As England rolls MFL out across the primary sector, we take advantage of a decade of piloting, trialling and implementing training strategies north of the border.
This programme eavesdrops on training sessions for teachers in both Aberdeenshire and Edinburgh; two very different local authorities.
Aberdeenshire staff have the luxury of day-release, immersion training in French with senior lecturer Alison Hurrell of Aberdeen University School of Education.
Over in Edinburgh, teachers cross town after a day's work for so-called "twilight training" in French with sympathetic, but equally demanding, tutor David McAlpine.
Aberdeenshire advisor Anne Moncur and Edinburgh development officer Bethan Owen explain these arrangements and the problems of including MFL in initial training.
Elsewhere, self-professed geek Ewan McIntosh, of Scottish CILT, demonstrates website resources for follow-up support, especially useful for rural teachers in small communities.
Useful websites
Learning and Teaching Scotland
General advice on teaching using immersion techniques at primary
Walker Road Primary School, Aberdeen: assessment of effectiveness of immersion teaching of French
Learning and Teaching Scotland
Knowledge about language and how it fits into MLPS teaching and assessment
Scottish Schools Digital Network (SSDN), the national intranet which will link Scottish education safely and securely
Ewan McIntosh's (from SCILT) blog on teaching, learning and technology
TeacherNet: Online Publications for Schools
Ordering information for the New Arrivals Excellence Programme DVD, which supports the development of induction procedures for new arrivals
The Primary Languages website supports the introduction and development of primary languages in KS2 by providing access to online training
