MFL Spanish: Superb Guidance, 144 Richly Resourced Lessons & Projects
THE solution for all primary school teachers.
This course is aimed at 3rd to 6th Class.
With this summer course, you get FREE access to our Primary Languages Network Ireland Online Platform - containing:
Six units of six lessons per unit at each class level from 3rd to 6th Class.
Each unit has six lessons.
Each lesson is video instructed, using the ‘Video 2 Teach’ MFL approach.
The video below is from Lesson 1, third class.
Irene is your ‘Language Specialist’ and will be with you, your school and classes all the way from third class to sixth class, at every stage of your language learning journey. Irene is our very own enthusiastic native Spanish-speaking teacher.
Each unit has six lessons. Each unit also has a Medium-Term Plan that captures the key learnings.
Each unit has a Knowledge organiser where you can listen to vocabulary and phrases, and practise your pronunciation.
What other interactive areas are there within the units?
- There are the medium-term plans, lesson plans and knowledge organisers
- There is the 'teacher upskilling area', where teachers take an interactive test on the content focus of the unit e.g. vocabulary, phrases, phonics etc. It is great fun, and who doesn’t want that 100% score?
- Within each lesson, there are several features to support teaching, learning and assessment through that Interactive Whiteboard at the top of your classroom. We have warm-up activities, the learn section, the supporting games, the task to be completed, and the vocabulary to be tested.
- There are the assessments and success criteria, language detective skills, interactive game playing on unit learning outcomes, and samples of children’s work.
This is the most comprehensive platform ever, ready to support and facilitate Ireland’s primary school teachers to deliver exciting, engaging and immersive lessons in September 2025!
Register your interest here for our 2025 Summer in-service Spanish course! We anticipate large enrolments in this course so please register your interest now and we will let you know as soon as enrolment is open.
NOTE:
The on-line format of this course enables you to study at a time and place that best suits your own needs.
Course access opens on July 1st
Within this highly interactive web-based course, a dynamic learning experience awaits. You can interact with your fellow course participants through the in-course chat forums and communication tools provided by the CPD College learning system.
Our friendly and knowledgeable tutors actively support each course, providing expert interaction, guidance and feedback for all participants on chat questions and assignments which call for critical reflection, self-analysis and a reasoned response.
On successful completion of your course, you can download and print off your CPD record and certificate of completion.
We look forward to welcoming you to your course.
- Prepare Spanish language learning and cultural awareness experiences guided by knowledge of the content, principles, practices and pedagogy of the MFL Draft Guidelines, the PLC & other key Department pointers to best practice
- Create an inclusive, purposeful, pupil-centred language learning environment that is themed for units of language & vocabulary e.g. ‘Our Town’ ‘At the Café’, centred on themed cultural displays e.g. ‘Spanish & Irish Cities’
- Plan rich integrated thematic Spanish language units that are culturally focused & language-targeted, incorporating lessons, activities and assessments
- Revise, learn, practice and build out their own Spanish language skills & competencies across vocabulary, phrases, pronunciations and language functions
- Optimally operate the CPD College language learning platform and its units and comprehensive digital resources designed to support non-specialist primary teachers in delivering (MFL) instruction
- Build language skills using the video-based learning environment that features a large number of lessons within themed units, led by a specialist Spanish language teacher Irene, who interactively models pronunciation, vocabulary, and conversational structures
- Incorporate the ‘Video to Teach’ lesson approach to MFL, pausing at key moments to engage students in discussion and practise, whilst employing strategies for active participation, role-play, and interactive games, as they build oral skills
- Implement effective language teaching practices e.g. language immersion, (CLT), role-plays and dialogues; (TPR), storytelling and songs, games (GBL), pair & group work etc.
- Build awareness of language connections between English, Irish, & Spanish through rich cultural awareness project-based activities
- Strengthen assessment and feedback practices, e.g. oral check-ins, peer assessments, pronunciation and fluency checks etc.
