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Sadoux, Marion (2011) “Remettons nous-y”: the challenges of online language upskilling. Investigations in university teaching and learning, 7. pp. 134-140. ISSN 1740-5106
This paper reflects upon the opportunities and challenges of setting up a flexible distributive blended learning language upskilling course for Primary School teachers. Published in December 2002, Languages for All: Languages for Life A Strategy for England, set out the Government's 8 year plan to transform the national language capability. The cornerstone of the strategy was the introduction of an entitlement for all pupils ages 7-11 to learn another language by 2010. It was expected that the language teaching would be done by private tutors, secondary school teachers or even by parents. In reality, most of the language teaching taking place in Primary schools today is undertaken by the class teacher, and the choice of language has often been driven by the languages available among the teaching staff. CILT (the National Centre for Languages), in partnership with other stakeholders, produced up skilling specifications targeted at training providers, including HEIs, Adult Education providers, Local Authorities, Specialist Language Colleges, the Cultural Institutes, private providers and others.
The online up skilling course set up jointly by the Open Language Programme at London Metropolitan University with five Local Authorities in North London (Camden, Islington, Haringay, Barnett and Enfield) was an attempt to explore a delivery style which could be flexible and easier to integrate within the demanding work routine of a Primary school teacher. The course (60 hours in total) consists of - 4 days of face to face tuition, 20 hours of online asynchronous learning and 20 hours of online synchronous learning over a five month long period. Its curriculum was based on the up skilling specifications created by CILT.
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