Intent
At Appletree Gardens First School we believe that high quality MfL education will help our children to ‘branch out’ and take them beyond their home town. It will widen their horizons, broaden their minds and develop their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. Introducing and exposing our children to different languages and cultures will provide them with the ability to show respect to all by understanding cultural differences. This will allow them to play a valuable part in our global community. It has been proven that through learning another language, pupils receive many benefits including; improved memory, enhanced decision making and a greater awareness of our own language. Young children are particularly receptive to learning a new language and we aim to capture and fulfil this opportunity by exposing all of our children to the french language.
Across the whole school we introduce and teach the French in a way that is enjoyable and stimulating. We aim to encourage children’s curiosity about language and equip them with the confidence and skills to develop listening, speaking, reading and writing in French. We hope to inspire a love of languages as part of their life-long learning and to provide them with the confidence and desire to converse, study and even work in other countries in the future.
Implementation
In Early Years and Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2) children are introduced to the French language through stories, rhyme, songs and greetings. By joining in and adding actions they already begin to develop speaking and listening skills and can identify some patterns of language, identifying similarities and differences to English.
To promote a love of languages and to celebrate cultural differences we provide additional opportunities for children to learn about France, its geography and its culture and traditions. We celebrate International and European Languages Day and other special celebration days in France, for example, ‘Bastille Day’. We also learn about and compare British traditions to how the French celebrate the same events: Christmas, ‘Mardi-Gras’ April Fools’ Day etc.
At Appletree we use North Tyneside Primary Scheme of Work for Languages to teach a carefully planned sequence of lessons, ensuring progressive coverage of skills required by the National Curriculum. National Curriculum for Modern Foreign Languages Programme of Study
Through the high quality first teaching of French taking place we will see the impact of the subject in the following ways:
- Children enjoy french lessons and learning a different language.
- Children will be able to communicate with each other in French.
- Children will know and be able to say a range of french vocabulary with correct pronunciation.
- Children will become aware that a language has a structure, and that the structure may differ from one language to another.
- Children will develop their language through development of the four key skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing.
- Children will enrich their language learning by developing an understanding of the French culture.
- Children will transfer their learning to middle school effectively and successfully and will be well prepared to continue and develop their language skills.