The Kate Languages Podcast - S1 Ep3 - My top 5 tips for improving/maintaining your skills as an MFL teacher

Top Tips for Improving Your Language Skills

In this episode of the Kate Languages Podcast, I talked about how to improve or maintain your language skills when you're an MFL teacher. I shared some ideas and things that I do, as well as what others do, to keep their language skills fresh.

Here is a summary of the podcast episode:

It's funny with languages - once you can speak a language, you can speak it. But languages do change and evolve. Since I did my degree 20-odd years ago, language has changed and developed quite a bit. There's a lot of new technology and internet-related language that's come about since then. Fortunately, a lot of that seems to be English, so you can often say an English word in a French, German or Spanish accent and hope for the best! But there are always different ways of saying things and doing things.

So, let's dive into my top five tips for improving or maintaining your language skills as a languages teacher. And remember, one of the best ways of doing it is to teach the language day in, day out, so you've already got an advantage there!

1. Join a language class

My first tip is to take language lessons. I know, I know, I'm obviously going to say this because it's what I offer, but hear me out!

I think a lot of people try to use apps or websites to teach themselves a language or to do it on their own. And while that might work for some, I know personally that I need something in my diary at a certain time every week where I'm committed because I've paid for it. Otherwise, I'm like, "Oh, I'll do it tomorrow, I'll do it tomorrow," and it never happens.

That's where language lessons are really good. I offer French, German and Spanish online lessons for language teachers, and I think the accountability of signing up to something, paying for it and saying, "Right, I'm going to be there at a certain time every week, I'm going to show up, I'm going to do my speaking practice, I'm going to join in," is invaluable. The feedback I've had from teachers taking my online classes is that it's really useful and helpful for them. I've got people who have been doing them for a couple of years, so it's clearly going well!

2. Watch TV and films in the target language

My second tip is a bit more chilled out - watch TV, films, and that sort of thing in the target language. I think back to when I was a kid learning languages at school, and the idea that I could have just switched Netflix on and watched something in French or Spanish or German would have been so exciting! I still find it really exciting!

The only problem now is that there's almost too much choice, especially for Spanish, because there are a lot of American and Latin American shows on Netflix in Spanish. Some programmes and films I've watched or have been recommended include Casa de Papel (Money Heist), Chicas del Cable, Narcos, Volver, Lupin, Intouchables, The Hook Up Plan, Deutschland 83, 85, 89, and Das Leben der Anderen.

If you want to think about what are good films to watch, have a look at the A-level syllabus, because they tend to include really good films.

I'll be honest, I always have the subtitles on. Even for German, which is probably my best language for understanding, I still use subtitles. I don't think there's anything wrong with having subtitles. The only thing I would say is that it can tire my brain out because I listen to what they're saying and read the subtitles, and in my brain I'm like, "That's not quite what they said," or "That's an interesting translation." Then I start thinking about how I would have translated it, and then I miss the next few seconds of the show!

Another option is to put the subtitles in the target language, so it's more evenly matched up with what they're saying.

3. Listen to podcasts

My third tip is something I absolutely love, and it's why I have a podcast myself - listen to podcasts in the target language!

I'm literally obsessed with podcasts. I hate the word 'literally', but I really mean it in this sense! There are some really good podcasts for people who are perhaps at a lower level, like the Coffee Break podcasts. They're available in loads of different languages.

For French, there's a really good one called Journal en Français Facile, which is the news in easy French every day. It's not super easy, but it's good, authentic French, just a bit slower and the language is a little more straightforward than if you're reading Le Monde.

For Spanish, there's a good one called Hoy Hablamos, which is daily and covers various topics. For more advanced learners wanting to tackle Latin American Spanish, NPR has a podcast called Radio Ambulante, which features interesting stories from around Latin America.

If you're at a higher level, try searching for podcasts about topics you're interested in. For example, I've got a toddler, so I'm always interested in 'mum' podcasts. I've found a couple of interesting German podcasts by searching for 'Mutter' in Apple Podcasts.

4. Read the news online

Tip number four is to read the news. This is especially important if you're teaching A-level and need to keep up with current affairs.

For German, there's Logo Nachrichten on ZDF, which is news for children. The language is authentic but quite simple, making it accessible for learners. I've used this website with Key Stage 3 and 4 students as well.

For French, I always recommend 1jour1actu. It covers news, current affairs, and has loads of lovely little profiles of famous French people throughout history.

I also follow news outlets on social media. As I'm scrolling through Instagram or Facebook, I'll see headlines from Libération or El País. Even if I don't read the articles in depth, just seeing the headlines helps me keep up with the language and current affairs.

5. Read books in the target language

My fifth tip is to read books in the target language. Obviously, if you're a beginner, this can be challenging, but there are books out there for beginning language learners, including parallel texts, which can be really helpful.

If you're at A-level or degree level and want to keep your language skills sharp, reading novels or non-fiction books in the foreign language is brilliant. I often find I'll be reading a book and come across language that I know is somewhere in the back of my mind. It's a great way to refresh vocabulary that you might use in your resources or teaching.

I used to run an MFL book club on Facebook, which is now run by a lovely lady called Elaine. We read modern texts that aren't on the A-level syllabus, so it doesn't feel like work. We've read books by authors like Guillaume Musso, Isabel Allende, Jenny Erpenbeck, and Dörte Hansen.

Another great option is to download audiobooks in the foreign language. I often combine reading and listening - I'll listen to a chapter of the audiobook, then read a chapter on my iPad. I sometimes download an English translation too, so I can check my understanding.

So there you have it - my top five tips for improving and maintaining your language skills as an MFL teacher. Whether it's taking a class, watching foreign language TV, listening to podcasts, reading the news, or diving into a good book, there are plenty of enjoyable ways to keep your language skills fresh. Happy learning!