The 2014 national curriculum for languages 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.

 

Our Lady’s has chosen to teach French at Key Stage 2.  We believe that learning an additional language enhances communication skills and understanding of language as well as providing an opening to other cultures and experiences.  Learning a language can also help children to understand the similarities and differences between cultures so they develop positive attitudes towards other cultures.  In teaching French, we encourage the pupils to make links across the curriculum thus establishing a greater purpose for their language learning. 

 

Pupils will be taught to:

• listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding;
• explore patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words;
• engage in conversations; ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek clarification and help;
• speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures;
• develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud or using familiar words and phrases;
• present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences;
• read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing;
• 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 materials, including through using a dictionary;
• write phrases from memory and adapt these to create new sentences to express ideas clearly;
• describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing;
• understand basic grammar including feminine and masculine forms; conjugation of high-frequency verbs; key features and patterns of the language and how to apply these and how these differ from or are similar to English.

 

In French lessons, pupils listen and respond to a variety of spoken and written language activities through engaging in conversations, songs and rhymes and reading stories. 

 

Additional activities also including looking at aspects of French culture through films and research and also the Year 6 residential trip where pupils have the opportunity to use their language skills in real-life.