Developing relevant language learning
Education Scotland Building the Curriculum 3 defines relevance as a principle which should inform curricular planning, and day-to-day teaching and learning. In relation to planning, the principle of relevance:
“should be used to help those planning the curriculum in selecting content which connects with the child’s experience, learning and interests in and beyond the school environment.”
In relation to learning and teaching, Education Scotland note that class teachers should ensure that links are made to learners’ experiences, previous learning and interests, in order that learners can:
“understand the relevance of their classroom learning, for example seeing connections with experiences in their family or local community, the world of work, their experiences of travel or their interests in sport or media.”
(Education Scotland, 2008, P33)
Key considerations when planning relevant learning and teaching experiences include:
- Learning themes and topics which reflect the interests of children and young people and provide rich and engaging contexts for learning
- Inclusive and relevant contexts for learning which are at a similar conceptual level to other curricular areas
- Learner voice is at the centre of planning. It is embedded in, and informs, curriculum design and the ongoing development and evaluation of learning contexts and learning experiences
- Planning language learning experiences which engage with, and explore the world around us, and key contemporary issues (e.g. recycling, climate change and weather, public health)
- Learning contexts which explore and engage in the world around us, key issues, and cultures
The following reflective questions can support planning:
- Is there a clear purpose to learning?
- Do our learners understand the purpose of their learning?
- Is there depth of learning and challenge?
- Does the learning develop thinking skills?
- Does learning contribute coherently to wider learning and skills development across the curriculum?
Considering what we currently do and how we can extend or develop this to be more relevant and have more depth is a useful starting point for developing practice. For example, when describing aspects of self, there are opportunities to explore how our lives, customs and culture compare with the lives of others. Some examples are provided below:
| Theme |
Possible wider development of learning |
| Describing appearance |
Customs and culture
My style, my identity |
| Hobbies |
How children / young people spend their free time in other countries and how does this compare with popular past times here? (e.g. what sports are most popular in France, Namibia, Germany, Mexico etc).
How do people listen to music, what music is most popular? How does particular music make you feel? How do traditional / folk music from different countries compare? Etc. |
| Transport |
Patterns of local transport (walking, cycling, bus, car etc.), and then comparing this with patterns of local transport in another country, for example the Netherlands, where cycling is the norm. There is the potential for interdisciplinary learning in exploring the factors that enable the high levels of bicycle use in the Netherlands and considering what would need to change to enable higher bicycle use in Scotland. |
The Broad General Education (BGE) provides a flexible curriculum framework which enables learning to be developed in a range of ways, including across the curriculum. Languages are at a particular advantage within this framework in that skills can be applied and developed in any context. Best practice in approaches in primary school planning supports this approach, with cross-curriculum planning embedded and developed at all levels. In both primary and secondary schools, language learning which is informed by learners’ needs and interests is better placed to develop learning through meaningful and engaging contexts. By linking language learning across the curriculum, it is possible to consolidate and deepen prior learning and to apply skills in new contexts.
Possible BGE language learning contexts include:
- Links to other areas of the curriculum e.g. STEM, Expressive Arts or Social Sciences
- Global citizenship e.g. key principles of global citizenship, developing a sense of place in the world, breaking down stereotypes
- Intercultural learning e.g. working with partners to share learning, explore global issues
- Sustainability e.g. a focus on your local environment
- Wider achievement e.g. volunteering, community partnerships
- Employability and developing skills for work through language learning
- Literacy across languages g. Improving reading outcomes and building confidence by reading in different languages
- Practical life skills e.g. eating out, applying for a passport, planning travel, making a phone call, and travelling
- Learning skills e.g. learner autonomy, self-efficacy, transferable language skills, developing strategies for effective language learning for life
By planning in partnership with learners to develop a shared sense of purpose and agreeing outcomes, language learning can become inherently more relevant and help to develop a greater sense of the benefits and positive impacts of their learning.
