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Secondary education

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Original poster

Any MFL (German) teachers around?

43 replies

AlexanderHamilton · 26/11/2017 16:12

Ds is really struggling in German. In September he went into Year 9 of a new school who only offer German. At his previous school he spent two years doing Spanish which he enjoyed.

Homework is a nightmare. He has no clue what to do. At his previous school he had a textbook plus worksheets stuck in an excecise book. The textbook was in topics with examples of phrases & interchangeable vocab. He learns best verbally so I used to ask him to say phrases or answer qu actions in Spanish whilst checking his answers against the text.

Now he is meant to copy stuff in his excercise book but they always stay in school. He just gets given a slip with homework on. The problem is he can never remember anything they did (diagnosed slow processing so he has to repeat things several times to learn it) This week he has to write an estate agent advert describing a house in German. He cannot remember any relevant vocabulary or how to construct a sentence.

I did raise this in a meeting (he has asd so I have regular contact with the senco) & was told they do try & differentiate but he's in a high set due to the way the timetable is constructed (he's top set in maths & science).

He can drop German at the end of the academic year but he's spent over an hour on what is probably supposed to be a 20 min piece of homework (he'd rattle it off in Spanish in that sort of time) & is no further along.

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 26/11/2017 17:00

Can you buy him a textbook and does he have access to any online language software?

Piggywaspushed · 26/11/2017 17:10

Could you ask if he can bring his book home? I hate this modern way of keeping books in school! Never been sure how it teaches students responsibility...

Anyway, since he ahs slow processing etc only the most inflexible of teachers wouldn't make an exception.

DS2 is in year 9 learning Spanish afresh and he brings his book home to learn vocab etc about once a week.

I agree with noble that sourcing your own textbook would be good. It is also possible there is Kerboodle (online text book thingamajig0

LooseAtTheSeams · 26/11/2017 17:51

I can understand the textbook staying in school but not his exercise book - with the vocabulary! This sounds completely mad. If they are that bothered about exercise books can’t they put the relevant vocab on Fronter or similar? And as Piggy says they should make an exception for him anyway. Tell them his not having his book is a barrier to learning.

clary · 26/11/2017 19:07

yy ask if he can bring his exercise book home.

I teach MFL and I have no issue with careful students doing that (it's just all the "miss I forgot my book" that annoy).

More practically, there are lots of online resources that might help - eg Duo lingo or linguascope if his school subscribes to it.

it sounds to me as if the method of setting HW is the issue, rather than German as such. I love German so much, I do hope he starts enjoying it more.

FreshStartToday · 26/11/2017 19:14

My school hangs onto exercise books so that they don't get lost.

Typically to buying a textbook. You can get most preowned on Amazon so they don't have to cost a fortune

Original poster
AlexanderHamilton · 26/11/2017 19:15

His Kaboodle link from his old school still works but the only textbook on there is the AQA GCSE book which is way too advanced (for either of us)

Unfortunately he isn't a careful student but he's decided that as he has a lot less books than his old school to keep all his books in his schoolbag all the time to avoid anything being forgotten.

I don't think the school subscribes to those sites. His old school used Memrise for Spanish.

I do understand it's hard when everyone else has been learning German for two years already & he's totally new to it.

OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · 26/11/2017 19:21

I s the German teacher nice? Is s/he is I am sure they'd like to hear how long his homework is taking and reflect on more suitable ways of setting homework. I know I would?

No Show My Homework either??

IrenetheQuaint · 26/11/2017 19:23

I'd definitely recommend he starts using Duolingo at home. It's free and open to anyone to use.

Original poster
AlexanderHamilton · 26/11/2017 19:27

I've not met her. Ds doesn't like her (he likes most of his other teachers at this school).

His previous school emphasised the importance of not using things like google translate.

No online homework now (just a planner). He's not always reliable at writing it down (in some lessons his TA writes in his planner for him). He was observed in a German lesson by Autism Outreach & he appeared well behaved but dis-engaged.

OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · 26/11/2017 19:36

Oh dear. Worst case scenario, does he have to continue with it even this year?

