Language Box

Thinking of holding a language event at school but don’t know where to start? We have created "How to..." guides from our most popular events to help you replicate them back in school. Each guide contains a full description of how to run the event including essential considerations, some sample programmes and task lists to give you an idea of what needs to be done and how to plan out the day. We also have some workshop ideas and resources which can be adapted for use with any language.  You may find some the activities can be adapted to deliver during class time rather than as a formal event - please feel free to use these guides as you wish

Stevenson, Kat





“How to…” guide

Formula One Themed Day

What is a Formula One themed day?

A Formula One themed day is a language event focussing on the international theme of Formula One. The ideas described in this resource booklet see pupils designing a language guide which British drivers and F1 staff could use to help them during competitions in French speaking countries. This can be adapted to any language and you can add your own ideas too. 

Why would I want to organise a Formula One themed day?

The ideas here involve the use of both marketing and language skills as students are asked to develop an information booklet for F1 Racing teams which utilises the target language. This session is particularly attractive to boys and introduces a whole new aspect to language learning by relating it to other subjects and interests. Rather than doing this activity as a formal event, you may wish to use it during class time as a novel activity to reinforce tourism vocabulary.

Essential considerations
	Where can you hold an event like this? You will need a room capable of holding all of the pupils. The room will need to have tables and chairs which can be moved around for group work and, ideally, some computers for accessing the internet to facilitate research and designing the booklets. You will also need a space for pupils to have a break. The best place to try first is in school, as this takes away any travel costs and hiring external premises can be expensive. You could also try your local university who may be more than happy to provide rooms and support for you.

	Which year groups should be targeted? This type of event appeals to all audiences. Pupils will need some prior knowledge of the language and this makes Year 8 or 9 ideal. They will also be making their GCSE choices so if the event is held at a strategic time, it could be very motivating and inspire them as they make those choices. This type of event could also work well as an end of school year motivator or reward for Year 7s.

	How large an event can you manage? Numbers will need to limited to no more than 30 and as such you need to decide carefully which pupils will take part and which won’t – it shouldn’t necessarily be just the brightest or best behaved students who are chosen, a mixture of pupils of various abilities and backgrounds can be a very enriching experience for all involved.

	Will you include only your own pupils or invite other schools? Organising an educational event is a great way to make valuable links with local schools in your area and can create excellent opportunities for future collaboration. Bear in mind how many pupils you can accommodate when considering how many schools to invite. It is worth letting them know at invitation stage if there is a limit to the number of pupils they can bring.

	Who can help you? Organising an event regardless of numbers can involve a lot of work, both before hand and on the day. Don’t underestimate how much you will need and appreciate extra hands at any point – our sample “To Do List” (see resources and templates) will give you some ideas on what needs to be done before, during and after an event. As well as other staff in school, consider using older pupils who are studying languages. They can be powerful role models and spend time talking informally to pupils about their experiences with languages which can be very encouraging. Don’t forget - they will also gain from the experience themselves. You could also try your local university as most employ undergraduates to work on various activities involving school children. They may be able to “loan” you a few students for a day or two.

	What time of year is most suitable? A Formula One event can be run at any time of year but the two main considerations are availability of resources (venue and staff) and the impact on students involved. Most Year 9s (and many Year 8s) will be finalising their option choices in the early part of each calendar year so if you plan to influence those choices your event will need to be in the first half of the school year. Having said that, summer term events can be easier to find rooms and staff for as GCSE and A-level pressure is off.

	What costs are involved in running such an event? You can run an event on a shoestring but there are likely to be some costs which need to be covered such as catering, supply cover for teacher absence, fees for visitors, prizes or goodies for the pupils, etc. Working in collaboration with other schools can be a useful way to reduce spread the cost.

	If you want to take pictures or videos of pupils, you will need photography permission slips signed by a parent or guardian for each pupil. Without this, no faces can appear in any photographs or video footage taken.


Getting started

	Arrange a date and venue

	Arrange speakers / workshop providers

	Purchase or find the resources you will need – plenty of dictionaries and phrases books, coloured paper and card, scissors and glue, pens and pencils, any other craft materials. You may, however, decide pupils will design their booklets on computers and so won’t need the craft materials

	Agree a draft programme (see the sample programme under Resources and Templates for some ideas)

	Agree the number of students you can accommodate and the logistics of the event. 

