'Tots: Trop Tôt?' Wins Prestigious George D Gray Award

A teacher from Perth and Kinross has won the prestigious George D Gray CBE MA award for the best undergraduate thesis in teacher education in Scotland.

Elizabeth Fuller, 42, was announced as the winner following a meeting of the General Teaching Council for Scotland in Edinburgh today.

Mrs Fuller graduated with a BEd (Hons) First Class Honours from the University of Dundee in June 2008. Her thesis entitled 'Tots: Trop Tôt?' - 'Should Foreign Language Learning begin in Primary 1?' was an insightful investigation into whether language learning should commence as early as primary one.

Now in its eighth year, the George D Gray CBE MA award is in the care of the GTC Scotland and judged by a panel comprising Anthony Finn, Chief Executive of the GTCS, Professor Ron Elder, Convener of the Award Panel, Dr Sutherland, former Registrar of the GTCS, Gillian Mackay, Primary Head Teacher, Professor Judith George, formerly of the Open University. It seeks to find the most distinguished BEd assignment in Scotland.

Presenting the award to Mrs Fuller, Anthony Finn said:

"The judges found this thesis to be very well presented and interesting. It is an insightful dissertation which considers the factors which influence the successful teaching of a modern foreign language in a primary school. It was particularly interesting that the data gathered by Mrs Fuller led her to question her own initial standpoint on when foreign language learning should begin and to consider the best means of delivery.

We were impressed that Mrs Fuller presented her case with great enthusiasm and commitment and with a sound understanding of the cultural benefits of language learning.

"This is another deserving winner of the George D Gray award that has highlighted, year after year, the high quality of student teachers and teaching thought in Scotland."

Elizabeth Fuller will join the probationer induction scheme in 2009 and said:

"I am thrilled and honoured to be the winner of this most prestigious award. French was my favourite school subject, yet I didn't have the opportunity to learn foreign languages until S1. It was exciting and exotic to speak, and to be understood, in a different language, and the kudos and pride that came with being the only student able to communicate with Parisians during a school history trip was immense. My only misgiving was that I hadn't begun sooner.

"That was 25 years ago and although it's encouraging to see that learning a foreign language is now compulsory in Scottish education from P6, I'm still surprised that in today's climate of globalisation, increased mobility and employment opportunities, foreign language learning begins only 2 years earlier than in my experience. Hence, the aim of my research investigation was to discover whether learning a foreign language from P1, as many of our European counterparts do, would lead to greater achievement and engagement with that language. Surprisingly, my findings proved not to be wholly consistent with my original hypothesis so I plan to further research the optimum age at which foreign language learning should begin.

"In accepting this award, I would like to very gratefully acknowledge those teachers, head teachers, children, classroom assistants and parents who generously gave up their time in order to help me with my endeavours, as well as my tutors at the University of Dundee, Mr David Miller and Mrs Helen MacKay, for their invaluable advice and encouragement along the way."

The George D Gray CBE MA Award is presented by the GTC for Scotland under the terms of a trust fund which was set up by Dr Ethel Gray, the widow of George D Gray, as a memorial to her husband. Widely regarded as being responsible for securing Government support for setting up the General Teaching Council for Scotland, George Gray was also its first Registrar.

In attendance at the event at the headquarters of the GTC Scotland were Elizabeth, her husband Gordon and daughter Hannah.

Further Information

Previous winners include:

• 2001 - Emma Holding and Alistair Macdonald - both from the University of Strathclyde
• 2002 - Lorraine Smith, University of Edinburgh
• 2003 - Andrew Foster - University of Dundee
• 2004 - Rhona McWalter - University of Dundee
• 2005 - Jane Harrison - University of Dundee
• 2006 - Jane Chiverton - University of Dundee
• 2007 - Karen Crichton - University of Dundee.

Images are available upon request.

For more information or to request images, please contact Kelly Paterson at Geronimo Communications on 0131 718 4085 or at kelly.paterson@kindredagency.com

(added 10 December 2008)