The Mary Glasgow Award 2007 was won by ‘Playbusters’, East End Community Academy, Gallowgate, Glasgow  for ‘Easy Spanish’

‘Easy Spanish’ (the name was chosen deliberately to attract learners who might initially be daunted by the prospect of learning a language) was conceived as a family learning experience in which the teaching of Spanish and related cultural topics engages the whole age range from pre-fives (12 months to 5 years), to older siblings (6-12 years), to parents, carers and grandparents.

The project is community-based, and is exceptional in its inclusivity and the way it starts ‘from the bottom up’, adapting to fit in with what works for its learners.

Its success is almost entirely due to the creativity and enthusiasm of two local mothers who set up the project and who had such commitment to it that they acted as tutors on an unpaid basis for its first year!  One has a degree in Spanish, and a background in educational publishing; the other is a Spanish national – they were therefore ideally qualified to devise and produce all the course books and resources!

The project has now been further strengthened by being brought under the umbrella of Playbusters, a local community organisation which is successful in drawing down funding and has experience and expertise in similar programmes, though none involving languages.

We deliberately timed our visit to coincide with the project’s annual Columbus Day celebrations – the day on which they launch the ‘Easy Spanish’ project each year, and kick-start any new community Spanish groups. This gave us a wonderful opportunity to sample a whole range of ‘Easy Spanish’ activities with a cross section of all age groups.     

There is an unfussy, breezy, welcoming feel to ‘Easy Spanish’, and the project is exemplary in all respects. The methodology is a standard and successful one, but what is different and innovative about this project are its whole-community approach, the cross generational aspects of the teaching, and, in particular, how it is responsive to the requirements and wishes of the learners.  The quality and thoughtfulness of the planning is impressive, ensuring that this programme really does meet the needs of members of the local community and is something they can feel is theirs.

It would be possible to replicate this scheme in other contexts or in other languages since there are well-structured teaching materials and downloadable audio and written units readily available for Spanish which could provide excellent models for other teachers to follow.

For more information about this lively project, visit the ‘Easy Spanish’ website at
www.playbusters.org.uk/easy_spanish_home.php