Modern Foreign Languages (French) at Markington School
At Markington Primary School we value the importance of language teaching. We believe that it provides opportunities for children beyond the academic gaining of knowledge; offering the opportunity to discover a world beyond the local environment – learning about countries, cultures and customs. It deepens their understanding of the world and the potential opportunities in the future for studying and working abroad, or for conversing in a social situation. It provides the cultural capital they need to succeed in life and encourages children to appreciate and celebrate difference.
We aim to develop pupils who transition to secondary school proficient as ‘early language learners’ and who go on to build on the firm foundations we have provided. We make learning relevant, and create positive attitudes towards the learning of another language, through carefully planned activities which encourage children to be curious. We want pupils to be confident and engaged in their learning of a new language, and therefore we offer a well-planned curriculum which provides opportunities to help enhance the understanding of the etymology of language, and we build on their knowledge progressively through regularly revisits from prior leaning.
At Markington School, we follow the National Curriculum for modern foreign languages, and pupils at our school are taught French.
Curriculum
We teach French in a mixed Y2/3/4 class and a Y5/6 class.
Our French scheme of work is built around the following six key areas:
- Phonics – becoming familiar with key French phonemes, spelling and pronunciation.
- Vocabulary – introducing commonly-used words; memorising high-frequency keywords.
- Grammar – systematically learning French grammar and applying it in a variety of contexts; practising grammar structures in speaking, writing, reading and listening activities.
- Language comprehension (listening and reading) – applying knowledge of phonics, vocabulary and grammar; decoding what the children hear and read more accurately and efficiently using a range of strategies.
- Language production (speaking and writing) – applying what the children have learnt across other knowledge strands to speak and write in French.
- Cultural awareness – learning about French food, celebrations, festivals, art and French-speaking countries around the world.
Teaching
Pupils are taught to:
- Listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding
- Explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words
- Engage in conversations; ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek clarification and help
- Speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures
- Develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud or using familiar words and phrases
- Present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences
- Read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing § appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language
- Broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including through using a dictionary
- Write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clearly
- Describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing