MFL

Intent

 

Through teaching a modern foreign language, children develop a curiosity and deeper understanding of the world and other cultures and societies. We aim to ensure we offer a relevant, broad, vibrant and ambitious foreign languages curriculum that will inspire and excite our pupils using a wide variety of topics and themes. We aim for pupils to develop a genuine interest and positive curiosity about foreign languages and for them to have the opportunity to explore relationships between language and identity, developing a deeper understanding of other cultures and the world around them with a better awareness of self, others and cultural differences. 

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 At SMCPS, French is taught as a modern foreign language as it is one of the 5 most commonly spoken languages in the world and learning it supports the  children’s transition to the local secondary school who also teach French. In French teaching, children will learn to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing. Learning French provides the foundation for learning further languages and the confidence to explore other countries and cultures. 

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The four key language learning skills; listening, speaking, reading and writing will be taught and all necessary grammar will be covered in an age-appropriate way across the primary phase. This will enable pupils to use and apply their learning in a variety of contexts, laying down solid foundations for future language learning.

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Implementation

 

The objectives for language teaching are clearly set out in the National Curriculum:

Pupils should be taught to: 

• listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding 

• explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words 

• engage in conversations; ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek clarification and help

• speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures 

• develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud or using familiar words and phrases

• present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences

• read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing 

• appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language 

• broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including through using a dictionary 

• write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clearly 

• describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing 

• understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied, including (where relevant): feminine, masculine and neuter forms and the conjugation of high-frequency verbs; key features and patterns of the language; how to apply these, for instance, to build sentences; and how these differ from or are similar to English 

 

In order to achieve these objectives. all Key Stage Two classes have access to a high-quality foreign languages curriculum adapted from the Lightbulb Languages scheme of work and resources. This will progressively develop pupil skills in foreign languages through half an hour weekly slots (or two slots of 15 minutes each) which will be taught by the class teacher. 

Through using this program children will progressively acquire, use and apply a growing bank of vocabulary, language skills and grammatical knowledge organised around age-appropriate topics and themes - building blocks of language into more complex, fluent and authentic language.

 

The school has a unit planner in place which will serve as an overall ‘teaching map’ outlining for all teachers within the school what each class in each year group will be taught and when it will be taught. This will be reviewed annually by the subject leader as units are updated and added to the scheme and as the teaching of French becomes embedded within the school. 

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Each teaching unit is divided into 6 fully planned lessons. 

• Each unit and lesson has clearly defined objectives and aims. 

• Each lesson will incorporate ample speaking and listening tasks

Reading and writing activities will be offered in all units.

Impact

 

Pupils will continuously build on their previous knowledge as they progress in their foreign language learning journey through the primary phase. Previous language will be recycled, revised, recalled and consolidated whenever possible and appropriate. As the language teaching of French becomes embedded in the school, children will be becoming increasingly confident with the core skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing in French.

 

Teachers will have a clear overview of what they are working towards and if they are meeting these criteria. Using the planning provided by Language Angels, teachers know what to teach and how to teach it in each lesson, across whole units and across each scholastic term.

 

Pupils will be aware of their own learning goals and progression as each unit offers a pupil friendly overview so that all pupils can review their own learning at the start and at the end of each unit. Children are expected to make good or better than good progress in their foreign language learning and will be encouraged to become lifelong language learners. 

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