Mfl teachers Aibu??

[Snugglesrock]

Hello lovely fellow linguists

Today I was approached (I'm hod) by a new interim deputy head who was dying to tell me his brother had learnt German using Rosetta Stone and it was fab and he had asked the head if we could buy it in for the language department as it's so amazing. Kids would get to play games. Surely results would go up??

I was actually speechless for a few seconds while i ascertained whether he was taking the total p. he wasn't.

Then to be met by my Lm who was also similarly raving about it. I was a little more to the point with him and explained that the whole idea is quite frankly insulting and disappointing!!!

Aibu to think this? My department thought it was hilarious

[LadybirdsEverywhere]

I actually don't know what to think about this. I don't know what is in the Rosetta Stone course so I would have a lot of questions about how lessons would work, would the school need more computers, does the course teach grammar, does it prepare for GCSE, is it effective if only used a couple of times a week and so on.
I bet he hasn't thought it through - SMT are wonderful at coming up with "innovative" ideas without thinking about practicalities.

[fourcorneredcircle]

Perhaps you ought to suggest that in order to pay for te necessary computers and software the maths department are disbanded and the students spend three lessons a week on mymaths...

[Snugglesrock]

Four - I know if I had been so I would have come up with sth similar

I just couldn't articulate my rage!!!

[AmelieRose]

I sympathise Snuggles. A new DHT asked me if she could have 'the textbook' for English for a pupil that wanted to teach himself. Erm, no...

[Snugglesrock]

Oh Amelie it's maddening isn't it!!

[LadybirdsEverywhere]

Ah ha! The Mymaths retort is perfect! Remember that if the deputy head brings it up again.

[chocolateshoes]

Have made a note of the Mymaths comment and will make sure all staff in our mfl dept have it at the ready! Grrrrrrr

[fourcorneredcircle]

Glad to be of service :) I've always been lucky enough to teach in a school with a linguist on the SLT - although that doesnt entirely mean that some sort of rubbish isn't peddled to us occasionally by well meaning but blundering colleagues!

[Biscuitsneeded]

SLT in my school 'well meaning but blundering', and sadly rather thick apart from HT himself. They do things like swap kids out of one band into another part way through year 8 'for social reasons' and expect them to be able to pick up German despite having done French for the past 18 months...