Modern Foreign Languages
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.”
Nelson Mandela
“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.”
Ludwig Wittgenstein
“Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things, but learning another way to think about things.”
Flora Lewis
Statement of Curriculum Intent for MFL - French (KS2 - Juniors only)
At Garland, we are Linguists! We understand and appreciate the importance of language learning.
At Garland Junior School our intent for Languages education is to foster a wider understanding and appreciation of the world in which our pupils live, and the people that surround them. We aim to inspire curiosity and encourage a love for language learning. Our curriculum is designed to provide pupils with an understanding of French vocabulary, phonics and grammar, along with an insight into Francophone culture.
Our Language curriculum aligns with the National Curriculum and is underpinned by our school values of respect, teamwork, perseverance and kindness. It also supports our vision to provide challenge for all children and develop their sense of community, curiosity and creativity.
Curriculum Implementation
Sequential Curriculum design: Our Languages curriculum follows the Rachel Hawkes scheme. This is carefully sequenced to build upon prior grammatical and vocabulary knowledge, revisiting concepts and High Frequency Vocabulary regularly.
Due to a recent change in scheme, years 4, 5 and 6 will be working on the same units for the 2024/25 academic year. This is to address the jump in grammatical and phonetic expectation.
In the 2025/26 academic year, this will be adjusted, so that years 5 and 6 will be moving on, and completing the next level.
Our children are developing their French skills in Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing.
French is taught weekly, in 30-minute lessons. To ensure that all children, including those with SEND, are able to access the French curriculum, work is adapted to meet their needs. This may be an adaptation of the tasks, or adjusted outcomes. To avoid a child’s literacy restricting their French, we are careful to use activities and assessment that does not always rely on writing, developing all of their language skills.
Curriculum Impact
The impact of our Languages curriculum is evidenced in multiple ways:
- Pupil Outcomes: Pupil outcomes: Pupils demonstrate confidence decoding French, both written and aural, as well as producing spoken and written French.
- Engagement and Enthusiasm: Pupil voice surveys indicate a high level of interest and enjoyment in French. Many pupils express a desire to explore French further through songs and authentic resources.
- Behaviour and Attitudes: French lessons encourage cooperative learning, fostering respect and teamwork in line with our school values. We observe positive behaviours during lessons, with pupils working collaboratively.
- Long-term Memory Retention: Regular knowledge checks reveal a strong retention of key concepts over time.
- Community and Global Awareness: Pupils actively engage in projects that promote environmental sustainability and community involvement, indicating their understanding of their role within a global context.
Children will have developed a ‘have a go’ attitude confident to explore another language and take risks in a fun and relaxed atmosphere, enabling them to become resilient learners. They will have built on their speaking, listening, reading, writing and grammar skills.
These skills not only lay the foundations for future language learning but also foster a curiosity of other cultures.