Intent
Through our MFL curriculum, we encourage the children to embrace their role as a global citizen and recognise the value of language as a tool in building relationships, positive communication and showing respect for others. The children are guided in developing an interest in language-learning in a way that is enjoyable and stimulating, practising the skills needed to achieve linguistic competence. They are also supported in developing their confidence in expressing themselves and understanding others. We encourage children’s curiosity about languages, different countries and a range of cultures from around the world. The children explore and develop the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing to enable them to use and apply their French learning in a variety of contexts and lay the foundations for future language learning in KS3 and beyond.
Implementation
Children who attend St. Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary School study French within their Modern Foreign Languages lessons.
Our MFL curriculum is designed to progressively develop children’s skills in languages through weekly lessons. These weekly lessons (45 minutes in length) are taught by a native speaker and French specialist, with class teachers delivering short follow-up lessons (up to 15 minutes in length) during the week to recap and consolidate children’s learning.
Whilst MFL is statutory only in KS2, we provide opportunities for language learning in KS1 to develop children’s curiosity regarding languages, encourage enthusiasm and engagement in the subject, and provide a foundation from which to build in KS2.
Our curriculum is based on the Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust’s (BHCET) programme of study, which was developed by a team of primary school teachers and secondary language specialists. Careful consideration was given to this programme to ensure that the acquisition of knowledge has been sequenced, with prior knowledge built upon, resulting in a systematic and cumulative approach to language acquisition. Regular reviews and mini-assessments have been built into the programme to facilitate pupils ‘knowing more and remembering more.’
The curriculum covers the National Curriculum and is underpinned by the four key language skills:
- Listening
- Speaking
- Reading
- Writing
Knowledge of vocabulary, phonics and grammar is embedded throughout each of these skills. In addition to developing their linguistic skills, the children are given the opportunity to broaden their cultural knowledge and understanding each term, through studying: French festivals, countries which speak French, famous native speakers, places of interest and important historical events.
Four key units of work are taught and built upon throughout KS2, allowing pupils to revisit prior knowledge and ensure progression of skills and confidently master each of the areas. The units taught are:
- Basics
- Family
- Descriptions
- Where I live
These units and the tasks within them have been designed to engage the children in language-learning, increase their skills and confidence, and equip them for future language learning in KS3 and beyond. Children progressively acquire, use and apply a growing bank of vocabulary organised around these units. Children are supported in developing their speaking and listening skills to build their vocabulary into sentences through conversational work, singing activities and games. As confidence and skill grows, children record their work in writing.
French phonics are taught throughout KS2 to ensure children’s pronunciation is accurate and they can begin to decode and pronounce unknown French words in Y5 and Y6. Children also use French/English dictionaries throughout KS2 to provide them with the relevant skills to understand and translate unknown vocabulary with increasing independence. Songs, games and rhymes are also used throughout KS2 to consolidate language learning, making it enjoyable and memorable.
We also provide additional language opportunities for our children, in order to ensure they receive an exciting and unique language experience tailored to them with a ‘real-life’ context. We are currently partnered with two French schools (‘Les Platanes’ and ‘École Rubempré), with projects happening throughout the year, including exchanging letters, sharing work and connecting through live video calls.
To further support their learning as global citizens, we also have a range of opportunities for international learning through our British Council ‘Connecting Classrooms’ link with Tanzanian schools and workshops being delivered by foreign students through the Durham University outreach project, ‘Scholars into Schools’.
Impact
Pupils will develop an enthusiastic and positive attitude towards languages, whilst developing their own knowledge and skills, as set out by the national curriculum. The MFL curriculum will ensure that all pupils will understand and respond to spoken and written language and will speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, finding ways of communicating what they want to say, including through asking questions. The cultural knowledge and international partnership work will allow children to understand their role as a global citizen, expand their understanding of the world they live in and encourage respect towards their neighbours from across the world. Our curriculum will ensure children are prepared for their next stage of learning.