Designed
- a project-based programme structure
- shared visible-learning outcomes
- a placement and self-assessment approach
- speaking rubrics
- an activity and resource bank
Case study
A coherent languages programme for an international school.
Marina led the pedagogical design and coordination of a project-based languages academy. The work brought structure, shared outcomes and a common teaching language to a multilingual team working across very different learner levels.
Overview
One programme, many languages.
A multilingual languages academy at an international school, designed so that learners at different levels and teachers from different backgrounds could work from a shared structure and a common pedagogical language.
Context
A multilingual programme with mixed levels.
The academy runs as a multilingual languages programme with learners arriving at very different starting points, from early beginners to confident speakers. Within a single setting, several languages are taught alongside one another, and learners often move between them.
The teaching team came from different backgrounds, languages and traditions. They needed a shared structure and a common pedagogical language so that planning, teaching and assessment could stay consistent across classes without flattening the character of each language.
Educational intention
What the programme was designed to support.
- learners make visible progress they can name themselves
- teachers share consistent outcomes and a common language for talking about levels
- project-based work makes language use purposeful and connected to real tasks
- assessment supports learning rather than ranking learners against one another
- the programme stays coherent across levels, languages and teachers
My role
Designed the structure, coordinated the team.
The work moved between designing shared materials and supporting the people who used them week to week.
Coordinated
- the teaching team and their planning
- teacher onboarding and induction
- weekend and Saturday support sessions
- consistency of practice across classes
Work developed
What was built.
Project-based programme structure
A clear structure that organises each level around projects, so language is learned through purposeful tasks rather than isolated exercises.
Shared visible-learning outcomes
A common set of outcomes that teachers and learners can refer to, making progress easier to notice, name and talk about across languages.
Placement & self-assessment
An approach for placing new learners at the right level and helping them reflect on where they are and what to work on next.
Speaking rubrics
Practical rubrics that give teachers a shared way to listen for and describe speaking, so feedback stays consistent between classes.
Teacher onboarding
Induction materials and sessions that bring new teachers into the shared structure and pedagogical language from their first weeks.
Activity & resource bank
A growing bank of activities and resources teachers can draw on and adapt, reducing duplicated planning across the team.
Implementation approach
Developed through a weekly cycle.
01
Observe the cohort
Look closely at the learners, their levels and how the classes are working before changing anything.
02
Design shared structure
Develop the outcomes, rubrics and project structure the whole team can work from.
03
Onboard and support teachers
Bring teachers into the structure through induction and regular support sessions.
04
Run and adjust week to week
Use what happens in classes to refine the materials and the support as the term goes on.
What it made visible
How the shared structure changed the everyday work.
- teachers working from a shared structure rather than separate, private approaches
- learners able to describe their own progress and what they were working on next
- a common language for talking about levels, outcomes and goals across the team
- planning conversations that could build on one another from week to week
An honest note
What this case study does not claim.
This case study describes design and process. It does not publish quantitative results or identify individuals, and the institution is named only once permission is confirmed.
A place to begin
Are you designing a programme like this?
If you are bringing a multilingual or multi-teacher programme into a shared structure, tell me what you are building and we can consider whether my experience is relevant.