QUEEN’S CRESCENT SCHOOL

 

Modern Foreign Language Policy

Rationale

In Queen’s Crescent school we believe that learning a foreign language provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience for the pupils. The focus language taught throughout key stage two is French.

Pupils develop communication and literacy skills that lay the foundation for future language learning. They develop linguistic competence, extend their knowledge of how language works and explore differences and similarities between French and English. Learning another language raises awareness of the multilingual and multicultural world in which pupils live and introduces an international dimension to pupils’ learning, giving them an insight into their own culture and those of others. The learning of a foreign language provides a medium for cross-curricular links and for reinforcement of knowledge, skills and understanding developed in other subjects.

Aims and Objectives

The aims and objectives of learning French in Queen’s Crescent school are to:

  • foster an interest in learning other languages;
  • introduce children to another language in a way that is enjoyable and fun;
  • stimulate and encourage children’s curiosity about language;
  • encourage children to be aware that language has structure and that the structure differs from one language to another;
  • help the children develop their awareness of being a British citizen and how there are cultural differences and similarities with other countries:
  • develop their speaking and listening skills;
  • lay the foundations for future language study;
  • extend language teaching beyond mother tongue learning.
  • celebrate the languages that children speak at home.

The children will learn how to:

  • ask and answer questions;
  • use correct pronunciation;
  • memorise words;
  • interpret meaning;
  • understand basic grammar;
  • use bi lingual dictionaries;
  • work in pairs and groups and communicate in French;
  • look at life in another culture.

Curriculum Organisation

French is taught as part of a rotation of activities in years 3 and 4 and years 5 and 6. This enables a specialist teacher to deliver the majority of the curriculum. There is a scheme of work on a two year rolling programme in operation throughout key stage two but topics are also chosen to compliment the year’s topics where this works.

Embedding Modern Foreign Language and a Global Dimension in the curriculum

At Queen’s Crescent we believe that a global dimension approach to the curriculum can add relevance and real life to topics and really engage children, see also the International Dimension Policy. It incorporates new items and current affairs – crucially bringing in the different viewpoints and opinions from the people affected. It puts the target language and others into context, and it opens up global issues through history, geography and science. Key stage two staff have French words for simple classroom instructions that can be used in any subject throughout the school day.

Inclusion

All children have an equal opportunity to work within this policy area. Account is taken of each child’s needs and where appropriate support for them will be assessed through the special needs policy. Children with particular strengths in French are encouraged to work through the activities with a greater accuracy and depth. Children with English as an additional language are encouraged to share their home language; this is also celebrated in the child’s language portfolio.

Roles and responsibilities

This policy has been developed through consultation between staff and between the subject leader, head teacher and governing body. The head teacher, deputy and subject leader monitor and evaluate the work achieved by the children in this area. The leader identifies areas for development, resource needs and helps in the moderation of standards across the key stage.   The governing body are informed through governors meetings and presentations on the subject given to them by the subject leader.

Monitoring and evaluation

The monitoring and evaluation of the achievements made in this area of the curriculum is carried out through the guidelines on monitoring and evaluation. These set out how the head teacher, deputy head and subject leader use a range of strategies to assess the quality of achievements. The head teacher works with the governing body to inform them about the work carried out within the school.

Parents are informed on pupil progress through the annual written reports and have a chance to discuss this further at parent-teacher interviews.