Foreign Languages Curriculum

Kettlefields Primary School

The study of Languages prepares children to participate in a rapidly changing world in which work and other activities are increasingly carried out in languages other than English.   At Kettlefields Primary School we believe that the learning of a foreign language provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience for our children.   It helps them to develop their ability to communicate, including key skills of speaking and listening and extends their knowledge of how language works.  It provides excitement, enjoyment and challenge for children and teachers, helping to create enthusiastic learners and to develop positive attitudes to language learning throughout life.  Learning another language gives children a new perspective on the world, encouraging them to understand their own cultures and those of others.   The natural links between languages and other areas of the curriculum can enrich the overall teaching and learning experience.

All Key Stage 2 children are entitled to foreign language learning in school time.  We recognise the value of this initiative and provide age-appropriate Primary Languages learning opportunities for all children in Years 3 – 6.  The focus language taught in our school is French and they have at least one hour per week.  The children are taught French in their class groups and lessons are delivered by a specialist languages teacher.

Aims and objectives of Primary Languages education at Kettlefields Primary

The aims of Primary Languages teaching at Kettlefields Primary are to

• foster an interest in language learning by introducing children to other languages in a way that is enjoyable and accessible to all children;
• stimulate and encourage children’s curiosity about language and creativity in experimenting with it;
• support oracy and literacy, and in particular develop speaking and listening skills;
• help children develop their awareness of cultural similarities and differences and develop a respect for these;
• lay the foundations for future language study by children;
• provide an added perspective on first language teaching and learning;
• give an extra dimension to teaching and learning across the curriculum.

Oracy

The children will learn to

• listen carefully and recognise sounds and combinations of sounds which are similar to, or different from, those of English;
• understand and respond with increasing competence, accuracy and confidence in a range of situations;
• join in songs, rhymes, raps and stories which enable them to practise the sounds of the language in an enjoyable and non-threatening way;
• take part in conversations at an appropriate level, reacting to instructions and questions and expressing opinions and feelings;
• memorise and recite short texts, and prepare and give a talk on a familiar subject confidently and with regard to the audience.

Literacy

The children will learn to:

• remember grapheme-phoneme correspondences and vocabulary directly taught and reinforced through word games and similar activities;
• read stories and rhymes for enjoyment and to gain awareness of the structure of the written language;
• read, copy and write independently familiar words and simple phrases in context e.g. classroom items, display labels, weather chart, date;
• write sentences and short texts independently and from memory.

Intercultural understanding

The children will learn to:

• describe the life of children in the countries where the language is spoken;
• identify similarities and differences in everyday life, social conventions, traditional stories and celebrations;
• recognise how symbols, products and objects can represent the culture of a country, and how aspects of the culture of different countries become incorporated in the daily life of others;
• recognise and mistrust stereotypes, and understand and respect cultural diversity.

Teaching and learning Primary Languages at Kettlefields Primary

At Kettlefields we make Foreign Language learning an enjoyable learning experience.  Children develop their language skills through techniques to encourage children to engage actively, these include: rhymes, stories, role-play, games and songs (action songs), with written activities to reinforce and extend language. 

We foster a problem-solving approach, giving children opportunities to work out language use for themselves in a supportive context where risk-taking and creativity are encouraged, and there is an emphasis on having fun with the new language.   

Primary Languages is planned following the broad guidelines set out in the Key Stage 2 Framework for Languages.  The school’s Scheme of Work (which is updated regularly) ensures that there is continuity and progression in both skills and content across all classes.  Lessons are often supplemented with other materials.

The use of ICT is a key part of Foreign Language teaching, using interactive games and where possible, we enhance the teaching and learning with the use of DVDs in the target language and approved French internet sites.  We also use a range of language teaching websites to help children work independently and improve their language and ICT skills. 

Intercultural understanding

Primary Languages provides a basis for teaching and learning about other cultures, and this is incorporated into many areas of the curriculum including personal and social education and citizenship, design and technology, music, art and topics.   

Cross Curricular Links

Learning another language present opportunities for the reinforcement of knowledge, skills and understanding developed in other curriculum areas.  These opportunities can be exploited through aspects of:

• Literacy: actively promoting and developing listening, reading, writing and speaking skills, knowledge and understanding of grammar and sentence construction.   Children’s understanding of English can be enhanced by comparing similarities and differences between English and other languages.
• Numeracy:  children develop an awareness and understanding of counting, understanding the calendar and telling the time in a foreign language, as well as looking at foreign currency, which complements skills taught in maths.
• Computing: the use of materials from the internet, DVDs in the foreign language, presentation of data, word-processing, using educational language based websites, all complement the Computing curriculum.
• PSHE: the multilingual society, knowledge of other countries and cultures.  It can also promote an understanding and respect for the way in which other cultures are different or the same as ours.
• Geography: work relating to the study of other countries, points of the compass, weather, comparing other countries with our own.
• Science: work on parts of the body, animals and names of planets.
• Music: rhyming, rhythm, singing and world music.
• RE: international or multi-cultural work, celebration of festivals, storytelling, calendars and customs.
• History: work relating to the study of other countries, looking at famous French inventors, like Louis Braille etc., and historical events in French-speaking countries like the French Revolution and Bastille Day.
• Art: looking at paintings and the lives of French painters and designers.

Inclusion

Primary Languages teaching at Kettlefields Primary is fully inclusive.   No child is excluded by reason of a learning difficulty, or because they have English as an additional language.   Experience has indeed shown that such children can derive particular benefit from taking part in Primary Languages learning activities in which they may be less disadvantaged than in other areas of the curriculum.   

Language learning activities are planned in such a way as to encourage the full and active participation of all children.   Work is differentiated as appropriate to the needs of individual children.   We achieve this through a range of strategies.  In some lessons this is through differentiated group work while in other lessons we ask children to work from the same starting point before moving on to develop their ideas.

Monitoring progress and assessing attainment

Opportunities to monitor the children’s progress in Primary Languages are built into our programmes of study.   Most assessment is formative and is used to support teaching and learning and inform future planning.   Children’s progress is assessed informally during the lessons. Assessments are based on observation of children working on different oral activities and some written product. 

We have introduced the Junior Languages Portfolio, which gives children the opportunity to self-assess their progress based on a series of statements from the KS2 MFL PoS, linked to the content and skills based objectives.  This takes the form of a passport which accompanies the child through school.

Links outside school

Primary Languages gives us an ideal opportunity for making links outside school.   We encourage children to share their experiences of visiting or living in other countries.  We make use of ICT and approved sites on the Internet, to find out about life in other countries.   

We are currently working towards making links with primary schools in French-speaking countries so that the children can have a direct insight into other cultures and the will be able to communicate directly with children from these cultures.

Maria Marsh