Languages
Subject Leader - Miss Mahoney
Intent
At St Joseph’s, it is the intention of our MFL curriculum to develop an interest in and thirst for learning other languages. Learning a language can help with problem-solving skills and improve memory function.
We aim to introduce the learning of the French language throughout key stage 2 in enjoyable and stimulating ways. We aim to build the children’s ‘culture capital’ so that they are aware of similarities and differences between cultures and want to find out more. It is our intention to ensure that by the end of our children’s primary education, they have acquired an understanding of both spoken and written French. In addition, we strive to build the children’s confidence to speak in French with others and know how important other languages can be in their future. We hope that our children will leave our school with a love and curiosity surrounding other languages which they can pursue throughout their lives.
Implementation
All classes will have access to a very high-quality foreign languages curriculum using the Language Angels scheme of work and resources. This will progressively develop pupil skills in foreign languages through regularly taught and well-planned weekly lessons in Key Stage 2. This allows the children to acquire new language and then use and apply it in a range of different scenarios and topics. Children are encouraged and supported to develop their speaking and listening skills through conversational work, singing activities and games.
As their confidence and skills grow, children record their work through pictures, captions and sentences. Our scheme of work is structured to enable progression throughout Key Stage 2. We also promote our love of language through our annual whole school French Day which, as well as introducing KS1 to another language, allows the whole school to find out more about another culture.
Four key language learning skills
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 and also helping the children improve overall attainment in other subject areas. In addition, the children will be taught how to look up and research language they are unsure of and they will have a bank of reference materials to help them with their spoken and written tasks going forward. This bank of reference materials will develop into a reference library to help pupils recall and build on previous knowledge throughout their primary school language learning journey.
The intent is that all pupils will develop a genuine interest and positive curiosity about foreign languages, finding them enjoyable and stimulating. Learning a second language will also offer pupils the opportunity to explore relationships between language and identity, develop a deeper understanding of other cultures and the world around them with a better awareness of self, others and cultural differences. The intention is that they will be working towards becoming life-long language learners.
Impact
Our MFL curriculum will ensure all pupils develop key language learning skills set out by the national curriculum, as well as a love of languages and learning about other cultures.
- Our children can understand and respond to spoken and written language
- Our children speak with increasing confidence, fluency, and spontaneity, finding ways of communicating what they want to say, including through discussion and asking questions, and continually improving the accuracy of their pronunciation and intonation
- Our children discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied
- Our children will learn different grammatical structures relating to a language and use these structures to aide their learning
- Our children will leave primary school with a love of language, ready to explore both French and other languages further
Please see our MFL Policy for further details.
Below you will find our whole school long term plan:
French Long Term Plan
The national curriculum expectations can be found HERE
French Day 2024
