Fáilte, Benvenuti, Bienvenidos, Willkommen, Bienvenue! Last updated May 26th 2008.

Welcome to the new MLPSI website! As part of the support service we offer schools participating in the Initiative and mindful of our obligations to provide information on modern language teaching at primary level in Ireland, this site will contain information for teachers and schools, as well as valuable resources, updates on training events and links to other sites of interest. We would welcome your feedback and suggestions for its ongoing development.

Tanya Flanagan, National Coordinator and the Regional Project Leader team.

MLPSI featured in INTouch:

An extensive article outlining the work of the MLPSI is featured in the May issue of the INTO's newsletter, INTouch. An article on the possibilities of using ICT in the language class, also submitted by the MLPSI team, is also included.

The newsletter is issued to all primary schools and can also be viewed online at their website - http://www.into.ie/ROI/publications/InTouch/CurrentIssue/File,8503,en.pdf

Temporary Position of Regional Project Leader (Spanish): 

As advertised in the national press, a temporary vacancy currently exists for the position of Regional Project Leader within the MLPSI support team. Closing date for applications for this position is May 30th 2008. Please click on the following links to download the job advertisement, application form and job specification. Further details on the position can be obtained by contacting the Director of the Kildare Education Centre or the National Coordinator of the MLPSI, tel. 045-530200.

 job_advertisement_may_2008 

 applicationformprojectleader

 job_description_-_2008

National Conference - March 7th 2008:
Many thanks to all of you who attended and facilitated at our National Conference and in doing so helped ensure it was such a success!

A report on our recently held national conference is available on the News & Events section of the site. You can download the presentations and material used at the National Conference - all downloadable files have been uploaded to the Courses section of the site. A selection of photos from the event is available to view in our Gallery.

Pictured: Minister Micheal Martin addresses the conference.

Begleitlehrer für Sprachkurse im Sommer in Deutschland:
Der Pädagogische Austauschdienst (PAD) lädt jedes Jahr besonders gute SchülerInnen des Faches Deutsch im  Junior Cert für 3 Wochen nach Deutschland ein. Department of Education & Science suchen zur Zeit noch irische Begleitlehrer, für die dieser Aufenthalt auch eine gute und kostengünstige Gelegenheit zur Fortbildung wäre. Click here for more information

IT Certificato exams from Universita Roma Tre - further information on these exams being held shortly in the Istituto Italiano di Cultura is downloadable from the Italian section of the website.

MLPSI-Consejería de Educación-Instituto Cervantes workshop: See section on Courses for details of forthcoming events.

Consejería de Educación: See section on Courses for information on summer courses and working opportunities in Andalucía

Release of Council of Europe report: 
The Department of Education and Science and the Language Policy Division of the Council of Europe have jointly published a Language Education Policy Profile for Ireland. The Profile is the result of a process of reflection by the Department on its language education policies, facilitated by a Council of Europe expert group led by Professor Daniel Coste, Emeritus Professor of the École Normale Supérieure Lettres et Sciences Humaines.

Commenting on the report the Minister for Education and Science, Mary Hanafin TD said "I welcome this thorough analysis of the role of languages in education and in Irish society generally. The signposts for future directions outlined in The Language Education Policy Profile will be of great assistance in planning for the future." The Language Education Policy Profile was published simultaneously this week in Strasbourg and in Dublin. It is available of the websites of the Council of Europe (www.coe.int)) and of the Department of Education and Science (www.education.ie). The Profile presents an analysis of the current state of language education in primary and second-level education in Ireland and outlines a range of policy principles and action priorities for the future. The Minister said, "In a changing Ireland, language policy and provision are important factors in promoting social inclusion and cohesion. The Council of Europe expert group recommends that language policy is not just a matter for the education system. It requires more than the initiative and action of one government department."  

Please click here to download the full report from the Department of Education and Science's website: http://www.education.ie/servlet/blobservlet/language_education_policy_profile.pdf?language=EN

Concours pour les élèves de français de l’Initiative pour les Langues Modernes dans les Ecoles Primaires - Vous êtes invités à participer au concours ‘L’Informatique dans la classe de langue’ !

We want you to get into groups (2-5 people) and create a PowerPoint Presentation based on one of the following themes: • Classroom Language and School • Food and Shops • Colours, Weather and Holidays • Body and Clothes • My Hobbies.

It is up to you what you do! Use the French Language and Show Some French Culture!

Date limite : Envoyez votre projet sur cd et une lettre d’accompagnement avant le 18 avril 2008

Adresse : Concours L’Informatique dans la classe de langue MLPSI, Kildare Education Centre, Friary Rd, Kildare Town, Co. Kildare

For more detailed information, click here:   concours2008-details

En association avec le Service Culturel de l’Ambassade de France

Correspondence Projects - If your school is involved in a correspondence project (penpals or e-twinning) as part of your modern language class, and you would like to share your experience with other teachers at the upcoming National Conference in March, please contact your Regional Project Leader or the National Coordinator.

Teachers' Contributions - We would like to devote space on this website for resources developed by MLPSI teachers. If you would like to share resources you have developed for use as part of  your Modern Language teaching, please contact your Regional Project Leader.

