Timed Translations

With the translation aspect of the new GCSE, I am weaning students off dictionaries!  Now, with Year 11, I give them a certain amount of time (maybe the Countdown 30 seconds if it’s just a sentence) to work in silence on their own.  They are then allowed to work with a partner.  Knowing that they will have the safety net of asking their partner really helps them focus on the translation.