LC Language Adventures 2024 (A5) - Flipbook - Page 17
Language Adventures: Embracing Languages and Cultures in Primary School
well-known or popular song, for which pupils can provide new lyrics in different
languages.
Using visual cues to explore cognates
Present the pupils with a list of words in different languages which are similar
between them or English/Irish.
Ask them to match the words to images. Once the activity is finished, pupils can
be encouraged to add to the lists from other languages they know.
Some examples could be words such as “mother” (German: Mutter, French: Mère,
Spanish: Madre, Italian: Madre, Portuguese: Mãe, Russian: Мать (Mat’), Lithuanian:
Motina, Irish: Máthair), “school” (French: École, Spanish: Escuela, Italian: Scuola,
Portuguese: Escola, German: Schule, Dutch: School, Swedish: Skola, Irish: Scoil).
Learning strategies
Through discussion with pupils, record strategies they have previously used to
deal with new words or to make sense of a text in a language they don’t
understand and make a list (draw the word, write it, sing it, make a connection
with something they already know, etc.). Pupils could make posters with the
strategies to display in the classroom. Encourage pupils to try out new strategies
and ask classmates for tips. More strategies can be added and explored over
time.
17
