Modern Foreign Languages - French
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
At Pimperne Primary School we believe that the learning of a foreign language provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience for our pupils. It helps them to develop communication skills including key skills of speaking and listening and extends their knowledge of how language works. Learning another language gives children a new perspective on the world, encouraging them to understand their own cultures and those of others.
The focus language in our school is French because:
- We know that french is spoken across 5 continents.
- Centuries of culture – reflected in our lessons covering Matisse, French cafés, the Nice carnival and much more.
- The perfect gateway to other languages and thanks to its Latin roots.
- Is a neighbouring country that our school community has easy access to explore
- Lessons help pupils learn to order food, describe the weather and so much more, which could help on a visit
The aims of Primary Languages teaching at Pimperne Primary School are to:
- Foster an interest in language learning by introducing children to other languages in a way that is enjoyable and accessible to all pupils.
- Stimulate and encourage children’s curiosity about language and creativity and experimenting with it.
- Support oracy and literacy and in particular develop speaking and listening skills.
- Help children develop their awareness of cultural similarities and differences.
- Lay the foundations for future language study by pupils.
- Provide an added perspective on first language teaching and learning.
- Give an extra dimension to teaching and learning across the curriculum.
- The children will learn French through speaking and listening, reading and writing, and by developing an intercultural understanding of the country.
We use the Language Angels scheme of work because:
- It has clear learning pathways
- It has progressive steps to move pupils from essential beginner vocabulary to more complex sentence building.
- It has progressive teaching and learning across the three key pillars of language – phonics / pronunciation, vocabulary and age-appropriate grammar.
- It develops core language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) which are developed equally, with complexity increasing steadily.