	Decide who you will invite: which year group, other schools or just your own, etc. Remember if you are inviting other schools, the more notice and confirmed details you can give, the more feasible it will be for them to arrange 

	Undertake a risk assessment – your school may already have one which can be adapted or have a look at the sample in the resources and templates section at the end of this booklet

	Finalise the budget ensuring that all costs will be covered

	Invite pupils / schools to participate – if you are just inviting your own students, send a letter home to parents to increase awareness and impact

	Organise a briefing for speakers, workshop providers and helpers in good time before the event to ensure everyone knows what is expected on the day

	Get as much publicity for the event as you can – contact your local newspaper and radio station. They may even want to come along and run their own reports! Remember permission slips from parents / guardians are needed for each pupil to be photographed or filmed

	You will find a more detailed sample “To Do” list in the Resources and Templates section. Remember it is just a sample to give you ideas of what might need to be done and what you might like to do, depending on time, budget and help available of course!

The event

	See the sample programme under Resources and Templates which gives a sample programme 

	Remember to factor in time for breaks 

	Provide plenty of dictionaries and phrase books to encourage optimal use of the target language

	It is a good idea to hold another short briefing with staff on the morning of the event to iron out any last minute misunderstandings

	Remember to have a Plan B in case speakers cancel at the last minute or are running late

	When all the pupils have arrived, the event manager should deliver a short welcome talk and include information on “who’s who”, a brief run through of the programme, expected conduct and nearest toilets and fire alarm procedures (the last two are essential if you are hosting external visitors)

	If you are inviting other schools to attend, you should expect at least one to arrive extremely early and at least one to arrive extremely late. Have some contingency plans for what to do with early arrivals (some wordsearches based on the theme of the day can be a great distraction!). You may wish to consider in advance how long you will wait for late-comers before starting without them


Follow up

	It is important to have all pupils and teachers complete an evaluation sheet at the end of the event. This will allow you to gather opinions of the day which can be very helpful when planning more events

	Using the results of the evaluation form, write a report of your event. This can be circulated to Senior Leaders in school (and can be used as a lever to encourage permission for future events if needed), the schools who attended, speakers, etc.

	Write an article for your school newsletter and if you have display screens, create a PowerPoint display of photographs and quotes from the event

	If you didn’t have local press attendance on the day, send your article to them too as they may still print it. Ensure you mention and thank everyone who took part

	Make a display of all the booklets with your pupils


	Organise a competition for pupils who took part in the event. This may be prizes for the best booklets or you can develop it further – perhaps a competition to write an article about the event. This can make the impact of the event continue over time and if the winning entries are displayed in school, a wider audience can be reached

















RESOURCES AND TEMPLATES








Formula One day (sample programme)
Time	Activity	Room
12.45 – 1.00	Arrival and registration	
1.00 – 1.20	Welcome and introduction to the afternoon	
1.20 – 1.40	All class task on Formula 1	
1.40 – 2.00	Language activities relating to tourism and Formula 1	
2.00 – 2.10	Break	
2.10 – 2.50	Group project – design the booklets	
2.50 – 3.20	Present completed booklets	
3.20 – 3.30	Winners announced, evaluation and closing	




Event “To Do” List
This list is intended as a guide to help you in planning what needs to be done to organise a language day in your school. This is not an exhaustive list and you may find items which are irrelevant if you do not have the time or budget, you may think of more items which need to be added! 
The list has been broken down into subheadings for ease of use.
GENERAL ADMIN	WHO?	WHEN?	
Conduct risk assessment			
Put pupils in numbered groups for group activity (mix schools / friendship groups if possible)			
Create a registration list with names of schools and pupils attending (if inviting externals)			
Produce name badges for all pupils with name, school and group number			
Produce name badges for all staff			
Create information pack for all participants with a copy of the programme, blank paper and a pen. Include any leaflets or handouts in the pack.			
Create evaluation forms for pupils and staff			
Produce a certificate for each pupil			

VENUE AND CATERING	WHO?	WHEN?	
Book rooms and venue			
Check equipment in rooms is appropriate (i.e. computers, internet access, etc)			
Book catering and refreshments			
Send any special dietary requirements to catering			

ORGANISING THE PROGRAMME	WHO?	WHEN?	
Create draft programme			
Book workshop providers and ask for any equipment needs (IT, etc)			
Confirm programme timings and allocate rooms			
Send a copy of the programme to everyone taking part and to relevant people (reception desk, senior staff, etc)			
Get your Headteacher or another senior member of staff involved – perhaps a welcome talk, presenting prizes / certificates at the end, etc.			

