Modern Foreign Languages

Modern Foreign Language (MFL) Subject Intent

At St Winefride's, we recognise that learning a modern foreign language is a statutory entitlement for all pupils during their time in Key Stage 2 and we are committed to the principle that learning another language helps foster a curiosity and deeper understanding of other cultures and the world in general. We believe that learning to understand, speak, read and write another language during Key Stage 2 will provide the basis for learning other languages, which in turn will provide important opportunities for future study and work in other countries. Our main objectives in the teaching of French are to promote the development of linguistic competence and confidence in speaking and writing as well as an understanding and awareness of the world and other cultures.

MFL Policy

Policy Overarching Objective

Learning a foreign language is a liberation from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures. A high-quality languages education should foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. The teaching should enable pupils to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing. It should also provide opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes, learn new ways of thinking and read great literature in the original language. (NC 2013)

Our curriculum intents of Global Citizenship and Economic Wellbeing are supported by language teaching, equipping pupils to study and work in other countries. The weekly MFL teaching is supported by celebrating International week and French day.

Implementation

We base our teaching on the National Curriculum programme of study and the Rising Stars programme for French teaching. Children have weekly lessons. We have adapted this to the context of our school and the abilities of our children. We use a variety of techniques to encourage children to engage actively in learning French: these include games, role-play, songs and rhymes (particularly action songs). We may use videos, sound recordings and songs to demonstrate the language and for the pupils to hear more than one voice speaking language. We teach skills in all four strands of language – listening, speaking, reading and writing. We also use a multi-sensory and kinaesthetic approach to teaching to reinforce memory. We aim to make lessons entertaining and enjoyable in order to develop a positive attitude to the learning of modern foreign languages. We build children’s confidence through constant praise for any contribution that they make in the foreign language, however tentative. We allow for differentiation by:

using peer support
setting common tasks which are open-ended and can have a variety of responses;
providing resources of different complexities, matched to the ability of the child.

Impact

We recognise that language learning in its broadest sense has three core strands:

learning to communicate (with the emphasis on oracy, i.e. listening, speaking and interacting);
learning about language (reading and writing in the foreign language and learning about the writing system, spelling and structure of the language);
learning about and comparing different cultures (inter-cultural understanding). We will encourage pupils to apply knowledge already learnt about their own language to their learning of the new language.

We aim to equip pupils with strategies for language learning that they can use in the future when studying other foreign languages.

Cultural Capital links to MFL

International Week: every year pupils enhance their knowledge and understanding of the world by engaging in our school International Week. Each class creates a performance, which becomes part of our international carnival parade. The children taste food from around the world, dress up in national costume of colours and landmarks, flag and much more for their chosen country. We invite parents in to speak about their country and invite outside agencies for dancing, stories and history talks.

Pupil Team: all pupils are eligible to be selected for the Geography Pupil Team to promote a love of geography across the school and assist in monitoring tasks.

Skills Progression

Children at St Winefride's progress through the following programme of study:

Lower Key Stage 2:

Upper Key Stage 2:

Cross Curricular Links

English - The learning of a modern foreign language naturally contributes to the development of our children’s listening and speaking skills. It also develops the children’s grasp of linguistic features such as rhyme, rhythm, stress and intonation, supports the understanding of various aspects of grammar and emphasises the importance of knowing the role of different word types in sentence structure.

Mathematics - Children reinforce their time-telling skills by playing time-related games in the foreign language. We play number games that reinforce counting and calculation skills, expand their understanding of date and increase their knowledge about money.

Personal, social and health education (PSHE) and citizenship - One of the main benefits to the children of learning a modern foreign language at primary school level is a social one. Those children who have difficulty in reading and writing, but who have good aural skills, will often find that they excel at speaking in foreign languages. This success breeds confidence, which in turn increases self- esteem and gives them a more positive attitude to school in general.

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural education - By teaching a modern foreign language, we contribute to the children’s cultural education. They learn that many societies are multi-lingual. We teach them about festivals and customs related to the countries in which the language is spoken. We also give them the chance to hear stories set in the foreign culture.

Geography - We ask the children to do research on the different countries in which the particular foreign language is spoken after they have first found them on a map or a globe. In MFL lessons children will learn about the climate of the countries in which the language is spoken.

Music - We teach children songs in the modern foreign language – both traditional and modern – which of course helps them develop a sense of rhythm and an ear for melody.

History - We teach children about traditional festivals of the countries whose language we are studying and compare them to ours.

Science - Children reinforce their knowledge of parts of the body through related games, such as a French version of “Simon Says”, or ”Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”. They also learn about typical German food.

Art & DT - Children use a variety of Art & DT skills to present their knowledge and understanding, e.g. menus, fact files, comic strips, posters and booklets.

Enhancement/Cultural Capital

School visits

International Week

Visiting speakers/workshops

French Day

MFL pupil team

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