Intent

 

• At SMATT we believe that learning a foreign language provides an opening to other cultures and promotes international co-operation.  High quality language learning sparks pupils' curiosity and deepens their understanding of the wider world, enabling them to play a valuable part in our global society.

 

• We aim to inspire pupils to develop a love of languages and to grow into curious, confident, and reflective language learners, and to provide them with a foundation that will equip them for further language studies. We emphasise the importance of having a "Growth Mindset" to become resilient language learners - it will not always be easy but we will persevere and learn from our mistakes!

 

• When embarking on their language learning journey we encourage children to reflect on their reasons for learning other languages, and specifically French, through discussion and creating posters to share their ideas. We revisit these ideas as the children's language skills develop.

 

Reflecting on our reasons for learning French!

 

Implementation

 

• Children have short weekly French lessons with a specialist teacher.  A carefully planned sequence of lessons ensures progressive coverage of the skills required by the National Curriculum. Prior learning is considered and opportunities for revision of new vocabulary and grammar are built in. Children are also introduced to the culture of French-speaking countries and communities and are given opportunities to listen to a range of native speakers.

 

• In lower KS2 a strong emphasis is placed on developing speaking and listening skills through interactive songs, games and conversations.  These skills are further developed in upper KS2, alongside reading and writing. Pupils are provided with the tools to express their ideas and thoughts in French and to understand and respond to others, using increasingly complex language concepts.

 

• Through language learning we celebrate the diversity of children's unique experiences of languages outside school - giving them the opportunity to value and share languages spoken at home or by other friends and relatives, and also experienced on family holidays.

Impact

 

• Our pupils benefit from the continuity of a subject teacher fostering their language learning throughout KS2. They have recently enjoyed topics such as "Holidays and Hobbies", "Food Glorious Food" and "School Life".  They have been enthusiastic about our "Meet and Greet Song", the story of "The Very Greedy Dog", a French PE game, and planning fantasy holidays! Lessons often involve a variety of gestures and actions to accompany the new vocabulary.

 

• We endeavour to integrate French into other aspects of school life, for example greetings, registering, counting and classroom instructions. A recent initiative has been to enrich the children's school learning with increased opportunities to further their language skills at home. Customised topic organisers are sent home every term mirroring those used in class so families can get involved! Many children have also started using Duolingo regularly at home - this great app is a free, fun and easy way to reinforce and further their learning and to shine in lessons!

 

• Impact is measured through key questioning skills built into lessons and through our school's own termly Pilgrim Progress assessments after each knowledge unit. In addition, children assess themselves against key language skills, set their own goals, and reflect on their improvement.  Pupils have also enjoyed the recent introduction of conversation videos as a way of recording and evidencing their progress. 

                                                                                  

      

                                                                                                         Yellow Class - French Meet and Greet Song

Our SMATT French Pilgrim Progress

Knowledge organisers