Curriculum – MFL
At Lumley Junior School, we use the National Curriculum for Languages as the basis of our MFL programme.
The 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.
Lumley Junior School believes that learning a foreign language should foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world and different cultures. Teaching should enable pupils to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing.
Implementation
In Year 3 we have recently introduced the Kapow French programme. This scheme will be rolled out to each year group over the next three years. In Year 4 to Year 6 we use Salut. Both schemes are used to introduce pupils to new words, phrases and sentences to allow them to expand their French vocabulary. Both Kapow and Salut! incorporates learning in a fun and engaging way with games, songs, stories and audio recorded by native French speakers. Children practise new vocabulary and grammar both orally and in written contexts. Lessons are adapted where necessary to meet the needs of pupils including those with special educational needs and disabilities.
Using Kapow, we develop children’s knowledge and key skills within five specific areas.:
- phonics
- grammar
- language comprehension
- language production
- cultural awareness
Using Salut, we develop children’s knowledge and key skills with five specific areas:
- sound spelling
- listening
- speaking
- reading
- writing
Key Skills and Knowledge Progression Grids:
French – Knowledge and Key Skills Progression (2024)
Impact
Sound Spelling
- Identify specific sounds/phonemes.
- Apply phonic knowledge to find or write words.
Listening
- Understand the main points and some detail from a short-spoken passage.
- Listen for specific phrases and sentences.
Speaking
- Take part in simple conversations.
- Express opinions.
- Use generally accurate pronunciation.
- Take part in pre-prepared tasks such as short presentations and role-plays.
Reading
- Understand the main points and simple opinions from a longer written passage.
- Use bilingual dictionaries.
- Apply phonic knowledge to find and write words.
Writing
- Write a short text, attempting to accurately use nouns, adjectives and verbs on a familiar topic.