STAFF	WHO?		WHEN?	
Contact staff and senior pupils for assistance both in advance of the event and on the day			
Give everyone a copy of the “To Do” list and allocate tasks to each person. Ensure everyone knows what they are expected to do and when			

BUDGET	WHO?		WHEN?	
Confirm budget			
Create spending forecast			
Monitor spending			

CONTACT WITH SCHOOLS (if inviting other schools) 	WHO?		WHEN?	
Send letters or emails inviting schools to attend – best to approach named contacts where possible			
Acknowledge bookings and confirm number of places			
Send a copy of the final programme, maps and directions, any forms to be completed and a covering letter to schools at least 4 weeks before the event			

MATERIALS	WHO?		WHEN?	
Purchase stationary and any materials needed			
Ensure you have a stocked first aid box in school, purchase one or any missing items 			

ON THE DAY	WHO?		WHEN?	
Have briefing with all helpers before the event to ensure everyone knows what their responsibilities are			
Ensure rooms are set up as needed with computers logged on, IT equipment checked and working			

AFTER THE EVENT	WHO?		WHEN?	
Thank all helpers and external staff			
Pay any invoices promptly			
Evaluate questionnaires and circulate feedback to staff and workshop providers			
Create collage of photographs to be displaying on screens, on a notice board in school and on school website			
Circulate photographs to invited schools			




RISK ASSESSMENT FORM
Location:____________________________________________   Environment/Activity/Equipment:_____________________________________
Hazard Identification Reference
(a) Confined  Spaces	(b) Falls from Height	(c) Striking by Mobile Plant	(d) Trip or Slip	(e) Collapse	(f) Manual Handling	(g) Electrical	(h) Hazardous Substances	(i) Radiation	(j) Noise & Vibration	(k) Fire	(l) Explosion	(m) Others

Severity (S)						Likelihood (L)						Risk Factor (R)			S x L= R
1   Negligible - all in a day's work	1   Improbable	<4   Risk may need to be controlled      LOW        
2   Minor - minor injury with short term effect	2   Remote - unlikely	4-6  Risk must be controlled                  MEDIUM
3   Severe - major injury/disability (reportable)	3   Possible - may or could well occur	7-9  Hazard must be controlled             HIGH
4   Extreme - fatal	4   Probable - expected to occur, several times	>9   Hazard must be avoided                VERY HIGH

Hazard Ref.	Hazard Description	People at risk	Initial Assessment	Control Measures	Residual Risk	Action/Comments – by whom and when
			S 	L	R		S	L	R	
D	Tripping/slipping on steps/floor	All Visitors	2	2	<4	High-visibility edging on steps / signs	1	2	<4	
G	Tripping on electrical cables	All Visitors	2	2	<4	Ensure cables are kept away from walkways / taped to floor	1	2	<4	
K	Breakout of fire in the building	All Visitors	3	1	4	Inform all visitors of fire exits & procedures	3	1	4	
M	Allergic Reaction to food	All Visitors	3	1	4	Check all food allergies with visitors prior to visit	3	1	4	



Completed by:______________________________________  Date:__________________________ Copies to:_____________________________________

Reviewed by:_____________________________________________  Review Date:___________________________________________________________





English

"How to..." guide - holding a Formula 1 themed day in school

Speak! is a 15-minute film with 14 follow up episodes featuring pupils who dropped languages after GCSE but now have the chance to win a summer work placement abroad. The short episodes can be shown during lessons or watched at home and each one has additional resources including lesson plans, vocabulary and ideas devised by teachers

Speak! A drama about languages.

This activity contains 13 commonly used Chinese characters/words having various meanings. Learners can work individually or in pair to use the words in different contexts, which helps to build vocabulary at post beginners' level

Li, Dan

Build up Chinese Vocabulary 
 
Post-beginners level 
 
Bold characters in the following sentences have 
different meanings.  Read each sentence and write 
down the meanings of underlined words in English.   
1 位 
服务员fúwùyuán，请问，还有没有位子？  
今天下午一位先生来找你。  
 
