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

At Cheetwood, we want our children to enjoy learning French and to develop a real curiosity about the wider world. Learning a new language helps children understand different countries, cultures and people, while building important communication skills they can use throughout their lives.

We follow a carefully planned curriculum that allows children to build their skills step by step. Each year, they revisit and develop what they have already learnt, helping them grow in confidence and independence as language learners.

What children learn:

From Year 3, children will begin to learn French in school. These lessons focus strongly on speaking and listening, especially in the early stages. Children focus on hearing French vocabulary, helping them develop accurate pronunciation and confidence. As their skills grow, they begin to read and write in French, understanding feminine and masculine vocabulary, gradually learning more complex language and using it more independently.

Through songs, games, stories and practical activities, children learn to:  

• Listen and respond to others in both speech and writing
• Read carefully, identifying cognates to help unpick the text
• Communicate for real-life purposes
• Understand French culture

Our French curriculum focuses on:

• Speaking and pronunciation: Correct pronunciation of French words.
• Listening: Listening to the pronunciation of French words, those that have silent letters or letters that sound different to English.
• Grammar: Understanding feminine and masculine words and how the gender of the word can affect the spelling of other words in a sentence. 
• Reading and writing: Identifying cognates. Organising sentences, order of nouns, verbs and adjectives.
• Intercultural understanding: Understanding and appreciating the similarities and differences between the French culture and our culture.

Our French curriculum aims to:

• Make language learning enjoyable and accessible for all children
• Spark curiosity about how languages work
• Develop strong speaking and listening skills, alongside reading and writing
• Help children understand and appreciate cultural similarities and differences
• Show children the value and usefulness of learning another language
• Build a strong foundation for future language study

Above all, we hope to inspire a lifelong love of languages. We want our pupils to leave Cheetwood as curious, confident and reflective learners who are excited about the opportunities that speaking another language can bring.