The Pace and Timing of Teaching Modern Foreign Language in Secondary Schools in England - Essay Example

?The Pace and Timing of Teaching Modern Foreign Language in Secondary Schools in England Every British child has a right to foreign language. Learning the modern foreign language (MFL) is increasingly becoming more important than ever before. This is due to the increased globalization of the world that requires knowledge of other foreign languages. Britain is one of the most multicultural countries in the world. Currently, Britain comprises people from all over the world (Ratcliffe 3). As more and more people from different cultural backgrounds, continue to come to Britain, this result in increases of the number of languages spoken in the country. This necessitates promoting modern foreign language education in the country to enable the English children interact and do business effectively with other people who do not understand the English language spoken by the English natives. In addition, teaching modern foreign language will ensure that Britain has enough graduates in modern foreign language that will help in translation and interpretation of foreign language. Despite the increasing need of additional graduates in modern foreign language, the entry of British students into A-level and degree programs in modern foreign language have plummeted. In fact, this situation is a concern to everyone in the country, including ministers, exam officials, and university representatives (Ratcliffe 3). The reason behind the decline in students taking modern foreign language in Britain is not well known. However, the truth remains that imparting British students with modern foreign language skills is crucial thus should be a priority. Even though the country is encouraging students to learn modern foreign languages, such as Spanish, French, and Italia among other modern foreign languages, most teachers still face enormous challenges teaching modern foreign languages. Timing and pacing are some of the biggest challenges experienced in teaching modern foreign languages in secondary schools (Dixie par. 1). This is attributable to the fact that timing and pacing determines largely the effectiveness of learning. Proper timing and pacing enables students to learn the foreign language without much difficulty. On the other hand, improper timing and pacing in teaching modern foreign language impedes the acquisition of knowledge. This discourse will discuss the important and effectiveness of timing and pacing in teaching modern foreign language in British secondary schools. Pacing and timing may appear simple in words. However, it poses a great challenge to most teachers of modern foreign language. Teachers of modern foreign languages throughout British secondary schools have reported this. In spite of the challenges that teachers face in teaching foreign languages, pacing and timing are very important in imparting knowledge to students. One of the most important aspects of timing and pacing in teaching modern foreign language is that it creates a sense of urgency. Dixie argues that the true art of timing and pacing lie on a sense of urgency created (par. 4). It also ensures that students taking modern foreign language are kept abreast of what is required of them. As such, teachers of modern foreign languages are advised to think diligent pace and appropriate timing and refrain from creating hectic pacing. Thinking diligent pace is important it feels right for most students learning modern foreign languages. For instance, using a timer on the desk may be of help to teachers of MFL since it helps the teacher determine the length of time it should take in teaching a certain lesson. For instance, in case a teacher asks a group a question in classroom, he or she must not expect to receive the answer to the question immediately. This is because members of the group will have to consult among themselves before coming up with a single answer. Therefore, when a teacher asks a challenging question in a MFL classroom, it is important to give some time, probably around five minutes for the students to respond. Teaching at the right pace is also important in MFL education since it ensures that all students are at the same level and understand what is being taught in class. A classroom normally comprises students with different learning needs and who learn at different paces or speeds. Some students learn very fast, while others need time to comprehend what they are taught. The different learning speeds among students are particularly evident in MFL classrooms. This is because, for some students, it may be the first time of hearing of the language, while others may have had a little background of the language. Such differences normally results in differences in understanding (Dixie par. 6). As such, teachers must adopt appropriate pace that take into consideration both the faster and slower learners. Keeping the right pace ensures that knowledge is imparted effectively to all students in the classroom with no one left behind. Proper timing and pacing is also important in MFL lessons in secondary schools it gives learners time to understand precisely what they are learning. For instance, when a teacher of MFL enters the classroom, it is important to tell students the goals of the lesson of the