Languages (French)

At Deepcar St John’s Church of England Junior School, we believe that the study of languages prepares pupils to participate in a rapidly changing world.

Pupils use languages to communicate information responsibly and creatively. Learning an additional language enables our children to access ideas and experiences from a wide range of

people, communities and cultures. In addition, it increases a child’s understanding of their own language and the foundations upon which it is built. The process of learning a foreign language reinforces fluency and understanding of grammar, sentence structure and accurate pronunciation. By the time they leave Deepcar St John’s, pupils are effective users of basic French language and show an understanding and respect of different cultures in our local, national and global communities. Language teaching provides the foundation for learning further languages, equipping pupils to study and work in other countries.

At Deepcar St John’s, we ensure every child has the opportunity, throughout Key Stage Two, to study French as a foreign language through skills of Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing and Cultural Understanding.

Children have the opportunity to develop an interest in the culture, geography and history of other French speaking nations and communities through their language lessons and the global citizenship we teach.

The national curriculum for Modern Foreign Languages aims to ensure that all pupils:

• Understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources.

• Speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, finding ways of communicating what they want to say, including through discussion and asking questions, and continually improving the accuracy of their pronunciation and intonation.

• Can write at varying length, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt.

• Discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied.

Throughout Key Stage Two, children have access to high quality teaching and learning opportunities, following the ilanugages scheme of work.

We ensure children have exposure to simple everyday French language, including greetings, days, months, numbers and classroom instructions.

The units cover grammar, speaking and listening, reading and writing. The main focus is on speaking and listening, then progressing onto reading, alongside spoken language and then finally writing. The writing in MFL is most prominent in years 5 and 6 but it is covered a little in years 3 and 4. Through the units, key words and phrases are revisited and used through all the year groups. The subject starts with a focus on single words and pronunciation, then progressing onto phrases, simple sentences and then finally onto longer and more complex sentences.

Our curriculum is well resourced and planned, demonstrating progression through Key Stage Two and delivered in an engaging manner, which is enjoyed by all learners.

Impact is measured through:

Pupil voice interviews

Assessments, which are made termly using a PITA score against year group expectations.

Children applying their knowledge of language in other areas of the curriculum.

Children applying their cultural understanding and acceptance across society and cultures.

Pupils leave Deepcar St John’s with a developing knowledge and understanding of the French language and a growing confidence to use it in real life situations. Children leave with an awareness of the global reach of the French language and cultures of the francophone world.

• To read fluently
• To write imaginatively
• To speak confidently
• To understand the culture of the countries in which the language is spoken