At St George’s, we believe that the learning of a foreign language provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience for our pupils. It helps them to develop communication skills, including the key skills of speaking and listening, and extends their knowledge of how language works.
As a school we are determined to ensure each KS2 child receives high quality MFL teaching. We chose to teach the children French as this supports their transition into our local high schools that also teach French. Lessons should teach children the skills needed to communicate confidently in French. Children should also be able to express their thoughts and ideas both in speech and writing. We follow the Language Angels scheme of work across Key Stage 2. The children enjoy using the resources including video stories, songs and games. The children have the opportunity to learn French vocabulary linked to a range of topics including money, animals and school. Throughout the week, the children get the opportunity to practice what they have learned.
Learning another language gives children a new perspective on the world, encouraging them to understand their own cultures, their own languages, and the culture and languages of others.
The objectives for MFL in KS2 are clearly set out for each year group in the National Curriculum:
Key Stage 2
Pupils should be taught about:
- 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
- understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied, including (where relevant): feminine, masculine and neuter forms and the conjugation of high-frequency verbs; key features and patterns of the language; how to apply these, for instance, to build sentences; and how these differ from or are similar to English
The starred (*) content above will not be applicable to ancient languages.