Junior School

French

INTENT

At Leesland C of E Junior School, we use the Language Angels scheme of work and resources to ensure we offer a relevant, broad, vibrant and ambitious foreign languages curriculum that inspires and excites our pupils using a wide variety of topics and themes. All pupils are expected to achieve their full potential by encouraging high expectations and excellent standards in their foreign language learning - the ultimate aim being that pupils will feel willing and able to continue studying languages beyond key stage 2.

The four key language learning skills; listening, speaking, reading and writing are taught and all necessary grammar is covered in an age-appropriate way across the primary phase. This enables pupils to use and apply their learning in a variety of contexts, laying down solid foundations for future language learning.

The intent is that all pupils will develop a genuine interest and positive curiosity about foreign languages, finding them enjoyable and stimulating. The intention is that they will be working towards becoming life-long language learners.

IMPLEMENTATION

All classes have access to a high-quality foreign languages curriculum using the Language Angels scheme of work and resources. This will progressively develop pupil’s skills in French through regularly taught and well-planned fortnightly lessons.

Children will progressively acquire, use and apply a growing bank of vocabulary, language skills and grammatical knowledge, organised around age-appropriate topics and themes - building blocks of language into more complex, fluent and authentic language.

We will ensure that all pupils:

Listen attentively to spoken language, including conversations and exchanges, stories and songs/rhymes in French and show understanding by joining in and responding.
Speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures, using accurate pronunciation and intonation.
Read carefully, showing understanding of words, phrases and simple writing, and begin to write phrases from memory, adapting these to create sentences.
Broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including through using a dictionary.
Increase their intercultural understanding through study of another country/culture.
Describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing.
Understand basic grammar, including feminine and masculine forms and the conjugation of high frequency verbs; key features and patterns of French and how these differ from or are similar to English.

As such, the MFL curriculum is divided into a series of half termly themed units, which are linked to cross-curricular themes where possible and appropriate. Units are progressive within themselves as subsequent lessons within a unit build on the language and knowledge taught in previous lessons. As pupils progress though the lessons in a unit, they will build their knowledge and develop the complexity of the language they use.

A typical unit will involve:

Games – language learning through kinaesthetic games, paired and whole class activities including: listening attentively to spoken language and demonstrating understanding by joining in and responding.
Songs/rhymes/videos - exploring the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words.
Conversing and role playing - asking and answering questions; expressing opinions and responding to those of others and role-playing real life scenarios such as ordering a drink at a café.
Stories and texts – being read to and also reading carefully and showing understanding of words, phrases and simple writing. This involves looking for similar words in both languages, familiar words and inference based on context and pictures.
Dictionary use: broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including through using a dual language dictionary.
Written activities: applying vocabulary and language learned to a context and seeing the language in written form on paper.

IMPACT

We want children to be able to:

Enjoy lessons and engage in language learning.
Learn basic conversational skills and vocabulary in the target language.
Build a secure foundation in language learning skills to encourage independent learning.
Access a range of visual/kinaesthetic resources.

Early Learning units will start at basic noun and article level and will teach pupils how to formulate short phrases. By the time pupils reach Progressive units they will be exposed to much longer text and will be encouraged to formulate their own, more personalised responses based on a much wider bank of vocabulary, linguistic structures and grammatical knowledge. Pupils will continuously build on their previous knowledge as they progress in their foreign language learning journey through the primary phase. Previous language will be recycled, revised, recalled and consolidated whenever possible and appropriate.