Can Early Foreign Language Learning Contribute to the Shared Emotional and Motivational Landscape of a Primary School?

The government's stated intention is that all KS2 learners will have an entitlement to foreign language learning by 2010. Disquiet about motivation for language learning in the secondary sector led to the reduction in status of ML in 2003 to an option subject in KS4. We should not simply consider how best to assure motivation among primary learners of MFL but, in addition, explore what early foreign language learning can contribute to the whole school. There are grounds for claiming that learning a foreign language can contribute to children's overall enjoyment of, motivation for and self-esteem in learning. In its early implementation, it can create a shared curricular experience for a whole school, which can be built upon subsequently. The strength of language learning is sometimes seen as being because it is different, but this article also explores the framework and approach needed to ensure that it is strongly embedded in the whole-school curriculum. In addition to a literature-based rationale for this proposal, the article also contains quotations from four interviews conducted at a primary school in the East Midlands with a headteacher and three small groups representing pupils in Reception, Y3 and Y6 classes.     

Excelling at youth level in competitive track and field athletics is not a prerequisite for later success

Enhancing our understanding of athlete development would be valuable for coaches, parents and administrators to set realistic performance expectations and to advance youth sport policy. To this end, a database of track and field performances was examined. Records of 134,313 performances by athletes aged between 12 and 35 years in sprinting, throwing, jumping and middle distance events were analysed. Results revealed that a minority (Male, 9%; Female, 13%) of top 20 ranked senior athletes were also ranked in the top 20 at Under 13 (U13). These results were supported by the finding that a minority of athletes retained their top 20 ranking at subsequent age grades (36.3% U13-U15; 23% U13-U17; 13% U13-U20; 43.3% U15-U17; 22.1% U15-U20; 41.8% U17-U20). By U20, less than 30% of athletes who had been ranked in the top 20 at U13 were still listed on the national rankings. Examining a broader sample of athletes revealed weak to moderate correlations between performances at different age grades until at least Under 17-Under 20. These findings reinforce the message that excelling at youth level in competitive athletics is not a prerequisite for senior success.     

Left ventricular morphology and function in endurance-trained female athletes

In this study,we investigated resting left ventricular dimensions and function in trained female rowers, canoeists and cyclists. In male populations, such athletes have demonstrated the largest left ventricular wall thicknesses and cavity dimensions. Echocardiograms were analysed from 24 athletes (rowers and canoeists, n=12; cyclists, n=12) and 21 age-matched controls to measure left ventricular end-diastolic dimension and volume, and septal (ST) and posterior wall (PWT) thicknesses. Left ventricular mass was calculated from M-mode data. Systolic and diastolic function were calculated from M-mode and Doppler echocardiography, respectively. Height, body mass, body surface area and fat-free mass were determined anthropometrically. The athletes were well matched with the controls for all anthropometric variables except fat-free mass (rowers and canoeists 49.7 3.6 kg, cyclists 48.0?+\- 3.8 kg, controls 45.0?+\- 5.4 kg; P < 0.05). The left ventricular end-diastolic dimension, mass and volume, and septal and posterior wall thicknesses, were all significantly greater in the athletes than the controls (P < 0.05). These differences persisted (except for left ventricular end-diastolic dimension) even after allometric adjustment for group differences in fat-free mass. Stroke volume was larger (rowers and canoeists 102?+\- 13 ml, cyclists 103?+\0 16 ml, controls 80?+\- 15 ml; P < 0.05) in both groups of athletes but all other functional data were similar between groups. As in male athletes, female rowers, canoeists and cyclists displayed significantly larger left ventricular cavity dimensions and wall thicknesses than controls.