Modern Foreign Languages

Languages

Intent

At Longhill Primary School, we use the Language Angels scheme of work and resources to ensure we offer a relevant, broad, vibrant and ambitious foreign languages curriculum that will inspire and excite our pupils using a wide variety of topics and themes. All pupils will be expected to achieve their full potential by encouraging high expectations and excellent standards in their foreign language learning - the ultimate aim being that pupils will feel willing and able to continue studying languages beyond key stage 2.

The intent is that all content will be continuously updated and reviewed annually, creating a dynamic programme of study that will be clearly outlined in both long-term and short-term planning. This will ensure that the foreign language knowledge of our pupils progresses within each academic year and is extended year upon year throughout the primary phase and, in so doing, will always be relevant and in line with meeting or exceeding national DfE requirements. 

The four key language learning skills; listening, speaking, reading and writing will be taught and all necessary grammar will be covered in an age-appropriate way across the primary phase. This will enable pupils to use and apply their learning in a variety of contexts, laying down solid foundations for future language learning and also helping the children improve overall attainment in other subject areas.

The intent is that all pupils will develop a genuine interest and positive curiosity about foreign languages, finding them enjoyable and stimulating. Learning a second language will also offer pupils the opportunity to explore relationships between language and identity, develop a deeper understanding of other cultures and the world around them with a better awareness of self, others and cultural differences. The intention is that they will be working towards becoming life-long language learners.

Implementation

Years 3 to 6 will have access to a very high-quality foreign languages curriculum using the Language Angels scheme of work and resources. This will progressively develop pupil skills in foreign languages through regularly taught and well-planned weekly lessons.

Children will progressively acquire, use and apply a growing bank of vocabulary, language skills and grammatical knowledge organised around age-appropriate topics and themes - building blocks of language into more complex, fluent and authentic language.

The three ‘pillars’ of language learning (phonics, grammar and vocabulary) are all weaved into the scheme and, as pupils progress through the units and teaching types, previous language is recycled, revisited and consolidated.

Units are progressive within themselves as subsequent lessons within a unit build on the language and knowledge taught in previous lessons. As pupils progress though the lessons in a unit they will build their knowledge and develop the complexity of the language they use.

Pupil learning and progression will be reviewed at regular intervals and an assessment will be completed at the end of each unit.  In addition, monitoring is completed through pupil voice interviews and observations of learning.

ICT is used regularly to record pupils speaking and to allow the children be creative in the recording of their learning.

Our work with the International Pupil Council has made the children more aware about global issues and their role in the wider world.

Impact

At Longhill Primary School, the MFL curriculum is designed to enable children to develop their love of language learning from an early age.  It allows the children to be curious and discover more about the world around them.  It gives them the opportunity to develop links with children in another country and gain an understanding of the similarities and differences between their lives.

It gives children the opportunity to understand how to make themselves understood in another language which then develops more awareness of grammatical structures in their own language.

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