Linguistic & Cultural Exchanges for Children - En Famille is a non profit organization based in France, that offers six-month cultural exchanges for young children. The two children spend a year together, 6 months in their own country and 6 months in their exchange partner's country. It is also a team of enthusiastic volunteersand highly motivated parents (and children) who work to help other families. For further information, please click on the following icon -  enfamille   or click here to go directly to their website - www.enfamille.com

Spanish Competition - Last September, to mark the fifth Rugby World Cup and celebrate the presence of Spanish in the tournament, magnificently represented by the Argentinian squad, the Consejeria de Educacion of the Spanish Embassy and the Union Argentina de Rugby jointly launched a competition for all Irish schools, both primary and secondary, with Spanish in their curriculum and with five Argentinian shirts as prizes. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those 500 primary pupils who entered the competition for their great enthusiasm and hard work, as well as to congratulate the lucky ones who have obtained one of the shirts: Ciaran Fitzgerald from Ballyboughal NS (Co. Dublin) and Diarmuid Egan from Cullina NS, Killarney (Co. Kerry) .  They received their prize from Felipe Contepomi at a ceremony in Dublin.

MLPSI Expansion - 90 new schools join the Initiative
The MLPSI is delighted to welcome 90 new schools to the MLPSI this term. All of these schools have members of staff who will undertake the modern language teaching and this increase in the cohort of schools is a hugely significant development for the MLPSI. We look forward to meeting these new colleagues at our training events (see our Courses section for further details) and to engaging with the new schools during the academic year.

School Profile Form - please return as soon as possible!  

All MLPSI schools should have received their School Profile Form by post.  Please fill it in and return it to the Kildare Education Centre. The School Profile Form can be downloaded by clicking here:  schoolprofile0708

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See our Foreign Links sections for information and applications forms on hosting teacher trainees from our partners Institutions.

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 MLPSI My ELP

Many schools are using their copies of the MLPSI My ELP as part of the language learning this year. Further information on the MLPSI model of the European Language Portfolio is detailed in the ELP section of the site. For a summary page of the Key Features of the resource, please click here -  infodocelpsept07

European Day of Languages, September 26th 2008

 September 26th is a special day to encourage people of all ages to start learning a new language and to encourage people to take part in events that celebrate speaking and learning about other languages and cultures. Please click here for some ideas to celebrate the European Day of Languages in your school or classroom  edl_08
Useful websites:

Celebrating Languages website : http://language.e2bn.org/index.php 

European Award for Languages 2008

The European Award for Languages – The Language Label recognises creative and inventive ways to improve the quality of language teaching and learning. Schools, colleges, universities, businesses and other institutions engaged in language initiatives are invited to apply.

Applications should be innovative, effective and replicable.

The priorities for 2008 are: · Intercultural Dialogue · Languages and Business · Language Learning and Technology.

These priorities are not exclusive and applications from all kinds of language projects will be welcome.

Closing date 31 March 2008.

For application forms and further information contact: Ivanna D’Arcy, Léargas 189 Parnell Street Dublin 1 Tel: (01) 887 1258 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Web: www.leargas.ie/education

•  Italian & French Competition Details
•  Support Services for Schools

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MLPSI Italian Competition -  Ispirato da...!

Thank you to our Italian schools who entered this recent art competition - the winners were Gaelscoil an Ghoirt Alainn and St. Mary's on the Hill, both in Cork! Auguri a tutti gli insegnanti e alunni in queste due scuole!

 

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MLPSI French Competitions -  Vivre dans la Francophonie! & Notre ville est unique!

Thank you to our French schools who entered the recent competition - Notre ville est unique! - For details of the winners - please click here:  frenchcompresults 

Images of some of the winning entries are available to view here by clicking on the following links:  clondalkin1-400  clondalkin2-400  clondalkin3-400  clondalkin4-400

 

 clondalkin5-400   coolock1-400  coolock2-400   coolock3-400  coolock4-400  coolock5-400  deravoy1-400  deravoy2-400  deravoy3-400  deravoy4-400   deravoy5-400    drogheda1-400  drogheda2-400  drogheda3-400  drogheda4-400  drogheda5-400   knocknagrave1-400  knocknagrave2-400   rathbirr1-400  rathbirr2-400  rathbirr3-400  rathbirr4-400  rathbirr5-400  ruesheriff1-400  ruesheriff2-400  ruesheriff3-400  rathdowney1-400  rathdowney2-400  rathdowney4-400  rathdowney3-400  rathdowney6-400 

One of the winning entries from St. Peter's N.S. in Drogheda:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To read more details of the winning schools from last year's competition Vivre dans la Francophonie!  - and view some of the outstanding entries, please visit our News & Events section at the top of the page.

 

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The academic year 2006/2007 marked a new departure in the Department of Education and Science’s vision for the Modern Languages in Primary Schools Initiative (MLPSI). In line with other curriculum support programmes, support to all MLPSI schools now operates on a regional basis. Each region now has an assigned member of the Project Leader team working across the four target languages of the Initiative. The Project Leaders work to provide a support service which builds on the Initiative’s work to date and recognises the evolving needs of schools as they work towards developing a more integrated language policy and whole school approach to language teaching.

Services provided by your assigned Project Leader/Language Adviser include the following:

 Support and advice for Principals and teachers in terms of language methodology, resources, cross-curricular activities etc.

 Facilitation of a whole-staff presentation on Modern Languages in Primary School

 School visits to assist in the implementation of a whole school approach to language teaching and the Modern Language curriculum

 Support through the MLPSI National Coordinator and Kildare Education Centre

 Support through the MLPSI websites at www.mlpsi.ie and http://www.eckildare.ie/

 Language specific support through in-career development days

 Facilitation of Induction days for new teachers

 Ongoing contact and support by ‘phone/e-mail/post

 Schools receive a resource grant from the DES for the first two years of their participation in the MLPSI

Ministerial Launch of the MLPSI's My European Language Portfolio in the Kildare Education Centre
Pictured is the Minister for Education and Science, Mary Hanafin T.D., with the National Coordinator, Tanya Flanagan, and teachers and pupils from Scoil Phadraig, Ballyroan, Dublin, at the recent launch of My European Language Portfolio at the Kildare Education Centre (See also our News & Events page).

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