Modern Foreign Languages - French
French Curriculum
Intent:
Children at Orchard Lea will have the opportunity to learn to read, speak and begin to write a foreign language (French), as well as develop an intercultural understanding of another country. We have chosen French after careful consideration of the needs and experiences of our children at Orchard Lea. Many children take holidays in French speaking countries, allowing us to promote the relevance and significance of the language. Some parents in our community speak French, at varying levels, enabling them to offer some support to our children’s developing language acquisition. Many of our staff have experience in speaking French and we are therefore able to provide more authentic and varied learning opportunities.
We believe that language learning is a fundamental part of our curriculum. We recognise that children enjoy learning another language and we also believe that the earlier a child is exposed to learning a foreign language, the faster the new language can be acquired. We understand that language learning is challenging but believe that children of primary school age respond best to language learning as they are typically less self-conscious when speaking aloud. Most importantly, we recognise that early acquisition of a foreign language facilitates the learning of other languages later in life.
By the time our pupils leave us, we aim to ensure that all pupils:
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Have developed a good level of intercultural understanding and can recognise similarities and differences between their own lives, and those who live in another country.
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Can understand and respond to spoken or written language from a range of sources.
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Will be able to speak, with increasing confidence and fluency, about a familiar topic either in the form of a pre-prepared talk or in response to a question.
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Can write a short passage (of a few sentences), in the suggested form of a short message, postcard or greetings card.
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Have developed a curiosity and interest into language learning, and hopefully are motivated and enthused to continue their language learning journey in KS3.
French provides many opportunities for pupils to explore and embed our school’s core values and principles. They consistently show resilience through their continued efforts and enthusiasm at mastering a new language; we are impressed by the way children continue to practise their pronunciation.
Learning a new language requires creativity as children try new approaches and apply new language structures. We promote respect and kindness at all times when learning a language, as the children develop an understanding and appreciation for difference across new cultures.
Implementation:
Activities at Orchard Lea are stimulating, engaging and challenging and are differentiated where appropriate. The teaching and learning of Primary Foreign Languages is relevant and meaningful to our children and incorporates some child-led learning where applicable. All children have the opportunity to learn through a range of practical, interactive experiences, as well as the chance to focus on more formal written and spoken outcomes. Language is used naturally and reinforced in everyday contexts by class teachers so that children are able to develop and embed their abilities subconsciously. Intercultural understanding is at the heart of our PFL teaching and as a result, we encourage children to be knowledgeable and accepting of other cultures; children make connections between their own local experiences and those of other internationally. They begin to value the process as well as the outcome and are prepared to step outside of their comfort zone to have a go at something new and challenging.
At Orchard Lea, Language Angels forms the foundation for our planning and delivery of French lessons. It offers a rich variety of practical, interactive, written, listening, and spoken activities and supports progression throughout KS2. As well as coverage of key topics taken from Language Angels, we look at key events happening around the world and link them to our French curriculum. For example, looking at how Christmas is celebrated in France.
