Intent
A high-quality languages education should foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. The teaching should enable pupils to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing.’ (National Curriculum 2014 – Appendix A)
At Staunton and Corse Academy, the intention of our MFL curriculum is to develop an interest in and thirst for learning other languages. We aim to introduce the learning of the French language and the understanding of its culture in enjoyable and stimulating ways. We hope to embed the essential skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing. We aim to raise our children’s ‘culture capital’ deepening connections and broadening their minds beyond the English language and culture. It is our intention to ensure that by the end of our pupils primary education, they have acquired an understanding of both spoken and written French, confidence to speak in French with others and know how important other languages can be in their future. Our goal is to lay down the foundations for language learning.
Implementation
Our MFL curriculum has been designed to progressively develop skills in French. We base the teaching on the guidance material in the Kapow scheme of work for French in accordance with National Curriculum
.SEND children have access to the curriculum through variation of tasks, grouping or support from the ‘virtual teacher’. We adapt this scheme to the context of our school and the abilities of our children.
All children in KS2 are taught French in a weekly discreet lesson. Children will develop their language through the development of the four key skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing with an initial emphasis on the listening and speaking skills. There is also now more expectation in the National curriculum to write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences and to describe people, places, things in writing using basic, appropriate grammar. A variety of teaching strategies are used to encourage the children to engage actively in the modern foreign language: these include games, roleplay and songs (particularly action songs). We also use a multi-sensory and kinaesthetic approach to teaching, i.e. we try to introduce a physical element into some of the games, as we believe that this serves to reinforce memory. Lessons are made as entertaining and enjoyable as possible, as we realise that this approach serves to develop a positive attitude in the children to the learning of modern foreign languages. We build children’s confidence through constant praise for any contribution they make in the foreign language, however tentative. KS1 children are introduced to MFL through exploring other languages informally when studying another country. We are also focusing on French outside the classroom e.g. signs around the school will also be displayed to make language learning more meaningful and give it a purpose, French language books in the library.
Impact
We measure the impact through pupil discussions, pupils being able to apply knowledge of language to wider areas of the curriculum and applying their cultural understanding in society. Teachers also assess French throughout lessons using ‘assessment through learning’. This helps teachers plan for future lessons. Language checklists and unit certificates are used as a means for children to self and peer assess at regular opportunities throughout the units.
