Modern Foreign Language
We believe that Modern Foreign Languages give children the opportunity to explore issues of identity and diversity by considering similarities and differences between peoples, places, cultures and languages. MFL will provide opportunities to explore global issues while developing reading, writing and spoken language skills.
We hope to develop an awareness of global interconnectedness as languages are continually evolving and borrowing from each other. This will help children to develop knowledge and appreciation of different cultures and prepare them for the wider world.
Through MFL, our KS2 children will have the chance to explore diverse national and regional contexts in which languages are spoken across different continents. For example, French is spoken in Africa as well as in France.
Our curriculum intent for MFL encompasses our six core values. By the time they leave Heage, our children will appreciate and have respect for speakers of different languages around the world and in the UK, helping to develop children’s compassion for others. They will feel a responsibility to engage in language learning so that they can better reach out to others and show curiosity towards different languages. They will be able to use their initiative in classroom and real-world contexts where their language skills can be applied, for example, by asking questions and providing information. They will see that communication with others relies upon the skills of teamwork. For instance, give and take in a conversation. Our MFL lessons will instil the value of respect through encouraging children to acknowledge the learning journey that learning a language entails, including gradually building confidence and learning from our mistakes, but above all always having a go (resilience).
We will use the Language Angels units and website to support our teaching of MFL, ensuring coverage of knowledge and skills from the National Curriculum. We will make relevant links between MFL units and cross-curricular topics where possible and highlight connections in Geography where a French-speaking country or region is the focus.
As well as a progression of skills, there is a language progression throughout Key Stage 2 so that by the time our children leave Heage Primary, they will be confident with their basic French conversational fluency.