Modern Foreign Languages: French
Learning another language is increasingly important in our globalized society. By teaching another language, we are fostering a curiosity about the wider world – other languages and cultures; we are widening opportunities for future study and enjoyment, giving our children an introduction to the diverse world, promoting and developing a broader inter-cultural understanding.
Learning another language supports the development of children’s abilities to express their thoughts and ideas and communicate with others both orally and in writing. It can develop their understanding of their own language and structures and offers an opportunity to appreciate similarities and differences between their own language and another.
Our chosen language is: French
Our MFL Curriculum:
At Barwell Church of England Academy, we designed a curriculum that gives our children a strong foundation for their next stage of learning and beyond. We aim to teach French in an inspiring, immersive and creative away, providing opportunities for children to watch and listen to native speakers, converse and communicate in writing with a range of audiences. We have a 3D curriculum with vertical links deliberately constructed within a topic; horizontal links between topics and diagonal links that allow children to see how vocabulary and language structures develop across both year groups and topics. Our learning is presented in a Tour de France journey based on a specific topic each term.
Our French curriculum is taught weekly, in an afternoon during PPA sessions, by our Senior Higher Level Teaching Assistant. Each Tour de France lasts half a term, one Tour de France each term. Each topic looks at learning key vocabulary with good pronunciation at its heart and opportunities to converse and write with increasing confidence. Every year group has its own Tour de France map detailing the vocabulary and skills for that journey. Within each of the Tour de France journeys we focus on our substantive concepts:
The Structure of our MFL Curriculum:
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
Inclusion in MFL
We do not want to put a ceiling on our children’s learning. It is imperative that all children, especially those with special education needs or disabilities, access an ambitious, broad, challenging and inspiring curriculum. It should not be narrowed nor should the default position be to expect children not to be able to achieve. High expectations of all of our children are at the heart of our vision and this of course includes all children and all areas of the curriculum.