Curriculum
MFL
Spanish curriculum statement
“With languages, you are at home anywhere.” – Edmund De Waal
“One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way.” – Frank Smith
At The Oaks Primary School we are committed to the teaching of foreign languages as we understand and appreciate the benefits they can bring. Languages are a skill for life which helps children to develop communications skills and improves their knowledge of the intricacies of language, using key skills of speaking, listening reading and writing.
We believe the learning of languages should be fun and rewarding for all children and we hope that learning a second language at an early age will give our students the confidence to ‘have a go’ whether that be in work or on holiday.
Intent
At The Oaks, it is our intent to build a MFL curriculum, which develops learning and results in the acquisition of knowledge and skills which enables children to access the wider curriculum and to prepare children to be a global citizen now and in their future roles within a global community
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.
What do we want for our pupils?
- To develop an interest in learning other languages.
- To encourage children’s confidence and creative skills through the exploration of another language.
- To stimulate and encourage children’s curiosity about language.
- To help children develop their awareness of cultural differences in other countries.
- To develop listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.
- To lay the foundations for future language learning.
What do we want from our curriculum?
- To introduce young children to another language in a way that is enjoyable and stimulating.
- To deliver a Spanish programme of work within the MFL curriculum which enables pupils to explore the cultural capital of another country through its language and traditions.
Implementation
How do we deliver Spanish at The Oaks Primary School?
- Teachers have access to a clear and comprehensive scheme of work called ‘Primary Languages VLE’ in line with the National Curriculum to support with planning and resourcing.
- MFL Focused Vocabulary Working Walls throughout school focus on key vocabulary.
- ∙ Wider Curriculum MFL will be reinforce through ‘Cultures week’ in Summer 2 term for ks2 children.
- Teachers have access to assessment grids to assess the progress of children in their language learning as they move through Key Stage 2, ensuring that children are supported and challenged as appropriate. This data is analysed on a termly basis, and an action plan drawn up to address any identified gaps.
- Pupil Voice is also used to further develop the MFL curriculum, through questioning of pupils’ views and attitudes to learning a language.
Impact
Through the high quality first teaching of Modern Foreign Languages taking place we will see the impact of the subject in different ways:
- Children will develop a love of languages and be well equipped for secondary school
- Children make good progress from their own starting point
- Children will be given the opportunity to look at other languages – particularly if children are bi-lingual.
- Children will learn how language skills can be applied to a range of languages.
- Children will develop their language through development of the four key skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing.
- Children will enrich their language learning by developing an understanding of the Spanish culture.
The impact on our children will be clear: progress, sustained learning and transferrable skills.
At The Oaks Primary School we are committed to the teaching of foreign languages as we understand and appreciate the benefits they can bring. Languages are a skill for life which helps children to develop communications skills and improves their knowledge of the intricacies of language, using key skills of speaking, listening reading and writing.
We believe the learning of languages should be fun and rewarding for all children and we hope that learning a second language at an early age will give our students the confidence to ‘have a go’ whether that be in work or on holiday.
These wonderful quotations sum up what can be achieved:
“With languages, you are at home anywhere.” – Edmund De Waal
“One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way.” – Frank Smith
All Key Stage 2 pupils must now learn a second language as part of the National Curriculum and we have chosen to teach Spanish. In Key Stage Two, the children learn basic conversational skills and phrases through dedicated lesson time. Spanish objectives are set in Year 3,4,5 and 6 to ensure progression in speaking, listening and reading and writing.
The intention of the Spanish curriculum at The Oaks is that children are taught to develop an interest in learning other languages in a way that is enjoyable and stimulating. We encourage children’s confidence, we strive to stimulate and encourage children’s curiousity about language. Children are encouraged to develop their awareness of cultural differences in other countries alongside their British values. We strive to embed the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing necessary to enable children to use and apply their Spanish learning in a variety of contexts and lay the foundations for future language learning.
Our MFL curriculum is designed to progressively develop children skills in languages, through regular taught lessons. Children progressively acquire, use and apply a growing bank of vocabulary organised around topics.
Please access our Spanish knowledge organisers and circuit breakers activities to gain an insight into our MFL coverage and to support your children at home.
Home learning activities
Another useful website to support your child in learning Spanish is the BBC website (link opens in new browser window).