AN innovative way of teaching languages has helped dozens of youngsters gain top marks in Spanish.

Paul Howard, a modern languages teacher at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School (QEGS), has based his teaching on the Michel Thomas Method.

It works by breaking a language down into its component parts to enable learners to form their own sentences.

Mr Howard learned Spanish by using the method whilst living in Spain in 2000, and adapted the methodology to use at QEGS, where he has taught for four years.

Working with London-based educational book publisher Hodder Education, he produced Es Posible!, a Spanish course aimed at Key Stage Three students last year, and introduced Spanish into the curriculum.

After taking a Year 8 class through to GCSEs with the new teaching method, 100 per cent of his students scored A-C passes in their Spanish mock exams, with 80 per cent getting A*s or As.

Now in Year 11, the students will be taking their GCSE language exams next year, and expectations are high that they will replicate their mock success. The success means Spanish has now been added to the West Park Road school's A level curriculum.

Mr Howard said he introduced the method when he became concerned with the nationwide decline of modern languages take-up.

He said: "After the government introduced legislation that meant GCSE languages were no longer compulsory, there was understandably a huge drop in the number of children studying languages. Many students are bored of learning the technicalities of a language. The method of teaching I've adapted offers students much more.

"The students learning with the new method are enthusiastic and able to progress quickly, which gives them confidence to speak the language well.

"The results from my first class are so promising that many of my students are already talking about taking a language at A-Level.

"I am hopeful that now the course for schools is available nationally, children across the country will be able to get as excited about learning languages as my own students."

Mr Howard has now started using the method for French and German, and plans to produce course books for them with Hodder next year.