French - Subject Leader: Mrs Katrina Breslin
INTENT Why do we teach this? Why do we teach it in the way we do?
The National Curriculum states that “Learning a foreign language is a liberation from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures.”
At Cold Ash St Mark’s, we teach MFL to ensure our children gain a strong understanding of the world, fostering a celebration of different cultures.
Our intent is:
- To teach a foreign language in a way that is fun and accessible to all.
- To give pupils the opportunity to communicate both orally and in writing.
- To enable pupils to use language for both for practical purposes and to express thoughts and ideas.
- To make links between the pupils’ own language and a foreign language, identifying similarities and differences in phonics, vocabulary and structure.
- To provide the foundation for learning further languages.
Curriculum Overview
What do we teach? What does this look like?
At St Mark’s, all KS2 children have a weekly French lesson. We follow selected units from the CGP Salut scheme of work.
By using the plans and resources that accompany the scheme, as well as supplementary activities, we ensure that all areas of the National Curriculum Programme of Study for MFL at KS2 are covered.
Methods of teaching include:
- Singing songs
- Reading stories
- Playing games
- Role play
- Oral work
- Written work
Progression of Skills
Units of work have been specially chosen to ensure progression and to give the opportunity for repetition of core skills and vocabulary in order to embed learning.
Techniques to ensure that vocabulary and skills are embedded include:
- focus on repetition and reproduction
- focus on clear and concise pronunciation using authentic language sources
- taking time over each new skill or vocabulary set
- revisiting pre-learned vocabulary and grammar skills
Each child is given a book or folder to use throughout KS2 so that they have a record of skills and vocabulary covered and so that progress can be seen.
Assessment
Teachers use information on the progression of skills document and their observations of children's oral and written work in French in order to assess whether children are working below, above or at National expectations for their year group. This is recorded half-termly.
IMPACT of our MFL curriculum
By the end of KS2, all pupils have:
- Enjoyed learning and become familiar with another language.
- Developed skills and had experience which has prepared them to embrace the challenge of faster paced, more formal language learning in KS3.
- Gained a stronger understanding of the world and the different languages and cultures within it.
