The Linguist

DECEMBER/JANUARY The Linguist 7 @Linguist_CIOL FEATURES cross-section of teachers surveyed indicated that most lessons were delivered by setting work for pupils to complete independently, without online teacher support, but nearly all had used an interactive classroom with a live streaming option, such as Microsoft Teams, at some point. The consensus was that blended/hybrid learning (a combination of live online lessons and independent work) enabled learners to make the most progress. Live teaching enabled modelling, pace-setting, reassurance and formative assessment, while independent practice was helpful in consolidating learning. Surprisingly, the greatest barrier to learning was not IT-related, but rather pupils' waning motivation over the lengthy period of school closure. Ever resilient, teachers developed a variety of strategies to maintain engagement in addition to praise and positivity. Customised online materials to reference the interests and aspirations of individual pupils were prepared; virtual projects, escape games and trips were designed. Despite innovative self-recording solutions (e.g. role-play on ChatterPix), the majority of teachers felt that the least progress was made in speaking. Nearly half of participants reported that their school's Languages Department collaborated more than usual in planning and/or sharing resources during lockdown. Interactive online activities which teachers designed were seen as the most effective form of remote learning: pupils contributed written answers on shared documents or via a chat function, receiving instant teacher/peer feedback. Pupils successfully collaborated on web- based research and presented their findings to the class in the target language. To support independent work, knowledge organisers, listening pyramids, teachers' own slide decks and ready-made lessons from Oak Academy and Education Perfect were uploaded. Free apps, such as Duolingo, were also popular. And what have teachers taken back into the classroom? Teachers have reported increased efficiency and impact in four areas: • Virtual classrooms. Showbie, Google and Microsoft are now used more widely to upload resources (saving paper and ensuring pupils can catch up on missed lessons and revise). The ability to set, track and mark tasks/homework electronically was welcomed. • Quizzing. Bespoke quizzes can be created easily on Google/Microsoft Forms. Pre- loaded self-marking apps, such as Quizlet and Memrise, will now be used more often. • Audio tools for speaking and verbal feedback. A welcome change to staring at a screen, these are efficient because we speak seven times faster than we write. User-friendly apps, such as Flipgrid and Qwiqr, can be used by pupils to record target-language speaking, and by teachers for giving feedback. Indeed, video and audio are among the most effective media for delivering feedback. 1 • Real-time internet research. Pupils search for relevant, authentic resources (e.g. train schedules, restaurant menus, newspaper articles) and share them with questions for the class or with a summary. As in many sectors, the pandemic accelerated innovation in languages teaching. At the same time, moving online underlined the value of connecting in person when teaching languages. The power of body language to communicate and physical presence to motivate, as well as the ability to assess progress accurately, are diluted in a virtual environment. We will take our learning from lockdown back into the classroom with us and continue to innovate and adapt, but if truth be told, it's great to be back! Notes 1 Hattie, J and Timperley, H (2007) 'The Power of Feedback'. In Review of Educational Research, 77:1, 81-112 lessons went online? Eleni Pavlopoulos s teachers have taken into the classroom from lockdown Eleni Pavlopoulos teaches German and French at a London secondary school where she is also Head of Careers. She is on The Linguist's Editorial Board. TL

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