There is a particular kind of exhaustion that belongs only to new teachers. Bone-deep, relentless, the kind that comes from caring enormously, trying everything, and still feeling like you are somehow...

Edexcel GCSE Modern Languages Results 2026German / French / Spanish2025–2026 comparison and planning for 2027 Important: 2026 is not simply another year of the same Edexcel GCSE. German, French and Sp...

Picture this. You have planned what you consider to be a rich, communicative lesson, a new grammar structure or language introduced with examples, a task to practise it, a class questioning to bring i...

This post is a follow-up to the Linguascope Adaptive Teaching Webinar, which Jennifer Wozniak-Rush and I run on Tuesday 2nd June.A lot of the conversation in our recent webinar centred on how we suppo...

Let me be honest about something. I spent years setting writing tasks that were, in hindsight, busywork dressed up as learning. Fill in the gaps. Copy the model answer. Write five sentences about your...

“Adaptive teaching isn’t about giving different worksheets. It’s about responding to learners in the moment, helping every student progress and thrive.”As I reflect on Chapter 4 of our recently publis...

This post was prompted by a post by Ian Astbury on LinkedIn. I often find myself reflecting on what truly transforms a language lesson from “just another class” into an experience that sticks. Over ne...

This form is for Languages ECTs and trainee teachers (and others interested) to register for this free event hosted by ALL on Friday 27th February 2026 from 6.30 pm on Zoom. See Outline below. Access...

From a GCSE examiner’s point of view, I believe most students do not underperform in writing because they lack ideas, motivation or effort. Much more often, they underperform because they have been ta...

One of the most powerful ways to build confidence, fluency and motivation in the MFL classroom is through purposful games. I believe that well-chosen, low-prep activities can transform the energy of a...

There’s a lot of talk everywhere about the new 2026 GCSE MFL exams and for good reason! The updates are designed to make language learning more meaningful, focusing on real communication rather than m...

In the world of MFL, book looks can sometimes feel like a tick-box exercise or a stressful scrutiny. Too often - and this can be the case for other subjects, they risk becoming about neat presentation...

When we talk about language learning, “speaking” often feels like the ultimate goal. It’s what learners and parents usually see as success: Can you have a conversation? Can you speak the language? But...

When we talk about language learning, “speaking” often feels like the ultimate goal. It’s what learners and parents usually see as success: Can you have a conversation? Can you speak the language? But...

This academic year has been an incredibly full and rewarding one for me, filled with opportunities to speak at conferences locally, nationally and internationally; to work with and deliver CPD across ...

This academic year has been an incredibly full and rewarding one for me, filled with opportunities to speak at conferences locally, nationally and internationally; to work with and deliver CPD across ...

Using the target language (TL) in Modern Language lessons is both a commendable and complex endeavour. However, for it to be successful, I believe, we need to find the delicate balance between immersi...

When we talk about teaching languages, it’s easy to get caught up in the grammar structures, the tenses, or the ever-growing pressure of exam specifications. But again and again, I find myself coming ...

Languages open doors - whether it’s making new friends, traveling the world, or landing a dream job. But despite all the benefits, Modern Foreign Languages in the U.K. are struggling. Fewer students a...

Mock exams are a key moment for Year 11 students, giving us a clear picture of how they are doing and where they need to improve. For languages, with their mix of skills and exam tasks, these results can be especially revealing. In this blog, I will look at how I use the feedback from mocks to help my students make real progress. I will break it down into understanding the issues, analysing the results, putting together a solid plan and using strategies that have proven to work in my practice.Un

Being able to step into someone else’s classroom and see them teach is such a privilege. I always remind myself of this because teaching is personal and having someone observe you can be nerve-wrackin...

A sure-fire way, costing no money, to revitalise and reinvigorate take up of MFL at GCSE. Do you see what this is? It's anonymous targets fo...

Many schools now have a list of things they do in classrooms. Essentially, strategies they use – perhaps cold call, or turn and talk, or no opt out, or I Do, We Do, You Do. The strategies can also …

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