Foreign Languages

Intent

At Lydiard Millicent, we recognise the wide-ranging opportunities learning a modern foreign language can bring. We aim to introduce children to the joys of learning to communicate in another language, and to develop an interest for continued language learning as they grow older. Our aim is not only for children to develop their skills in listening to, reading and writing in a foreign language, but also to develop an understanding of another culture.

The 2014 National Curriculum for Modern Foreign Languages aims to ensure that all children:

• Understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources.
• Are able to speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, finding ways of communicating what they want to say, including through discussion and asking questions, and that they are continually improving the accuracy of their pronunciation and intonation.
• Can write at varying length, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt.
• Discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied.

Implementation

In Key Stage 1, there are no formal modern foreign language lessons. Instead, the class teacher introduces the children to some key vocabulary in French such as how to count to ten and how to greet someone. The focus is purely on oral learning and is designed to give children an awareness that other languages exist and the pleasure of being able to communicate a few words in a second language.

Our Key Stage 2 curriculum focuses on developing French language skills. To support with the planning, teaching and assessing of French, we have subscribed to ‘Language Angels’. This resource provides our children and teachers with high quality language materials, built in a progressive way to ensure effective, developmental language learning.

Impact

Our languages curriculum will ensure all pupils develop key language learning skills set out by the National Curriculum, as well as a love of languages and learning about other cultures.

Children will demonstrate a positive attitude to language learning and will achieve age related expectations.

Teachers use assessment for learning to monitor progress and to assess the impact of lessons to ensure children are challenged and supported appropriately.