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'What About..?' languages resource packs

Our 'What About..?' Languages resource packs in Italian and Russian are designed to give Key Stage 3 and 4 students an introduction to languages and cultures which are less commonly studied in secondary schools.

The sessions are designed to broaden students’ awareness of the value of language studies in relation to a language they do not already study and enable them to recognise the opportunities for language study beyond school. It is hoped that by introducing students to a new language, their enthusiasm about languages they are already learning at KS3 or 4 will increase and promote the enjoyment of language and cultural studies more generally.

Each pack consists of 5 activities which make up a 50-60 minute session which are designed to be independently accessible by the students, meaning the teacher is required to do very little preparation (just the printing!) and very little delivery. Their role is for set-up, facilitation and basic support where necessary. The teacher need have no previous knowledge of the language in question, nor be a languages teacher.

We also have a version of the pack designed for students to work through themselves - perfect for a homework task or for independent work whilst working from home!

The resources were well prepared, ideal for us to use and expand upon to use as part of an enrichment programme. They were great for teachers with no knowledge of those languages and still enabled us to deliver engaging activities.

Access the 'What About Italian?' Pack

What About Italian? gives students a basic introduction to aspects of Italian language, culture and society, with the aim of emphasising the cultural richness of Italy and helping students to realise the importance of the country, how it may relate to them, their own culture and other aspects of their studies.

Access the 'What About Russian' Pack

What About Russian? introduces students to the culture of Russia as well as the Cyrillic alphabet - the activities aim to raise students’ awareness of languages with different scripts, using observational, analytical and two-way transliteration skills.