MFL
Subject Leader - Miss Brown
Hello, my name is Miss Brown and I am French lead at St John Fisher Primary School. Ever since I was young I have been speaking French as I was lucky enough to have French members of my family. I decided to take French for GCSE and A-Level and went on to study French as a degree at the University of Liverpool, where I was fortunate enough to spend 2 years in Paris studying the language. After graduating, I completed my PGCE at Liverpool Hope University, specialising in Modern Foreign Languages! This is my first teaching post at St John Fisher Primary school and I am delighted to be given the opportunity to spread my love of French and French culture with all of our children.
Intent
At St. John Fisher we believe that learning a modern foreign language within the primary setting is a vital part of children’s learning which helps to prepare pupils for their secondary education. Learning a language has an important role to play in the preparation of children’s future as it helps to develop confidence and raise cultural understanding and deepens their curiosity about the world around them. All KS2 children are provided with opportunities to explore French as a Modern Foreign Language through the major skills: Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing. At St John Fisher we use the Language Angels scheme of work and resources to ensure we offer a broad, vibrant and ambitious MFL curriculum that will inspire and excite 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 learning French - the ultimate aim being that pupils will feel willing and able to continue studying French beyond key stage 2.
Implementation
- Pupils progressively develop skills in French through well-planned, weekly lessons in KS2 which are taught by class teachers.
- Children progressively acquire, use and apply a growing bank of vocabulary (that they keep in a vocabulary book), language skills and grammatical knowledge organised around age-appropriate topics and themes.
- Lessons offering appropriate levels of challenge and stretch are taught at all times to ensure pupils learn effectively, continuously building their knowledge of and enthusiasm for the language they are learning.
- French is taught progressively through 4 units. Early Language units are entry level units and are taught in Year 3 pupils. Intermediate units increase the level of challenge by increasing the amount and complexity (including foreign language grammar concepts) of the foreign language presented to pupils. Intermediate units are taught in Year 4-5. Progressive and Creative Curriculum units are the most challenging units and are taught to Year 6 pupils.
- The Progression Map shows precisely how pupil foreign language learning across the key skills of speaking, listening, reading, writing and grammar progresses within each unit and also how the level of learning and progression of each pupil is increased as pupils move across KS2.
- Units, where possible and appropriate, are linked to class topics and cross curricular themes. Children build on previous knowledge gradually as their foreign language lessons continue to recycle, revise and consolidate previously learnt language whilst building on all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
- Pupil learning and progression is assessed at regular intervals in line with school policy.
In addition to following the lessons provided in the Language Angels scheme of work and resources, teachers are encouraged to also do some of the following:
- Foreign language celebration assemblies.
- Cookery sessions of traditional foods from the country of the language being studied.
- Fashion shows demonstrating typical / traditional clothing from the country of the language being studied.
- Weather forecasts based on maps from the country of the language being studied.
- School celebrations of national feast days from the country of the language being studied when appropriate to facilitate a whole school approach to foreign language learning along with improved cultural awareness.
Impact
MFL at St John Fisher directs, drives and guarantees progressive learning and challenge. Units increase in level of challenge, stretch and linguistic and grammatical complexity as pupils move from Early Learning units through Intermediate units and into the most challenging Progressive units. Early Learning units start at basic noun and article level and 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. They will be able to create longer pieces of spoken and written language and are encouraged to use a variety of conjunctions, adverbs, adjectives, opinions and justifications.
Pupils continuously build on their previous knowledge as they progress in their foreign language learning journey through the primary phase. Previous language is recycled, revised, recalled and consolidated whenever possible and appropriate.
Pupils are aware of their own learning goals and progression as each unit offers a pupil friendly self assessment tool so that all pupils can review their own learning at the end of each unit. Teachersassess pupil learning in the key language skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) against the 12 DfE Languages Programme of Study for Key Stage 2 attainment targets.
Children are expected to make good or better than good progress in their foreign language learning and their individual progress is tracked and reported to pupils and parents / carers in line with school recommendations.
