Modern Foreign Languages
At Royal Rise Primary School all children, including SEN and Disadvantaged, will develop the following skills through studying French throughout KS2
Concepts
- The acquisition of a wide range of vocabulary and an understanding of grammar
- Children write clearly and accurately for a range of context and purposes
- Development of speech and communication skills so children can explain their ideas clearly.
- The ability to accurately articulate their thoughts and opinions through the pro-active acquisition
Themes
- Colours
- School
- Singing
- Animals
- Family
- Familiarity
- Greetings
British Values
By connecting our British Values through the teaching of languages, we explore issues that affect us all in our lives and this helps inform decisions that will shape our future for example, mutual respect as children understand the importance and acceptance of different cultures and beliefs.
We will further embed the British value of tolerance and respect by encouraging the children to realise that the world is made of many people and nations, each with its own language. Through engaging with a different culture they will realise the richness of another country's cultural heritage and will be able to compare another culture with their own, seeing all the beautiful differences and similarities whilst developing an understanding and respect for all cultures.
EYFS/ KS1
In EYFS and Key Stage one, we ensure that the children are exposed to French and other languages and cultures through song, stories, games and by sharing their home languages. This unstructured approach prepares them well to follow the National Curriculum from Year 3, in which there is clear progression in one language (French).
The children are introduced to languages by learning simple words for example, colours, days of the week, body part and this connects with key Stage 2 as a precursor to learning simple phrases.
KS2
The teaching of modern foreign languages is a curriculum requirement in Key stage 2, and we have one session of French each week. The program of study for KS2 Languages, sets out a range of requirements and intercultural understanding* which should be achieved by the end of Year 6, and the following is an outline of how that progression through the school is delivered and represented in the books.
Throughout the school in Language lessons, there are many opportunities to celebrate other cultures and traditions, especially from those countries represented in our school community. We learn that language is key in understanding and appreciating how people from other countries live.
Year 3
We develop their understanding of learning languages through mainly writing at word level e.g learning to greet and introduce ourselves by name and age. The concept of gender in language (masculine and feminine nouns) is introduced with a focus to develop accurate pronunciation and intonation: Core vocabulary and phonetics unit. We learn simple adjectives and make up simple sentences using the first personal pronoun 'je'. Alongside this, the children learn to name different animals and musical instruments. Culturally, they learn that French children also study the traditional tale 'Little Red Riding Hood’.
Year 4
We connect the word level work previously in Year 3, progressing to full sentences in spoken and written work, these are supported using a writing frame or a list of prompts. Some basic grammar rules, such as the 'colour comes after the noun' and 'adjectives have to agree' are embedded at this stage and children are challenged to extend their sentences using a greater range of vocabulary. Throughout the year children are developing a greater ability to speak in complex sentences.
Year 5
We learn to effectively use a bilingual dictionary. This builds on children’s learning from Years 3 and 4 and gives them more freedom in reading and writing where they are challenged to build on and develop an enjoyment in the extra vocabulary. We begin to read longer texts, listen to longer recorded extracts, discussing what was read or heard. We revisit how adjectives must accord with the gender of a noun, that verbs change depending on the subject's pronoun, and learn that French has irregular verbs. By the end of the year children can write a complex sentence which justifies their opinions.
Year 6
Previous learning is connected with a heavy focus on grammar in preparation for transition. Where previously children were able to be adventurous with nouns and adjectives using the bilingual dictionary but the basic sentence including verbs, prepositions and determiners were scaffolded for them, they are now given the tools to build these sentences without support. The children start by learning terminology which will be useful for KS3 regardless of the language being learned, ie: infinitives/subject pronouns/conjugation. They develop this further through learning how to conjugate regular verbs, and onto irregular verbs in the present tense. The children add prepositions and learn to create the negative form. When the children have mastered these, they move onto writing a letter, poem or paragraph using all of their new skills.
All of these skills are learnt through a range of creative and enjoyable tasks, with the aim of creating a love of learning a language so the children are ready to flourish when they reach secondary school
