At Warren Primary Academy, we believe that the learning of a foreign language provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience for our pupils. We teach French using the Language Angels scheme, which provides a structured developmental approach across Key Stage 2. Children are able to develop their ability to communicate, including key skills of speaking and listening, and extend their knowledge of how language works. It provides excitement, enjoyment and challenge for children and teachers, helping to create enthusiastic learners and to develop positive attitudes to language learning throughout life. Learning another language gives children a new perspective on the world and opens up a plethora of opportunities to them, encouraging them to understand their own cultures and those of others. Children are encouraged to be ambitious and optimistic in their approach to learning a new language and feel they are able to speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, through discussion and asking questions. Children at Warren Primary Academy learn about different French speaking countries and cultures with the future potential of using their language skills abroad. Our curriculum intention is to allow children to maximise their potential in a foreign language, culture and tradition.
Aims
The national curriculum for history aims to ensure that all pupils:
- Understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources
- Speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, finding ways of communicating what they want to say, including through discussion and asking questions, and 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
French is taught through half termly units which consist of a block of 6 lessons, culminating in an assessment which covers the main areas of communication; speaking, writing, reading and listening. The long term plan dictates which units each class are taught and in which half term to teach the unit. Year groups are taught French Phonics at the start of the year to enable correct pronunciation and articulation. Teachers also plan in cultural lessons for their class’s French speaking country, as classes have been allocated a French speaking country and a French festival to learn about throughout the year. The main focus of our French lessons is oral repetition and conversation, each unit begins by introducing new vocabulary alongside images. This is then built on by showing the image alongside the word. Units often introduce 10 pieces of new vocabulary over 2 lessons, once this vocabulary is cemented children are then exposed to using this alongside French phrases such as “je suis” and “j’aime/ je n’aime pas”. Teachers use French phrases when teaching to immerse the children in the language. In lessons children have multiple opportunities to practice correct pronunciation, articulation and translation. Resources used to support children with SEND are vocabulary sheets with images, talking tins to record pronunciation and differentiated worksheets where required. Whole school assemblies on European Languages Day help to foster a love of learning and labels around school foster a language rich environment for all of our children.