“Learning a foreign language is a liberation from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures. 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. It should also provide opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes, learn new ways of thinking and read great literature in the original language. Language teaching should provide the foundation for learning further languages, equipping pupils to study and work in other countries”
Primary National Curriculum for Languages 2014
LANGUAGES CURRICULUM STATEMENT
At Alfriston Primary School, our MFL curriculum focuses on learning French. Our curriculum is underpinned by a broad range of stimulating topics designed to bring learning to life and ensure that there is interplay between the ‘3 pillars’ of language - phonics, vocabulary and grammar.
Building on the national curriculum, we foster a love of language by focusing on these building blocks of language to ensure linguistic progression.
OUR CURRICULUM INTENT FOR LANGUAGES
Our intent is for children to foster their love of languages and that this love will lead to secure knowledge and understanding.
Our intentions for the MFL curriculum are:
- to provide a broad, balanced, challenging and enjoyable curriculum for all pupils
- to teach the children to understand and communicate ideas, facts and feelings in speech and writing, focused on familiar and routine matters, using their knowledge of phonology, grammatical structures and vocabulary.
- to meet the requirements of the national curriculum programmes of study for languages at Key Stage 2
- to use different contexts to maximise engagement with and motivation to study language
- to help children acquire and develop the skills and confidence to advance their understanding.
- to develop an understanding and use of vocabulary to communicate knowledge and understanding
- to stimulate the children’s interest in and curiosity about other languages
HOW WE IMPLEMENT OUR INTENTIONS
Modern Foreign Languages is a foundation subject within the national curriculum for KS2 and we use the ‘Language Angels’ scheme to follow the National Curriculum programmes of study.
We ensure that
- children are taught the French phonemes, pronunciation, specific skills, concepts and vocabulary in a weekly dedicated French lesson in KS2. The content of the sessions may be reinforced during the week.
- whilst there is a strong focus on language learning skills (transferable to learning any new language), French is taught regularly to ensure progression and a smooth transition into secondary school
- other languages are accessible through celebrating the ‘European Day of Languages’
- other languages are accessible through displays and bi-lingual signage around the school
- the linguistic expertise of all staff is used
- in EYFS and KS1, French vocabulary is used during the week to ensure that particular language learning strategies are taught and appropriate skills are practised – ie. answering the register with a ‘bonjour’, ‘salut’ or ‘ca va’.
- the school maintains a ‘pen pal’ style relationship with children from with Le Bourg-Dun school in Veules-les-Roses in Seine Maritime, Normandy, the town which Alfriston village is twinned with.