Original poster
AlexanderHamilton · 26/11/2017 19:41

Unfortunately he does. Annoyingly there are a small group who joined the school having previously studied French & they are allowed to continue that but they arnt going to put a Spanish class on for just 1 child. He can't join the French group as they are even more advanced (though his sister is doing gcse French & I remember bits myself so we'd at least have some clue how to help.

He needs to go back to basics to the stuff he did in Year 7 in Spanish doesn't he (my name is, family, likes & dislikes, hobbies, food doesn't he?

OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · 26/11/2017 19:50

Yes, he definitely does. Poor chap. Why did he move school? It's tricky to move school at an odd point , for both school and student but it sounds like he has just been left to get on with it...

Original poster
AlexanderHamilton · 26/11/2017 19:53

His previous school was an academically selective school who refused to put in place any of the recommendations/adjustments for his autism, wondered why he then had meltdowns & treated autistic traits as bad behaviour.

Believe me his new school is much much better & he's so much happier apart from this one lesson.

OP posts:
clary · 26/11/2017 19:56

I agree don't use google translate, teaches nothing and often inaccurate.

Try looking on YouTube, lots of good videos on basics of German to help him. Loads of cognates in German and pronunciation is easier for English speakers too.

Piggywaspushed · 26/11/2017 19:57

I am glad to hear most things are better. Thumbs up to the school.

If teacher is not that approachable, perhaps go through SENCo about bringing book home/ setting homework in a different way...

Original poster
AlexanderHamilton · 26/11/2017 20:00

Pastoral care is outstanding & school are automatically putting in place things I spent two years fighting for at his old school (like somewhere other than dining room to eat lunch)

Oddly pronunciation is a real strength of his. He has an acute ear for accents.

OP posts:
gillybeanz · 26/11/2017 20:05

Duo Lingo is really good, especially if he is going to drop it next year.
I hate situations like this, I don't blame the school though as there's not a lot they can do apart from make the homework better for him.
That would be enough for him to get by for the rest of the year.

It does seem a waste of his education ito Languages though, 2 years of Spanish to have to drop it for German for one year.

Piggywaspushed · 26/11/2017 20:05

How about suggesting he doesn't do the homework and just focuses on some vocab learning using DuoLingo or some such?

I agreed that with a child with autism a few years back who was getting very stressed about his homework.

Original poster
AlexanderHamilton · 26/11/2017 20:08

I will definately get him to look at duolingo

OP posts:
gillybeanz · 26/11/2017 20:13

Alexander

I've just seen it's you.
It's so good to hear he is more settled, your poor lad went through a lot at his old school.
Now I can relate, a year of problems with language classes must seem like heaven to you both now.
It sounds like a good school for him Thanks

Original poster
AlexanderHamilton · 26/11/2017 20:14

Oddly there is a sports trip to Spain in 18 months which he wants to go on & ive agreed to pay on condition he continues to study Spanish using his old textbooks on his own (which he's quite amenable to).

I agree he needs to focus on basic vocabulary learning. I'm a bit afraid of asking as I don't want to appear critical.

OP posts:
Original poster
AlexanderHamilton · 26/11/2017 20:16

It is so so much better gilly. They are so supportive.

OP posts:
gillybeanz · 26/11/2017 20:20

memrise is good too.
There are quite a few sites, some better than others, but you'll soon find the best.

It may be good to look for a student teacher just on an ad hoc basis.
We are considering this for dd if she continues to do well in German and French.
She enjoys languages but is only just beginning to get it together.

Piggywaspushed · 26/11/2017 20:23

Don't fall into the trap of not raising things just because you feel, in general, grateful to the new school.

My DS was welcomed back to his old school after leaving and for a while I let shocking Spanish teaching slide....but I have decided I can't just overlook it because they were helpful.

ifailedtheturingtest · 26/11/2017 20:24

Hi. Op

Another one recommending Duolingo.

I have so called high functioning dyslexia which was undiagnosed for many years and was basically written off from studying any foreign language and told not to bother as I obviously just 'wasn't very clever. '

I have learned German to a functional level in under a year with Duolingo, as an adult. it's a Great way of learning, and so different to traditional methods of teaching. In a good way. It's a pity he is having a bad time of it, German is a great language!