Languages

Our chosen primary language is French. Teaching enables pupils to express their ideas in French and to understand and respond to French speakers. We aim for pupils to speak with increasing confidence, to read and understand short texts and to write at varying lengths for different audiences and purposes.

Our vision statement for French at PGS:

At Peter Gladwin, learning French helps us to understand the importance of communicating with people of other nationalities, cultures and traditions. Learning another language helps us to develop as global citizens and to feel connected to the wider world. 

INTENT

Learning a foreign language is an essential part of being a member of a multi-cultural society and provides a doorway to other cultures. Learning another language fosters children’s curiosity and deepens their understanding of the world. Children learn to express their ideas and thoughts in French and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing. Our French curriculum provides opportunities for children to communicate for practical purposes, as well as the foundation for learning further languages, equipping children to become global citizens. Our broader curriculum also celebrates children’s home languages, cultures and backgrounds, and we have many children who speak languages at home other than English.

IMPLEMENTATION 

In Key Stage One, children are introduced to the French language through songs & rhymes, pictures, signage and classroom routines. Greetings in assemblies and around the school often take place in French.

Children have weekly lessons in French throughout Key Stage 2, using a variety of resources, games, stories and songs. In Years Three and Four, children acquire basic vocabulary and conversational skills in everyday French, developing their speaking and listening skills and beginning to read and write French words and phrases. These skills are embedded and further developed in Years Five and Six, alongside an increased focus on reading and writing in French, as they progress to more complex language concepts and opportunities to apply their knowledge. Formative assessments inform future planning and ensure good progress and support for children of all abilities. Children enjoy the active nature of French lessons, and engage enthusiastically in broader aspects of language learning, such as writing to our linked school in Neuilly le Real in central France.

In line with the National Curriculum for Primary Languages (2013), children at Peter Gladwin are taught to:

• listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding
• explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words
• engage in conversations; ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek clarification and help
• speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures
• develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud or using familiar words and phrases
• present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences
• read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing
• appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language
• broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including through using a dictionary
• write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clear
• describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing
• understand basic grammar appropriate to the French language, including feminine and masculine forms and the conjugation of high-frequency verbs; key feature and patterns of the language; how to apply these and to use them to build sentences; and how these differ from or are similar to English.

IMPACT

At the end of Key Stage Two, Peter Gladwin linguists can:

• understand and respond to spoken and written French from a variety of authentic sources.
• speak French 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.
• write in French at varying lengths, for different purposes and audiences, using the vocabulary and variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt.
• discover and develop an appreciation of the culture, traditions, songs, rhymes and tales of French-speaking communities and countries.
• possess a natural curiosity and confidence to explore other countries, cultures and languages, knowing that in our multi-lingual society it is a valuable skill to be able to communicate effectively in another language.  They will be engaged, confident and ready to continue language learning at secondary school and beyond.