• French Subject Overview

MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

OVERVIEW

KS2 pupils will learn French, they will be taught to express their ideas and thoughts in French, to understand and respond both in speech and in writing. Learning French will also provide opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes and read a range of vocabulary and literature from that language.

INTENT

• To teach pupils to understand and respond to spoken and written foreign language from a variety of authentic sources
• To enable pupils to 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 as they progress through school
• To teach pupils how to write at varying length, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt.

IMPLEMENTATION

• The teaching of French is delivered via a well sequenced and progressive scheme (Language Angels)
• The focus of learning French is on practical communication and teaching provides an appropriate balance of spoken and written language
• Teaching enables pupils to understand and communicate ideas, facts and feelings in speech and writing, focused on familiar topics, vocabulary and grammatical structures
• Children are given opportunities to listen to spoken French and show understanding by joining in and responding
• There are opportunities for them to explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words
• Lessons provide opportunities for pupils to engage in conversations; ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others
• Pupils are taught how to speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures
• Teachers ensure that pupils develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud or using familiar words and phrases
• Pupils learn how to read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing
• Children are taught how to appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language, broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including through using a dictionary
• They understand basic French grammar, including feminine and masculine forms and how these differ from English.

IMPACT

The teaching of French will provide the foundation for learning of further languages later in their education. It will provide an opening to other nations, cultures, and foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. Pupils will be build a developing ability to understand another language and to communicate in it.

We focus on progression of knowledge and skills and discreet vocabulary which also form part of the units of work. We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:

• Assessing children’s understanding of topic linked vocabulary before and after the unit is taught
• Summative assessment of pupil discussions about their learning
• Images and videos of the children’s practical learning
• Interviewing the pupils about their learning (pupil voice)
• Subject leader monitoring of standards
• Teacher dialogue where pupil’s work is scrutinised and there is the opportunity for teachers to understand their class’s work and develop curriculum opportunities further.