Languages
M.F.L
Intent
At Greenfield Primary School, we aim to provide an opening for children to experience and learn about other cultures through the teaching of a Modern Foreign Language. In teaching French, we intend to foster the children’s curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world, enabling the children to experience a world beyond their local area. These experiences will teach the children to respect and understand other cultures.
At Greenfield Primary school, French is taught to children in Key Stage 2. Through a range of speaking & listening, reading and writing activities, the children will develop their ability to share ideas, facts and feelings through the use of the French language. The teaching of French also enhances children’s learning experiences as it teaches them to listen attentively, engage in conversations, develop accurate pronunciation, present their ideas and broaden their choices of vocabulary. Over time, the children will develop the ability to speak, listen, read and write with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity.
The teaching of the French language, during Key Stage 2, will provide the foundation for learning further languages and equip pupils to study modern foreign languages in Key Stage 3. Learning French also gives children further career possibilities as being able to speak a second language is a valuable life skill. Children are being given the opportunity to practise their social skills in a different language through French.
Implementation
French is taught in Key Stage 2 (Years 3-6) on a fortnightly basis for 1 hour. In each phase, children will be taught a set of skills from a long term plan that contains 12 Units of work. The long term plan is is split into a 2 year cycle. This plan accommodates the children returning to prior learning. The children cover a set of skills at a ‘basic’ level in Phase 3 and return to most of these skills to gain a ‘deeper’ understanding in Phase 4.
Lessons across Key Stage 2 support the skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing:
• Children are taught to listen attentively to spoken language and respond, joining in with songs, rhymes and games.
• Children develop an appreciation of a variety of stories, songs, poems and rhymes in French that are delivered through the curriculum content.
• We follow the primary MFL scheme of work from Nelson Thornes called Rigolo.
• We have also set up ‘French Club’ which children are able to attend weekly during lunch time. Children are given the opportunity here to speak to a native French speaker and practise their language skills.
Knowledge and skills in French are progressive from one year to the next and are mapped across the school, in line with the Rigolo scheme of work.
Impact
Our MFL curriculum ensures that children develop their knowledge of where different languages, as well as French, are spoken in the world.
The teaching of MFL is assessed through termly lesson observations in which the subject coordinator is able to assess whether French is being taught to a high standard. There will also be termly book scrutiny and pupil voice meetings so that children are able to share their views on our French Curriculum at Greenfield Primary School. These assessments will then allow the French curriculum coordinator to make adaptations to the French Curriculum to ensure it is being taught to the highest standard and that children are able to access and enjoy the learning.
For more information, please click here to see the National Curriculum document