to follow our journey as we have a go at learning languages together! Keep an eye on the blog for our updates!
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