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01 - Introducing your class to Spanish: We begin our exciting MLF journey by setting out and exploring the rationale for MFL, together with a synthesis of the great guidance & pointers that we distil and disseminate from 'Languages Connect', The Primary Framework, the PLC and The 'Say Yes to Languages' initiative etc. We introduce the CPD College learning platform containing rich language lessons + projects, where teachers acquire teaching ideas around an awareness of languages and cultures and build out their own communicative competence with Irene, our Spanish specialist. We present the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach + songs & stories. We detail project-based learning activities to build awareness of Spanish language and culture. Teachers become students : Under themes, teachers learn and practice key vocabulary, phrases and language functions through Irene’s instructed videos. They take part in staged assessments e.g. vocabulary + pronunciation tests. They explore and reflect on units & lesson plans. Theme 1: A New Start
Theme 2: Calendars & Celebrations: Theme is fireworks, perfect for Halloween.
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02 - Building confidence: We detail the ‘Multisensory Approach to Language Instruction’, together with the idea of using game-based learning to support teaching a new language. In the themes below, teachers learn and practice key vocabulary, phrases, and language functions through Irene’s instructed videos. They take part in staged assessments e.g. vocabulary + pronunciation tests. They explore and reflect on module lesson plans. We scope projects e.g. to explore and make connections across languages. Theme: Animals - this unit introduces teachers to nouns, they learn the plurals of animal nouns and express which animal they have as well as which one is their favourite. Teachers go on to follow a story about animals and use this as a model to write their own sentences. Through songs, games, native speaker clips, independent tasks and a story, they will explore:
Theme: The Hungry Giant - revisit numbers 0-20 and introduce polite requests, and finish with an enjoyable simple target language story, board game and performance about “The Hungry Giant”. Through songs, games and independent tasks, they will explore:
Additional themes presented in the above format:
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03 - Expanding vocabulary and sentences: We continue our immersive language learning journey by exploring the research on using scaffolding and sentence builders to support effective language instruction for students. We reflect on the opportunities for language immersion as a methodology for teaching a new language. Next, we dive into the themes below, where teachers learn and practice key vocabulary, phrases and language functions through Irene’s instructed videos. They take part in staged assessments e.g. vocabulary & pronunciation tests. Theme: My Town Teachers learn shop names in town, explore shopping in Spain, and practise asking for shop locations. Through songs, games, native speaker clips, and tasks, we focus on:
Theme 2: Alien Family
Additional themes presented in the above format:
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04 - Meaningful conversation: We begin with a presentation and reflection on using learning through movement (TPR) to support language instruction and a suite of activity suggestions, such as using the Spanish equivalent of Simon Says (Simón dice) to stand up, sit down, etc. Next, we spotlight the opportunities for cross-curricular integration and embedding Spanish into other subjects to provide meaningful language connections. Again – we scope project-based learning activities e.g. to investigate languages in use across the school and link to data in maths. Then, it’s off into language learning zone to practice key vocabulary, phrases and language functions through Irene’s instructed videos, to complete vocabulary & pronunciation tests and reflect on unit lesson plans. Theme: Let’s Visit the City In the city
Theme: Off to the Beach Today!
Additional themes presented in the above format:
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05 - Embedding Spanish into the classroom & beyond: As we enter the final stages, we now pull together the knowledge (what students learn) - Vocabulary, Grammar, Pronunciation rules, cultural knowledge etc and skills (what students can do) - Speaking skills, reading skills, writing skills etc. and showcase the full immersive that can support any school’s imminent MFL journey. We synthesise research and propose the power of inquiry-based learning to support the teaching of Spanish and cultural awareness (e.g. why do Spanish people greet each other with kisses on the cheek?), along with using pair and group work to support collaborative language practise. Next, into the language learning zone we go to practice key vocabulary, phrases and language functions, through Irene’s instructed videos, to complete vocabulary & pronunciation tests and reflect on unit lesson plans. Project: find out about the culture of going to cafés in Spain. Through games, native speaker clips and independent tasks, they will explore the following themes: Theme: Café culture
Theme: Houses & Homes Through games, native speaker clips and independent tasks, they will:
Additional themes presented in the above format:
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Subject to DE approval.