The definitive textbook for "Teaching Foreign Languages in the Primary School" shows that language teaching can be both highly effective and immediately enjoyable. The book uses numerous ideas and approaches that are reinforced with activities, methods for developing understanding, assessment techniques, and how to ensure continuity and transition into secondary school. This is the textbook that all primary school language teachers should not be without."Teaching Foreign Languages in the Primary School" advises modern foreign language trainee and qualified teachers on how to teach MFL successfully at primary level. This book offers full information, including sections on: children's ideas about how to learn languages; the current situation of MFL in the UK, Europe and elsewhere; research into second language acquisition (e.g. behaviourist, cognitive and sociocultural perspectives); different approaches to teaching foreign languages (e.g. audio lingualism, communicative language teaching, task-based instruction) the use of games, songs and stories; ways of developing speaking, listening, reading and writing skills; ways of developing intercultural understanding, knowledge about language and language learning strategies; and, assessment, continuity with secondary school, and ways of facilitating transition. Brimming with case studies and tried and tested ideas from a multi lingual language teacher and ITE lecturer, "Teaching Foreign Languages in the Primary School" shows that language teaching at primary level can be both effective and enjoyable - no matter what language the pupils have as their first, and no matter what level the teacher has reached in their own language learning.

Author Biography

Dr Claudine Kirsch is lecturer and MFL coordinator in the Department of Educational Studies, Goldsmiths, University of London.