Download our FREE smartphone app today!
Modern Foreign Languages (MFL)
Valley Invicta Primary School at Holborough Lakes is committed to providing a broad and balanced curriculum across all key stages and we believe that learning a foreign language is an essential skill in today’s global society. Our primary MFL curriculum enables all pupils to reach a level of mastery which will support them in their future MFL studies at secondary level. Aside from developing language skills, there are a number of broader aims, including cultural awareness, fostering pupils’ curiosity to understand the world and broadening the experiences that we offer our pupils. Learning a modern foreign language provides a wealth of opportunities to practise before an audience and develop both speaking and listening skills. We want them to confidently demonstrate their strong interpersonal skills and confidently communicate using their new language skills. Furthermore, we are striving for our pupils to become well-prepared global citizens and enable them to have the ability to participate confidently within their future roles in a global society. Spanish is taught to our KS2 pupils on a weekly basis.
Teaching sequence for Modern Foreign Language-Spanish
Curriculum Intent, Implementation and Impact
Intention:
- To build a curriculum subject which develops learning and results in the acquisition of knowledge in order to prepare our pupils to become global citizens now and in their future.
- To design a curriculum subject with appropriate subject knowledge, skills and understanding to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum. This will ensure that the pupils receive a ‘balanced and broadly-based’ curriculum which promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development to prepare them potential opportunities and responsibilities in the future.
- To build an MFL curriculum subject which ensures children can communicate in another language other than English.
- To design and resource an MFL programme of study which enables our children to explore and experience the cultural capital of Spain through its language and traditions.
Our goal is that all pupils will have a deep understanding of how a language works start them on their journey towards independent, confident communication. The structure of our programme of study reflects this goal, with composites designed to build a solid foundation of language knowledge, understanding and skills. The learning goals complement the methodology currently used in primary schools and also support the skills required for study of MFL at a secondary school.
Our goals are that pupils will learn to:
- Use phonics to be able to pronounce Spanish words with precision and independently.
- Understand, retain and apply some of the fundamental grammatical rules such as gender, plurals, verb conjugations and tenses.
- Give presentations and have conversations in Spanish, using phonics to help with pronunciation and using intonation, pace and gesture to facilitate communication.
- Read authentic Spanish texts and using reading comprehension strategies and retained vocabulary to understand them and give opinions on them.
- Build resilience and use a bank of strategies when listening to authentic texts.
Implentation:
- VIPS Holborough Lakes school follows a clear and comprehensive scheme of work in line with the National Curriculum. The scheme of work will focus on the statutory requirements and will be enhanced by providing events and experiences that develop cultural capital.
- MFL is taught on a weekly basis as a block unit within a term. Lessons will be enhanced through the wider curriculum and reinforced through cultural capital events such as international cultural days/weeks.
- Children gain a deeper understanding of the Spanish language studied through the use of high-quality resources that utilise native speakers.
- The four skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing are taught within a sequence of lessons.
- Children can discuss and compare the traditions and culture of Spanish citizens to that of their own.
- Formative and summative assessments build upon and link prior learning and a common level of mastery is achieved by all pupils before moving on to another composite.
Impact:
- Children will know more and remember more about MFL and in particular, the Spanish language.
- Children will be able to recognise and apply the Spanish vocabulary verbally.
- Children will begin to write some key phrases in Spanish.
- A majority of pupils will meet the objectives as set out in the languages programme of study.
- Foster an interest in learning other languages.
- To make pupils aware of language structures and how they differ from one language to another.
- To assist children in developing an awareness of cultural differences.
- To further develop their speaking and listening skills.