day. This involves telling students what they will cover throughout the lesson. Such timing prepares a student for the lesson. In addition, it keeps a student focused as the teacher transition from one learning activity to the other (Alber par. 3). Maintaining proper timing is also important since it tells the students how much they have learned and how closer they are to achieving the day’s learning objectives. Proper timing is also important in teaching MFL in secondary schools in Britain since it ensures that ensures that students get to learn when they are fresh and can maximally absorb what they are taught. This is especially the case considering that many students tend to be active at some times and too tired to absorb much at other times. Keeping the flow of work is very important in teaching MFL in secondary schools. Also, when teaching MFL, a teacher may need to use technology such as laptops. However, without proper timing, crucial materials needed for teaching MFL may not be availed in time (Alber par. 5). This may prove detrimental to teachers and students alike thereby disrupting the flow of lessons. Therefore, it is very important for British teachers of MFL to ensure that materials needed for lessons of the day are available on time. Proper timing and pacing is important in teaching MFL since it gives a teacher time to assess whether the students are undemanding what is being taught, as well as what needs to be done to help them understand the lesson the modern foreign language better (Tricarico 12). This may require taking time to ask students questions regarding what has been taught. In other cases, teachers can take a break to give learners exams regarding pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary. This is important since it enables a teacher to know how far learners have understood what they have been learning throughout the day. This is also important for learners since exams make students know how well they are performing. It also makes students who fail to perform well to put more effort like the other students who have performed well in proficiency test. Good timing and pace is also important in teaching MFL in secondary school since it enables teachers to cover the entire syllabus. Covering the entire syllabus in time is very crucial in teaching proficiency of a foreign language. Covering the entire syllabus of a modern foreign language ensures that the student graduates when he or she is proficiently and able not only to read, but also to write and speak the language correctly. However, without proper timing and pacing, this can only be a dream. We have heard of cases where some students graduate when they are not perfect in a foreign language. One of the major causes of such instances is lack of coverage of the entire MFL syllabus by some teachers (Alber par. 8). In fact, maintain the right pace, through proper timing ensures that the completion of the syllabus in time. This leaves students with ample time to practice the foreign language on their own by engaging each other in conversation. This makes students perfect their proficiency of a foreign language. Proper timing and pacing gives learners a foreign language time to interact with each other (Tricarico 15). It is normally advisable to give students some time to rest and socialize. Therefore, as much as a teacher may be interested in completing the syllabus on time, giving students some time to socialize and engage in sporting activities is also important for learning. One way of aching this is through proper timing. At the same time, when in class, a teacher needs to take a short break of say one minute to allow learners to reflect on what they are learning (Alber par. 10). During this short break, a teacher may create jokes related to the lesson. This helps is important since it makes learners who had become tired and dizzy to begin concentrating once more. In conclusion, modern foreign language is becoming increasingly important in Britain. Given that Britain is one of the most multicultural countries in the world, teaching student modern foreign languages is important since it promotes their understanding and interaction with people from other cultural backgrounds. However, teachers of modern foreign language must understand that the pace and timing of their activities is very important in teaching students MFL. As such, teachers must ensure that they maintain proper pace and proper timing to enable learners of MFL understand and become proficient in any of the MFL that they teach. In regard to pace, teachers should moderate their speed of teaching or covering syllabi to cater to the needs of both slow, average, and fast learners. Furthermore, the teachers need to tie their lessons such as to ensure that their students learn the most that they can during the lesson. Works Cited Alber, Rebecca. “Instructional Pacing: How Do Your Lessons Flow?” Web. 11 Dec. 2013 http://www.edutopia.org/blog/instructional-pacing-tips-rebecca-alber Dixie, Gererd. “Introducing Pace and Purpose into Your Lessons.” Web. 11 Dec. 2013 http://newteachers.tes.co.uk/news/introducing-pace-and-purpose-your-lessons/45867 Ratcliffe, Rebecca. Why Is UK Language Teaching In Crisis? The Guardian, 11 September 2013: 3. Print. Tricarico, Daniel. You're a Teacher. London: iUniverse, 2002. Print. Read More