Modern Foreign Languages Intent Statement:

The intention of the MFL curriculum at Birches First School is that children are taught to develop an interest in learning other languages in a way that is enjoyable and stimulating. We encourage children’s confidence and strive to stimulate and encourage children’s curiosity about language which develops their love of learning about other languages and cultures. We strive to embed the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing necessary to enable children to use and apply their French learning in a variety of contexts and lay the foundations for future language learning.

Modern Foreign Languages Implementation:

Our chosen MFL is French. Our MFL curriculum is supported by “Language Angels” to support non-specialist teachers in delivering a broad and balanced experience of the French language. It progressively develops children skills in languages, via regularly taught lessons, giving them the confidence to speak French with others. Children progressively acquire, use and apply a growing bank of vocabulary. This scheme of work ensures coverage and progression across KS2. 

In planning, we actively plan links to develop children’s awareness of cultural differences in other countries alongside our British Values and curriculum enrichment opportunities. 

Children are encouraged and supported to develop their speaking and listening skills through conversational work, singing activities and games to aid memory and recall. As confidence and skills grow, children record their work through pictures, captions and sentences. Within the classroom, opportunities are identified beyond the taught MFL lesson for skills to be developed. For example, instructions being given in French. Visual prompts and word mats are used to support children in translating new vocabulary and to support them with their learning.

MFL is assessed in speaking, reading and writing. We strive to ensure that our pupil’s attainment is in line or exceeds their potential when we consider the varied starting points of all our children. Assessments occur in Lesson 6 of each of the “Language Angels” units.

MFL is monitored by the subject leader throughout Year 3 and 4 using a variety of strategies such as lesson observations, staff discussions and pupil interviews.  Feedback is given to teachers and leaders use the information to see if the children know more and remember more.

Impact:

Our MFL 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.

These are as follows:

• 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