2 点 
我们先点菜，再点喝的。  
你还是吃一点菜吧。  
现在几点？一点五分。  
 
3 碟 
看碟比看电视有意思多了。  
盘子比碟子大得多。  
4 菜 
我们都喜欢吃法国菜。  
服务员，我要一碟小菜。  
 
5 辣 
酸辣汤suānlàtāng好喝不好喝？  
你知道英国的辣妹吗？  
小白是韩国hánguó人，非常喜欢吃辣的。  
 
6 面miàn 
我每天都想跟你见面。  
服务员，我要一碗面。  
 
7 漂亮 
小白，你的衣服真漂亮！ 
漂亮！球进了。 
 
 
8 舒服 
你知道吗？北京的秋天非常舒服。 
我今天不舒服，不能去滑冰。 
 
9 分 
现在几点？一点十分。 
王朋考了多少分？不告诉你。 
 
10 笑 
我写字写得不好。别笑我。 
这个外国电影真好笑！ 
 
11 冰 
我喝冰茶，多放冰。 
你会打冰球吗？ 
 
12 站 
你们怎么去火车站？ 
你知道吗？我有自己zìjǐ的网站！ 
 
13 送 
我送你去机场吧。 
男衬衫，买一送一！ 
 
 
 


Build up Chinese Vocabulary - post beginners' level

A reading text with a set of questions which focuses on vocabulary related to cinema. Questions are personalised by students in order to talk about Serbian and European cinema. Grammar exercises focus on common collocation and enable the students to practise forming questions and use these in conversation. Aimed at B1 level students

Milovic, Dragan

1.	  	  Match	  the	  following	  Serbian	  or	  ex-­Yugoslav	  films	  with	  their	  
directors:	  	   a. Lepa	  sela	  lepo	  gore	   	   	   1.	  	  Emir	  Kusturica	  b. Otac	  na	  službenom	  putu	   	   2.	  Dragan	  Bjelogrlić	  c. Srpski	  film	   	   	   	   	   3.	  	  Srđan	  Dragojević	  d. Montevideo,	  bog	  te	  video!	   	   4.	  Srđan	  Spasojević	  	  
2.	  	  Talk	  to	  your	  partner	  in	  Serbian	  about	  which	  of	  these	  films	  you	  
have	  seen.	  	  
3.	  	  	  	  	  The	  following	  lines	  are	  from	  a	  text	  about	  the	  film	  Lepa	  sela	  
lepo	  gore	  and	  they	  are	  not	  in	  the	  correct	  order.	  Put	  them	  in	  the	  
correct	  order	  to	  make	  a	  logical	  text.	  The	  first	  one	  is	  done	  for	  you.	  A	   tunelu	  u	  Bosni	  za	  vreme	  građanskog	  rata.	  	  Radnja	  B	   koja	  pokušava	  da	  dokumentuje	  ta	  zbivanja.	  C	   flešbekove,	  upoznajemo	  Halila	  i	  Milana,	  koji	  su	  zajedno	  odrasli	  u	  D	   Maksimović	  i	  Nikola	  Cvijanović.	  Ovaj	  film	  je	  bio	  srpski	  kandidat	  za	  Oskara	  za	  E	   filma	  počinje	  u	  jednoj	  beogradskoj	  bolnici	  gde	  se	  oporavljaju	  F	   najbolji	  film	  van	  engleskog	  govornog	  područja	  za	  1996.	  godinu.	  Takođe	  se	  G	   vojnici	  koji	  su	  učestvovali	  u	  tom	  ratu	  i	  koji	  se	  sećaju	  ratnih	  događaja.	  Kroz	  H	   U	  glavnim	  ulogama	  igraju	  pozanti	  srpski	  glumci	  Nikola	  Kojo,	  Dragan	  I	   smatra	  modernim	  klasikom	  srpske	  kinematografije.	  	  J	   Film	  Lepa	  sela	  lepo	  gore	  je	  snimljen	  1996.	  godine	  	  prema	  	  	  	  	  	  	  (1)	  K	   opkoljenim	  srpskim	  vojnicima	  nalazi	  se	  i	  jedna	  američka	  novinarka	  	  L	   istinitom	  događaju,	  kada	  je	  sedam	  srpskih	  vojnika	  bilo	  okruženo	  u	  jednom	  M	   Bosni,	  a	  sada	  se	  nalaze	  na	  suprotnim	  stranama	  u	  jednom	  surovom	  ratu.	  Među	  	  
	  
