Modern Foreign Languages

Modern Foreign Languages Vision

An Evendons linguist will have experienced a breadth of vocabulary, stories and cultures throughout their time here. They will develop an appreciation of languages and the roots and patterns of the spoken word. They will enjoy traditional tales from around the world and experience familiar stories in a new language. Grammar and vocabulary will be discussed and differences and similarities identified between English and the target language. Children will feel empowered to practise their French speaking and pronunciation, their writing and reading, in a safe and nurturing environment.

Cave Languages French KS2 Scheme of Work

Modern Foreign Languages Intent

Evendons linguists: 

  • Develop resilience in language learning as well as enjoyment of it through a challenging scheme of work
  • Acquire language learning strategies for memorisation and retrieval as well as for listening, reading and understanding
  • Develop the skill of how to use a bi-lingual dictionary to decode unfamiliar language
  • Be able to manipulate language to speak or write sentences creatively using prior knowledge of grammar and key features; with and without a dictionary
  • Have a sound grasp of the key sounds of the French language and their corresponding graphemes and be able to apply this knowledge when speaking, listening and reading aloud
  • Recognise some of the language patterns of French and how these differ or are similar to English
  • Appreciate and be able to copy the sound of the language at text level through songs, stories and rhymes
  • Have a deeper understanding of cultural differences and similarities
  • Demonstrate substantial progress in learning French and work towards or meet the targets of the KS2 Programme of Study for Languages

See the ‘Language Overview’ document for specific vocabulary.

Modern Foreign Languages Implementation

  • The lesson plans are designed to be 30 minutes in length for Years 3/4 and 45 minutes in length for Years 5/6. There are follow-up activities to each lesson to increase the exposure time in a week
  • The lessons are designed to be progressive and build on prior learning, moving from word to sentence level over the four years
  • The lesson plans include ideas for support for the less able and to extend the more able
  • The lesson activities are challenging, varied and interactive and develop listening, reading, speaking and writing skills
  • Interactive whiteboard resources with audio support are provided; purchase of a set of storybooks and phonics book is a requisite to access the scheme and additional resources are recommended particularly for songs and rhymes
  • The choice of vocabulary ensures exposure to all the key phonic sounds and ability to build sentences using grammatical knowledge
  • In Year 6, the content allows for revisiting and consolidating prior knowledge
  • Who teaches the scheme to ensure high quality lessons is at the discretion of the school but linguistic up-skilling and methodology training is available to support its delivery as well as detailed lesson plans linked to ready-made resource templates and audio recordings of stories and rhymes read by a native speaker

Languages (French) Whole School Overview

 

 

 

 

Modern Foreign Languages Impact

  • As a result of attending the Thames Valley Primary Language Hub, it was decided that there should be a greater focus on an awareness of a wider range of all 27 Francophone countries and their culture.
  • Approximately 30 families participated in Cultural Day with 22 countries represented.
  • Provision of  extra-curricular language clubs: Spanish and Italian. Spanish club is very well-attended with a high number of children reattending each term – some children have been participating since nursery with the same Spanish teacher.
  • Children are enthusiastic and open to learning new languages; Year 2 spoke and sang in French in their Nativity performance.
  • Year 3 showed cultural awareness and shared national food specialities as part of their World Food topic.
  • KS2 celebrate French language and culture with a morning of activities to mark  Bastille Day on 14 July
  • As a result of pupil voice,we are ensuring that we are celebrating all the different nationalities and languages represented by the children in each class.
  • Pupil Voice:  “ Learning a language is really useful, you can talk to people on holiday and it can help you in your career.  Once you’ve learnt one foreign language, it makes it easier to learn another one.  I’m learning Latin on Duolingo!”

 

Subject Leader Sarah Nimmey