At Fens, we aim to provide children with experiences of Languages which are enjoyable, practical and lead to a greater understanding of people from other cultures, as well as new language skills. Our intention is for the Languages curriculum to deepen children’s intercultural understanding to prepare them for a multi-cultural society.
It is our intention that pupils will develop specific knowledge of one language, French, learning words and structures that enable them to ask and answer questions, listen to, read and understand stories, songs, poems and other short texts, and to write from memory about themselves. By the end of KS2, our intention is that our pupils are able to express their ideas and thoughts in another language, and to understand and respond to its speakers. At the same time, the children will develop language learning skills and strategies that will equip them for the learning of additional languages.
Our Primary Modern Foreign Language curriculum has been designed to progressively develop skills in French. Our French lessons are based on QCA planning; these ensure that children acquire a bank of vocabulary and phonic knowledge organised around topics.
During their lessons, pupils are given regular opportunities to listen to, join in with, read, speak and write French. In the early stages of language learning, pupils engage in a lot of learning to train the ear, to tune into and learn how to produce the sounds of the language. Joining in with songs, rhymes, stories and poems all serve to reinforce the sound-writing patterns. Pupils then begin to develop, from the earliest stages in Y3, the ability to form simple sentences of their own, with relation to topics of close, personal interest, such as self and family. They develop confidence in writing from memory, building up over the course of KS2 to being able to write a short paragraph with information on a given topic. Teachers make use of a wide variety of resources, including books, games, videos and the Languagenut website.
All KS2 pupils have their own Languagenut login to enable them to practise their French at home.
Languages Curriculum Map