Intent

At Bloxham C of E Primary School we want our children to have a rich and deep learning experience, develop an interest in and a thirst for learning other languages.  Learning a foreign language is a necessary part of being a member of a multi-cultural society and provides an opening to other cultures.  So our aim, at Bloxham C of E Primary School, is to build our children’s ‘cultural capital’ so that they are aware of similarities and differences between cultures.

 

The study of a language prepares our children to participate in a rapidly changing world in which work and other activities are carried out in a language other than English. A high-quality languages education will foster our children’s curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. The teaching will enable children to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing. It will also provide opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes, learn new ways of thinking and read great literature in the original language in the future. Language teaching should provide the foundation for learning further languages, equipping children to study and work in other countries.

The national curriculum for languages aims to ensure that all pupils:

1. understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources
2. 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
3. can write at varying length, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt
4. discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied.

At Bloxham C of E Primary School we use a relevant, broad, vibrant and ambitious curriculum to inspire and excite the children.

Children have weekly lessons in French throughout Key Stage 2, using own resources, these are delivered by specialist teachers. In Year 3 the units of work from Twinkl’s PlanIt French are used, in addition to other resources. In Lower KS2, children acquire basic skills and understanding of French with a strong emphasis placed on developing their speaking and listening skills. These will be embedded and further developed in Upper KS2, alongside reading and writing, gradually progressing onto more complex language concepts and greater learner autonomy.

It is intended that when children leave Bloxham C of E Primary, they will have a natural curiosity and confidence to explore, other countries, cultures and languages, accepting that, in a multi-lingual society it is a valuable skill to be able to communicate effectively with others in another language.  They will be engaged and prepared to continue language learning at Secondary School.

 

Implementation

In line with the National Curriculum for MFL, pupils at Bloxham C of E Primary school are taught to:

1. listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding
2. explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words
3. use displays to remind children of key vocabulary
4. engage in conversations; ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek clarification and help
5. take part in role-play which relate to situations the children may find themselves in the future
6. speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures
7. develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud or using familiar words and phrases
8. present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences
9. read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing
10. appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language
11. broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including through using a dictionary
12. write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clear
13. describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing
14. understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied, including (where relevant): feminine and masculine 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.

 

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.

These are as follows:

• understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources
• 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
• can write at varying length, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt
• discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied

We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:

• Observing children speaking and listening in another language
• Marking of written work.
• Images and videos of children completing speaking and listening activities.
• Interviewing the pupils about their learning (pupil voice).
• Moderation staff meetings where pupil’s work is scrutinised and there is the opportunity for a dialogue between teachers to understand their class’s work.
• Annual reporting of standards across the curriculum to parents.
• Learning walks.
• Subject tracking and monitoring.

The MFL subject leader will continually monitor the impact MFL teaching is having on the children’s learning, through book looks, to ensure the progress of knowledge and skills is being taught.  They will also ensure the knowledge taught is retained by the children and continually revisited and that the learners are able to apply the skills they have been taught to a variety of different settings, showing independence with their learning. Impact will also be measured through key questioning skills built into lessons, child-led assessment such as success criteria grids, and summative assessments aimed at targeting next steps in learning. Children will transfer to KS3 effectively and successfully and will be well prepared to continue and develop their skills.

 

Extra-Curricular Learning

https://youtu.be/AkMj1dWFZVc  Songs for learning the alphabet, colours, phrases and more.

https://www.french-games.net/frenchlessons?topic=Animals%20-%20pets&level=primary – a free online resource for children learning French, helps with pronunciation, French games and over 100 topics.

https://primarygamesarena.com/Subjects/French – Primary games arena, hear the words and play games to test your knowledge, animals. French phrases and greetings, colours, fruit and vegetables and many more.

 

French Overview