Modern Foreign Languages

Modern Foreign Languages at Chipping Warden Primary Academy

At Chipping Warden Primary Academy, children in Key Stage 2 learn a modern foreign language. We currently use Catherine Cheater Schemes of Work for French. This includes games, singalongs, stories and activities to help children get to grips with the language — and have plenty of fun in the process.

The children’s learning covers 3 strands: Oracy, Literacy and Intercultural Understanding.

In addition, there are 2 cross-cutting strands: Knowledge About Language and Language Learning Strategies.

Oracy

In the early stages, children will spend much of their time speaking and listening and will have regular opportunities to listen to a good model of pronunciation. Children listen to the teacher, to songs and rhymes, to each other and to native speakers, recognising familiar and unfamiliar sounds. They reproduce these sounds themselves and create phrases and sentences.

Literacy

Children will start by learning to recognise certain sounds when they hear them and identify the letters that can be used to represent them. They will create simple sentences and share rhymes and stories enjoyed by French children. As children progress, they will be creating more complex sentences and begin to recognise vocabulary.

Intercultural Understanding

Language competence and intercultural understanding help children to become good citizens, as well as develop a greater understanding of their own lives. Becoming familiar with the same stories and songs as French children will naturally bring the learners into contact with aspects of the culture of another country.

Knowledge about Language

When learning a new language, children start to compare the new language with English or another language and reflect on similarities and differences. They also become aware of rules or patterns in language and begin to apply their knowledge when creating new language.

Language Learning Strategies

Whilst learning another language, children will encounter strategies which may also be used for learning in other subjects. It also gives rise to opportunities for discovering which strategy works best for them when applied to a particular task.