Subject Lead: Miss Rogerson

Our Modern Foreign Language is French

“One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every
door along the way.” – Frank Smith

Intent

French at Cheetwood aims to develop and encourage children’s curiosity and help deepen their understanding of the world. A linear curriculum has been chosen to allow opportunity for children to gradually build on their skills.

French enables children to express their ideas and thoughts in a new language and provides opportunities to interact and communicate with others both in speech and in writing. At the heart of French is the desire to expose children to authentic French, and give regular opportunities to listen to native speakers. Children acquire basic skills and understanding of French with a strong emphasis placed on developing their speaking and listening skills. These will be embedded and further developed alongside reading and writing, gradually progressing onto more complex language concepts and greater learner autonomy.

We intend to inspire pupils to develop a love of languages and to expand their horizons to other countries, cultures and people. We aim to help children grow into curious, confident and reflective language learners and to provide them with a foundation that will equip them for further language studies.

The aims of French teaching at Cheetwood Primary School ensure that all pupils:

• Foster an interest in language learning by introducing children to another language in a way that is enjoyable and accessible to all pupils
• Stimulate and encourage children’s curiosity about language
• Support oracy and literacy, and in particular develop speaking and listening skills
• Allow children to express their ideas and thoughts in another language, and to understand and respond to its speakers both in speech and writing, according to their level of ability
• For children to read, appropriately selected, literature in the original language
• Help children develop their awareness of cultural similarities and differences
• To provide opportunities for children to communicate for practical purposes and as such, build an understanding of the usefulness of knowing another language; lay the foundations for future language study by pupils