To complain about this teacher

[pinkyponk67]

DS (age 13) told me that his French teacher gave the class all the questions and answers in advance for an upcoming speaking test. She got them to copy out a set of answers which she told them would get the highest level if they used them in the test. DS asked her if this was cheating and she said no but it sounds like it to me. WWYD?

Aaargh! I meant preferably LONG lists.

I did A Level German back in 1999 and had to pick the topics I wanted to talk about (vegetarianism and the 1998 German elections, I was an odd 18 year-old). I had to write a list of questions to give to the teacher and then prepare my answers in advance. I was then asked supplementary questions following on from my answers. My writing exam was something of a surprise though - we had learnt education and greener tourism as topics so to be asked to conjure up 300 words on international terrorism was a shock.

My examination classes are expected to learn huge chunks of information which they then need to regurgitate in their exams. Just as I was.

Asking the teacher is not that easy when there is one parents evening a year and the top set are told not to book appointments with core subject teachers as they want to focus on seeing parents of their lower set pupils. If I want to contact her I will have to email. But I am wondering whether I will just get fobbed off !

Tin ketones

Just email her if you must. I have 94 parents to see in one 3 hour slot, so that isn't happening, I have to pick just 36 to see.

MFL isn't a core subject.

This is why the baccalaureate is such a joke. All students will speak a language? No, all students will be able to pass a French exam, but will struggle to actually hold a conversation.....

Tincletoes, I did French GCSE 20 something years ago and we certainly did not get given the answers in advance. I remember my oral exam vividly " at the petrol station". I think we were given the topic just before going into the room so had about 10 minutes to rack brains, and certainly no access to dictionaries or anything else!

Well I stand corrected that "MFL" is not a "core subject" (despairs) but DS was certainly told we were not welcome to a slot at parents evening.

At times like this I wish we could afford private school.

To be properly fluent in a language you really have to study it to degree level and spend a good chunk of time in a country that speaks the language. If you expect fluency from a GCSE or an A Level you are going to be disappointed. There has to be the switch in the brain where you stop translating the language into English and start thinking in your target language.

I suppose it would be insanity to ask whether schools hold French conversation classes nowadays then? We had one a week. Excruciating, but bloody good practice.

Just phone the school. I have lots of pupils who tell parents that they are not welcome or don't need to come into parents evening. They are quite often fibbing so parents don't go in.

Alternatively email your concerns to the teacher or their head of department.

Why don't you email the exam boards and Michael Gove? FWIW I agree that it isn't a good way to learn a language but teachers have to work within the system. I am sure you expect your ds to pass exams and probably you would expect him to make a certain amount of progress within NC levels. You seem to be getting hung up on whether this is a good way to learn a language. I am sure the teacher would be delighted to debate this with you but what is the point? The system in this country is that you have to do certain things to pass an exam. if you would prefer your ds to not take the exams, then that's fine home ed him.

At A Level yes, there is a timetabled lesson with a language assistant (native speaker) at GCSE there are lunch clubs which are voluntary. The MFL department in my school has to get 330 pupils through either French, German or both. There is not time for extra lessons during the day and outside of the school day they cannot be compulsory.

Do you feel fluent in French just from your GCSE? I have an A grade A level in German and I am in no way completely fluent.

Ps thanks to all the teachers who have explained how they go about language teaching nowadays by the way.

I realise learning by heart has its place but this seems dodgy to me and it was DS who brought it up with me.

To whoever was asking for ideas on improving language learning, well the good old French exchange trip was what did it for me. 2 weeks with a family in Grenoble took me from being utterly hopeless to being able to understand French radio and tv and communicate reasonably well with teenagers, although I could never understand a word my pen friends 5 year old brother said. Shame they don't do school exchange trips any more. French conversation classes were the other real boost to speaking skills.

Are you aware that for MFL GCSEs that candidates are allowed to take a list of words and pictures into the CAU portion of the exam?

yes I have read your Op and realise at 13 shes isnt in a GCSE year

Not fluent from GCSE French (grade A) but certainly could get by in it pretty well on holidays, understand the radio, read magazines etc

If he is seriously interested in improving his French can you find a suitable family in France with a young son who would be interested in an exchange? Ask the French teacher, I'm sure she'll have contacts. My grammar school language education wasn't great but my mum tirelessly worked to find exchanges for me during the summer holidays and like you, op, it was the thing that got the language really going. You then host the French boy for a week chez toi! Or even a French language camp in France although these cost more and they learn less as they speak English when not in class.

Is the teacher French?

I ask as rote learning features heavily in French teaching methods.

When I was that age the questions were all about your home, your family, your hobbies, what food you like etc. So how can they all have identical answers?

I have a language A level but struggle to do even the conversational basics in it now. You have to learn to the test/topic to an extent - it is crazy to suggest a 13 year old should be able to discuss any topic at no notice in a language they have studied for an hour or so a week for at most two years (assuming he is yr 9).

Exchange trips are still going strong in many schools.

Speak to the teacher before you take any action

Op I can only really agree with what others have said about the teacher doing her job well in the current set up in which she is teaching. I'm sure that the majority of mfl teachers would love to have a system that really allows them to teach the ins and outs of the language rather than just the phrases needed to pass the exam/ controlled assessment. They are after all linguists who love the language they are teaching ( for the most part). Unfortunately, if they were to teach in this way, pupils would yes be better off in their ability in the language but this sadly would not equate to passing the current exam specifications.
As for the exchanges- I agree that they are a fantastic way of improving your skills in a language. Unfortunately, in the world we live in at the moment, the requirement for health and safety/ police record checks etc render them 'un doable'.
I hope this thread has reassured you and that if you choose to do anything following it, you will speak to the teacher concerned. She is trying her best in a tough situation and the thought that she would have a parental complaint on her plate when she is doing her best by the pupils is concerning.

Thanks Umlauf for the exchange suggestion, I'll look into it.

If you go for private school, you may well find exactly the same, if not worse.

What you're describing is standard practice for MFL. And we all know how much Micky Gove loves rote learning, so no doubt it will continue!

AmIGoingMad/others, I am not out to cause trouble or raise spurious complaints, not least as I am relying on the school to take good care of DS. Will give some thought to the best approach and will not jump in with size tens...

preparation.
i know this because my tutor laughed at me for worrying about the ethics of a similar situation when i was a trainee teacher.