MFL

Intent

At Tiger, we strongly believe that learning a foreign language is a necessary feature of being a member of a multi-cultural society, and we believe it provides an opening to other cultures. A high-quality modern foreign languages education should foster children’s curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world, regardless of their needs or ability. The teaching should enable children to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing. It should also provide opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes, learn new ways of thinking and read great literature in the original language. Language teaching should provide the foundation for learning further languages, equipping children to study and work in other countries. In Lower KS2, children acquire basic skills and understanding of Spanish with a strong emphasis placed on developing their Speaking and Listening skills. These will be embedded and further developed in Upper KS2, alongside Reading and Writing, gradually progressing onto more complex language concepts such as grammar and more advanced language structure and functions.

The main objective of MFL teaching at Tiger Primary is that children leave us and transition into secondary school with a natural curiosity and confidence to explore other countries, cultures, and languages. They will be engaged and prepared to continue language learning throughout their school life.

Implementation

In line with the National Curriculum for MFL, pupils are taught to:

1. Listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding

2. Explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words

3. Engage in conversations; ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek clarification and help

4. Speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures

5. Develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud or using familiar words and phrases

6. Present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences

7. Read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing

8. Appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language

9. Broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including through using a dictionary

10. Write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clear

11. Describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing

12. Understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied, including (where relevant): feminine, masculine and neuter forms and the conjugation of high-frequency verbs; key features and patterns of the language; how to apply these, for instance, to build sentences; and how these differ from or are similar to English.

This is done through a weekly 30 minute Spanish lesson, taught by the class teacher. We also have a subject monitoring process, which envisages to identify areas for improvement as well as opportunities for celebrations.

Some of the strategies we use to ensure MFL lessons make sure the lessons are consistently taught to a high standard and expectations are as follows:

Observing children speaking and listening in another language.
Monitoring of written work.
Images and videos of children completing speaking and listening activities.
Interviewing the pupils about their learning (pupil voice).
Moderation staff meetings where pupil’s work is scrutinised and there is the opportunity for a dialogue between teachers to understand their class’s work.
Learning walks.

Impact

A range of positive impacts are expected to be recorded throughout the Primary School years. Latest researches suggest that pupils’ literacy and oracy skills are reported to have improved due to the development of language learning strategies, with progress in communication skills and engagement with learning reported in all schools. In light of this evidence, we have used a range of language learning methods to introduce MFL, including music, rhymes and games. These methods will help engage learners, leading to improved confidence and self-esteem among most pupils. Moreover, we expect to see positive impact that MFL learning will have on a range of ability learners, including the most vulnerable children.
Finally, children at Tiger will show increased attainment across all subjects as a result of working on developing the skills necessary for language learning.

spanish skills.pdf

Curriculum Progression Map: Foundation Subjects