At Indian Queens School we believe that the learning of foreign languages 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 and extends their knowledge of how language works. Learning other languages gives children a new perspective on the world, encouraging them to understand their own culture and values as well as those of others.
Spanish is the second most spoken native language worldwide and the third most used language on the internet, providing vast opportunities for global communication. Spanish grammar and pronunciation are generally considered more accessible for English speakers. The cultural richness of Spanish-speaking countries, with their diverse traditions, literature, music, and history, adds an enriching layer to the learning experience, making Spanish a popular and rewarding choice.
Curriculum Intent
According to the famous author John le Carré, “...to learn a language is an act of friendship. It is an outstretched hand.” We believe that learning languages gives children a new perspective on the world and encourages them to understand their own values as well as those of others. It helps them to develop communication skills - including key skills of speaking and listening and extends their knowledge of how language works: ‘Those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own,’ Goethe.
Implementation
MFL at Indian Queens is taught through the three ‘pillars’ of language learning (phonics, grammar and vocabulary) which are all weaved into the curriculum and, as pupils progress through the units and teaching types, previous language is recycled, revisited and consolidated. Any new language is introduced gradually and becomes more complex and sophisticated as pupils move from Early Language to Intermediate to Progressive units. Pupils follow a programme that has ‘language learning stepping stones’ built into the resources. Phonics, vocabulary and grammar are taught gradually and recycled constantly.
As a result of this, children will be able to:
• understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources
• speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, finding ways of communicating what they want to say, including through discussion and asking questions, and continually improving the accuracy of their pronunciation and intonation
• write at varying length, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt
• discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied.
National Curriculum Programmes of Study
The teaching will provide an appropriate balance of spoken and written language and should lay the foundations for further foreign language teaching at key stage 3. It should enable pupils to understand and communicate ideas, facts and feelings in speech and writing, focused on familiar and routine matters, using their knowledge of phonology, grammatical structures and vocabulary. The focus of study in modern languages will be on practical communication, speaking in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures. Children will be encouraged to develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud or using familiar words and phrases.
Assessment
The children are assessed by the language specialist who currently leads the weekly MFL sessions. This is done informally during the lessons to inform future planning. Children also carry out self-assessments to see and monitor the progress that they are making in the language. We assess listening, speaking, talking to somebody, reading and writing.
