Languages - French

3 I'S STATEMENT AND SUBJECT PROGRESSION DOCUMENTS

 Our School Definition of French:

French is a foreign language. A foreign language is a language not commonly spoken in the country of the speaker.

Intent Statement - Languages

At St. Joseph’s, we are linguists. The aim of our Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) curriculum is to help children develop their linguistic abilities and to deepen their understanding of a different language. We offer a broad and interesting French curriculum to inspire and excite our pupils, based on a wide variety of topics relevant to them.

We aim to give our children the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing so that they can use and apply French in a variety of contexts and to lay the foundations for future learning of language. We also strive to use the French language as a starting point to stimulate and encourage children’s curiosity about other languages and to widen their interest in different countries and cultures.

The intent is that all pupils will develop a genuine interest and positive curiosity about foreign languages, finding them enjoyable and stimulating.  Learning French will also offer pupils the opportunity to develop a deeper awareness and understanding of other cultures and the world around them. The intention is that they will enjoy learning a modern foreign language, be confident to speak a different language, understand the need to persevere so that they can communicate well with people who speak French, widen their interest in and understanding of different cultures. In essence, we want our children to begin their journey to become life-long linguists.

Implementation Statement - Languages

Our MFL curriculum progressively develops the children’s skills in French through weekly taught lessons in KS2.

• Our scheme of work offers a carefully planned sequence of lessons, ensuring progressive coverage of the skills required by the national curriculum.
• In Lower KS2, children acquire basic skills and understanding of French with a strong emphasis placed on developing their Speaking and Listening skills. These are embedded and further developed in Upper KS2, alongside reading and writing French.
• Children are encouraged and supported to develop their speaking and listening skills through conversation, singing, games and other activities.
• As pupils progress, they will build their knowledge and develop the complexity of the language they use.
• Theme Days also increase the children’s knowledge and experience of French as a major language across the world and facilitate the exploration of diverse cultures. One example of this was through our French Speaking Countries celebration day. Please see our curriculum portfolios for examples of our theme days. 

Impact Statement - Languages

Because the learning of French has recently begun at St Joseph's, it is still becoming embedded. We aim to ensure that eventually, all our children will be working at Age Related Expectations or above; we are especially keen to ensure that our children with special educational needs are able to flourish in learning a Modern Foreign Language. Our goal is that all children will be able to converse confidently in French and discuss different cultures where French is a major language. They will have a solid foundation of language-learning which they can develop as they move into secondary school. Furthermore, the children will be able to apply the British Values of Mutual Respect and Tolerance of Other Cultures and Faiths as their knowledge and understanding of the world increases through the learning of a Modern Foreign Language.

Scheme of Work and Progression Document - French