Primary Languages - French

Vision

In our Federation of schools, the teaching of a foreign language encourages pupils' confidence and creative skills. We help them develop an awareness of cultural differences through the study of a foreign language and the countries in which this language is spoken.  Through the teaching of listening, speaking, reading, writing and grammar skills in French, we lay the foundations for future language learning. 

Intent

The teaching of French at the Nar Valley Federation provides excitement, enjoyment and challenge for children and teachers, helping to create enthusiastic learners and to develop positive attitudes to life-long language learning. Our French curriculum is designed to progressively develop children’s skills acquisition, and their ability to use and apply a growing bank of vocabulary organised around topics. Children are encouraged and supported to develop their speaking and listening skills through conversational work, singing activities and games. As confidence and skill grows, children record their work through pictures, captions and sentences.  

Across our Federation, we introduce our children to French following the guidance from the National Curriculum for KS2 where pupils should be taught to:

• listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding
• explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words
• engage in conversations; ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek clarification and help
• speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures
• develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud or using familiar words and phrases
• present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences
• read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing
• appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language
• broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including through using a dictionary
• write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clearly
• describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing

Implementation

French is taught weekly in our mixed age classes for KS2. To support the teaching of French as a modern foreign language, we have recently started to use  the 'Language Angels' scheme, which has a mixture of music, pictorial, written and spoken resources. 

Spirituality in our Curriculum

At the Nar Valley Federation, we promote spirituality through MFL by exploring the beauty of languages from around the world and exploring the way in which language is constructed.