MFL

Intent

“Learning a foreign language is a liberation from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures. A high-quality languages education should foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world.” (National Curriculum 2014)

The aim of MFL teaching at The Federation of All Saints and St. Margaret’s Catholic Primary Schools is to provide a range of opportunities to support our pupils’ early development of the knowledge and skills necessary to become global citizens. We want to enable our pupils to begin to appreciate the linguistic and cultural diversity of the world in which we live.

We believe that the learning of a foreign language provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience for our pupils. It helps them to develop communication skills including key skills of speaking and listening; it also extends their knowledge about how language works.

French has been selected as the foreign language to be taught in order to ensure coherence with other local primary schools and also to secure preparation for further study at secondary schools and beyond. The objectives of teaching French at The Federation are to:

  • foster an openness to language learning,
  • develop an appreciation of life and culture in another country,
  • be exposed to authentic texts, songs and finger rhymes to enhance their cultural awareness,
  • develop a phonic knowledge and an understanding of the rules of pronunciation, spelling and grammar to support speaking, reading and writing,
  • have regular opportunities to practise reading and writing as well as speaking and listening, and
  • feel confient and well-prepared for further study of languages at Secondary School.