French Approach and Progression

Learning Intention

“Learning a new language is like opening a door to a world of new possibilities, helping us to become globally aware citizens and providing opportunities for us to lead new, exciting lives.” Mrs Peacock, MFL Leader

At Meadowbank , we strive to enable and empower children to be curious and compassionate about languages, culture and the world around them.  Our learners experience an enriched, progressive curriculum that encourages an appreciation of their own and others’ language and culture, thus enabling pupils to acquire a connectivity to the world around them. Children are empowered to take risks and gain confidence whilst developing their understanding and fluency in written and spoken forms of French. As children become familiar with new vocabulary, grammatical structure and phonological awareness, they build confidence in holding conversations with peers, always striving to improve their accuracy of pronunciation. At Meadowbank, our MFL curriculum is further enriched through links with St Chaudeliere School in Montpellier, France. This valuable and purposeful opportunity provides our KS2 children with a deeper connectivity and understanding of the world whilst building upon their own cultural capital.

 

Aims

• To develop a curiosity and interest in learning other languages, whilst deepening their understanding of the world around them.

• To immerse children in a variety of language rich opportunities so they become confident speakers and listeners.

• To help shape future citizens into globally aware young people by building on cultural capital.
• To empower children to communicate in the language of French, learning a wide range of communication skills and an accurate level of pronunciation. 

 

Learning Journey

The Modern Foreign Languages Leader has a strong understanding of the EYFS curriculum, and the seven areas of learning and development that shape the educational programmes in our Early Years Foundation Stage. All areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected, and the experiences, opportunities and activities which are planned enable children to develop a broad range of knowledge and skills that provide the right foundations for good future progress through school and life. At Meadowbank, we have chosen French as our Modern Foreign Language. We have implemented the use of an innovative, easily adaptable scheme of work which progressively develops children's language learning skills, and provides a highly effective scaffold of support for our teaching staff. In Key Stage two children are taught weekly French lessons, in which new vocabulary is listened to and spoken, within a variety of paired, group and whole class experiences. Knowledge and skills are reinforced and embedded through regular revisiting of the spoken language, alongside the opportunity to read and write new and familiar vocabulary. Within Foundation Stage and Key Stage one, adults provide regular opportunities for children to learn songs, say and read everyday language and listen to French stories through direct teaching and exploration as part of their continuous provision. Across school we encourage the children to make links between English and French and use these links to see connections across the wider world; learning about cultural similarities and differences with our own country and French speaking countries. All children are encouraged to share their own personal experiences of language and individual diversity is celebrated.

 

Learning Environment and Immersion

To ensure our children become Life Long Learners we plan for a rich and innovative language environment that every child has access to. This includes key vocabulary, question stems, language games, and high quality texts including bi-lingual dictionaries. In order to extend children’s curiosity about different languages, we have an annual celebration of European day of Languages, where each year group plan cross-curricular links to enhance their own language learning. We also have a team of French Friends who attend a weekly lunchtime session where they learn new songs and games which they then share with their own class. Our French Friends Team also ensure the successful delivery of an annual whole school languages celebration.

 

Assessment for Learning

Assessment is captured and informed through the use of the French progression of skills, knowledge and vocabulary map. These are used for future planning and to identify areas which may need consolidation. A sequence of learning is evident in each child’s French book which they keep throughout KS2, as a record of their learning and is also used as a tool for children to reflect and revisit prior knowledge to aid and embed their knowledge and understanding. Personalised, short term planning ensures that teachers plan for children to demonstrate their understanding in a range of ways and ensures that this enables them to show their language knowledge and skills to the best of their ability; this may include videos, voice recordings and cross curricular writing. Feedback is given verbally during a French lesson so that each child or group can address misconceptions, practise pronunciation and make accelerated progress towards meeting and exceeding the age related expectations for that French concept.

 

Monitoring and review

The Modern Foreign Language leader is responsible for the rigorous monitoring of French through book and planning looks, children agency, lesson pop-ins and whole school CPE. Ongoing analysis of outcomes enables the MFL leader to identify vulnerable groups of children across school and support adults in identifying next steps so that all groups make accelerated progress. Feedback to the teaching team then informs next steps in planning key actions so that there can be personalised and effective JPD planned to address areas for development. Our children are involved in this monitoring process in a number of ways across the academic year. Children are empowered to talk about their learning through the curriculum planning journals and their own books during pupil voice opportunities. Our French Friends Team regularly share their ideas for making French the best that it can be at Meadowbank.