4.	  	  	  Answer	  the	  following	  questions	  in	  Serbian:	  	  a.	  	  	  Which	  event	  is	  the	  film	  based	  on?	  b.	  	  	  Where	  does	  the	  story	  start?	  c.	  	  Who	  are	  the	  main	  characters	  and	  what	  do	  we	  know	  about	  them?	  d.	  	  Are	  there	  any	  characters	  in	  the	  film	  who	  are	  not	  from	  the	  Balkans?	  Who	   	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  are	  they	  and	  why	  are	  they	  there?	  e.	  	  	  Who	  stars	  in	  the	  film?	  f.	  	  	  According	  to	  the	  article,	  what	  place	  does	  this	  film	  have	  in	  modern	  Serbian	  cinematography?	  	  	  	  5.	  	  	  In	  the	  Lepa	  sela	  lepo	  gore	  text,	  there	  are	  some	  examples	  of	  prepositions	  and	  verbs	  followed	  by	  different	  cases:	  i.e.	  prema	  __________________	  (istiniti	  događaj)	  preposition	  prema	  +	  dative	  case	  istinitom	  događaju	  Without	  looking	  at	  the	  text,	  can	  you	  put	  the	  words	  in	  brackets	  into	  the	  appropriate	  case:	  	   a. za	  vreme	  ____________________________	  (građanski	  rat).	  b. sećaju	  se	  __________________________	  (ratni	  događaji)	  c. kroz	  __________________________________	  (flešbekovi).	  d. među	  _____________________________________	  (opkoljeni	  srpski	  vojnici).	  e. van	  _____________________________	  (englesko	  govorno	  područje).	  f. smatra	  se	  _____________________________	  (moderni	  klasik	  srpske	  kinematografije).	  	  	  
	  	  6.	  Write	  some	  questions	  which	  can	  be	  answered	  by	  using	  the	  prepositions	  or	  verbs	  from	  the	  previous	  exercise:	  Ex:	   	  Prema	  istinitom	  događaju.	  Q:	  	  Prema	  kojem	  događaju	  je	  snimljen	  film	  Lepa	  sela	  lepo	  gore?	  	   a. Za	  vreme	  	  	  _________________________________________________________________________	  ?	  b. Sećaju	  se	  _________________________________________________________________________	  ?	  c. Kroz	  	  ________________________________________________________________________	  ?	  d. Među	  	  _________________________________________________________________________	  ?	  e. Smatra	  se	  	  _________________________________________________________________________	  ?	  	  7.	  	  Talk	  to	  your	  partner	  in	  Serbian	  and	  use	  some	  of	  the	  prepositions	  or	  verbs	  from	  the	  previous	  exercises:	  -­‐	  	  Da	  li	  znaš	  neki	  drugi	  srpski	  ili	  engleski	  film	  koji	  je	  snimljen	  prema	  istinitom	  događaju?	  -­‐	  	  	  Kada	  se	  dešava	  radnja?	  -­‐	  	  	  Koji	  film	  je	  dobio	  Oskara	  za	  najbolji	  film	  van	  engleskog	  govornog	  područja?	  -­‐	  	  	  Koji	  srpski	  ili	  engleski	  filmovi	  se	  smatraju	  klasicima?	  	  	  
	  Answers:	  1. a3;	  	  b1;	  	  c4;	  d2;	  3.	  	  J;	  L;	  A;	  E;	  G;	  C;	  M;	  K;	  B;	  H;	  D;	  F;	  I;	  	  4.	  	  a.	  Film	  je	  snimljen	  prema	  istinitom	  događaju,	  kada	  je	  sedam	  srpskih	  vojnika	  bilo	  okruženo	  u	  jednom	  tunelu	  u	  Bosni	  za	  vreme	  građanskog	  rata.	  	  b.	  	  U	  jednoj	  beogradskoj	  bolnici.	  c.	  	  Halil	  i	  Milan.	  Zajedno	  su	  odrasli	  u	  Bosni	  a	  sada	  su	  na	  suprotnim	  stranama	  u	  ratu.	  d.	  Da.	  Američka	  novinarka.	  Pokušava	  da	  dokumentuje	  zbivanja.	  e.	  Pozanti	  srpski	  glumci	  Nikola	  Kojo,	  Dragan	  Maksimović	  i	  Nikola	  Cvijanović.	  f.	  	  Moderni	  srpski	  klasik.	  	  5.	  	  a.	  	  građanskog	  rata	  	   b.	  	  ratnih	  događaja	  	  	   c.	  flešbekove	  	  	   d.	  opkoljenim	  srpskim	  vojnicima	  	  	   e.	  engleskog	  govornog	  područja	  	   f.	  	  modernim	  klasikom	  srpske	  kinematografije	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  6.	  	  a.	  	  Kada	  se	  događa	  radnja?	  	   b.	  Čega	  se	  sećaju	  vojnici?	  	   c.	  	  Kako	  upoznajemo	  Halila	  i	  Milana?	  	   d.	  Gde	  se	  našla	  jedna	  američka	  novinarka?	  	   e.	  Da	  li	  je	  	  film	  i	  dalje	  popularan	  u	  Srbiji?	  	  
	  	  


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